<P> Gregory House, M.D., commonly referred to by his surname House, is the title character of the American medical drama series House . Created by David Shore and portrayed by English actor Hugh Laurie, he leads a team of diagnosticians as the Head of Diagnostic Medicine at the fictional Princeton - Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in Princeton, New Jersey (based on the real - life Yale--New Haven Hospital in New Haven, Connecticut). </P> <P> House's character has been described as a misanthrope, cynic, narcissist, and curmudgeon, the last of which was named one of the top television words of 2005 in honor of the character . He is the only character to appear in all 177 episodes and, except for Wilson's brief appearance, is the only regular character to appear in the season six premiere . </P> <P> In the series, the character's unorthodox diagnostic approaches, radical therapeutic motives, and stalwart rationality have resulted in much conflict between him and his colleagues . House is also often portrayed as lacking sympathy for his patients, a practice that allots him time to solve pathological enigmas . The character is partly inspired by Sherlock Holmes . A portion of the show's plot centers on House's habitual use of Vicodin to manage pain stemming from a leg infarction involving his quadriceps muscle some years earlier, an injury that forces him to walk with a cane . This addiction is also one of the many parallels to Holmes, who was a habitual user of cocaine . </P> <P> Throughout the series' run, the character received generally positive reviews and was included in several best lists . Tom Shales of The Washington Post called House "the most electrifying character to hit television in years". For his portrayal, Laurie has won various awards, including two Golden Globe Awards for Best Actor in a Television Series--Drama, two Screen Actors Guild Awards for Best Actor from Drama Series, two Satellite Awards for Best Actor in a Television Series--Drama, two TCA Awards for Individual Achievement in Drama, and a total of six Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series . </P>

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