Open House with Lisa Edelstein Written by Heather Turk, SoCal.com Movie/TV Editor

It wasn't too long ago that Lisa Edelstein's outspoken personality was broadcast to millions as Lisa E on MTV's Awake on the Wild Side. Now, Edelstein's back on the boob tube doing what it is she does best -- keeping everyone else in check. Only this time, she has a script.

On the new Fox medical drama House, Edelstein stars as Lisa Cuddy, the Dean of Medicine and hospital administrator who is forced to wrangle her boss, the obstinate Dr. House (Hugh Laurie), into reason each and every week. It's a role the 37-year-old actress seems born to play: intelligent, outspoken and demanding full control.

Coming from a medical background herself (Edelstein's father is a doctor, and the actress recalls "going to the emergency room for fun" as a child), Edelstein jokes that if she liked school, she'd probably be a doctor instead of an actress. Her own fascination with the profession is part of the reason the actress auditioned for the show, as anyone who's followed Edelstein's career knows she constantly seeks out controversial and personal parts (past roles have included Rob Lowe's call-girl girlfriend on The West Wing, the transsexual boyfriend of James Le Gros on Ally McBeal and David Conrad's lesbian sister on Relativity).

"The show is a medical drama with a twist," Edelstein states. "The lead [Laurie] is this brilliant, incredible doctor with this amazing talent, but really he has no interest in talking to people. Plus he's addicted to painkillers, which just adds fuel to the fire. House is very CSI-like in that it dives into the human body and gives viewers a tour of the body from the inside -- a look at the veins and the heart... It's dark yet it's funny. It's very intelligently written, sort of like a medical West Wing."

House focuses on the unconventional practices of Dr. Gregory House and his elite team of young medical experts, who will stop at nothing to solve the inexplicable medical cases other doctors can't. Edelstein provides the more "grown up voice" to a team of student doctors, a group of young actors the actress refers to as "the Scooby-Doo gang" because they are so young, beautiful and smart. Broadcasting on such a young network like Fox, these actors, who include Omar Epps and Surviving Christmas' Jennifer Morrison, will truly bring in the younger demographic. But when the show deals with a more ER-esque storyline, will the younger viewers tune in week after week?

"I think that House will satisfy both demographics -- the 18-30 year-olds and the 30-45 year-olds," Edelstein replies. "Topically its good for everyone. And the special effects are organic, not CGI, so it's sort of X-Files like in that way. Sure Fox isn't as well known for its dramas as it is its comedies, but 24, The X-Files, Tru Calling, they all found their audiences. And 24 crosses the line when it comes to younger viewers and older viewers. We ride that fence better than The Jury (Fox's short-lived criminal drama)."

Currently debuting after The Rebel Billionaire, House will eventually follow American Idol in the 9:00 time slot on Tuesday nights. Edelstein knows that the show will lose a lot of American Idol's enormous audience, but she's hopeful that it will end up with a lot of American Idol's viewers as well. Fox has been promoting the show during virtually every commercial break, so odds are the show will start off strong. And with a team of executive producers that includes X-Men director Bryan Singer, House looks like its doors will be open for business for quite some time.

This is a good thing for Edelstein, whose resume sadly reads like a who's who of failed television program stars. From 1995's Almost Perfect and the following year's Relativity to 2002's Leap of Faith, Edelstein's track record when it comes to reoccurring roles on network television shows isn't that great. Edelstein couldn't even get a break when she was guest starring on Felicity as Lauren, the woman pregnant with Ben's baby. Besides the numerous pieces of hate mail she received from Felicity and Ben fans, when it came time for Lauren to deliver the baby, the character had to do it over the phone! The reason: Edelstein was doing Leap of Faith at the time and was instructed by the show not to shoot Felicity any more because it was a conflict over her time.

Coming from Awake on the Wild Side though, Edelstein wasn't shocked by the hate mail she received on Felicity. In fact, Edelstein recalls all the hate mail she received when she was first starting out as a celebrity personality, a time in her life she still finds humorous.

"I was one of those people who was literally famous for doing nothing," Edelstein recalls. "I was always a part of the club scene in New York and eventually was able to produce my own musical about AIDS (Positive Me) because of the audience and press I received as a club kid. Eventually I was called in to screen test for this MTV show because word was out I was this neat club kid turned playwright. I got the job and basically was humiliated on the air everyday. I'm an actor, not a hostess. It was horrifying. I had all this baby fat, so I was just HUGE on camera... I still can't watch one frame of the show. Then I got all this hate mail because I couldn't play the part right... Luckily the show got canceled after seven months. I was so relieved."

Although the series didn't last past its first season, Edelstein's short lived role as Lisa E helped prepare the actress for the long road ahead. Eventually the actress became a regular at casting sessions for various television and feature film projects, and she soon found herself being called in specifically to help casting directors showcase the level of talent that they associated themselves with at other auditions. In fact, Edelstein's audition for ER's historic live show led to her guest spot on Aaron Sorkin's Sports Night, which in turn led to her reoccurring character on Sorkin's The West Wing. And while Edelstein's never been shy to turn down projects she didn't like ("I don't want to be successful in a career I hate," she states. "I've said no a thousand times because I'll only do what I want to do."), she's never turned down a project because of how it's aired. Although the actress admits she loves movies, when a project speaks to her as much as House, she won't turn it down simply because it's a television show.

However, that being said, the actress also states that while her television resume speaks more to dramas than sitcoms and her film resume reflects the opposite (past movies Edelstein's appeared in include What Women Want, Daddy Day Care and As Good As It Gets), it is in part because of her own feelings towards television sitcoms. The actress states that she's never liked watching herself in a TV sitcom because "the cringe factor is just too high." Edelstein prefers more realistic comedies like Arrested Development that are character driven instead of joke driven, so don't expect her to star in a slapstick series any time soon. And unlike many other actresses nearing 40, Edelstein believes that her career opportunities are becoming more plentiful with age, so she won't have to resort to starring in something she doesn't believe in 100 percent just for a pay check.

"There are so many good roles for women out there, I don't understand it when people say the role choices are fewer as you get older," Edelstein states. "I find the opposite to be true -- there are less good roles out there for the hot 20-year-olds because the normal girl parts just aren't interesting."

Not that Edelstein's even been mistaken for "the normal girl." With her outspoken personality and a knack for finding controversial and important roles, Edelstein's one of the few Hollywood actresses who has never shied away from doing or stating what she believes in. And although her voice may not be as recognized amongst the press as a Michael Moore or Susan Sarandon, Edelstein doesn't understand why she should keep quiet just because she's an actress.

"I think it's really important for celebrities to use their power of money and fame to get their voices out there. It's funny to me that we're expected to keep quiet just because of who we are. Why do I lose my right to speak my mind because I'm famous? People criticize Michael Moore, Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon for standing up for what they believe in, but that's what they do. They never pretended to be anyone else."

And neither has Edelstein. A frequent volunteer at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, Edelstein has devoted much of her free time away from the set to rescuing abandoned dogs and cats. In fact, Edelstein's adopted numerous dogs herself, who live with her and her cat in Los Angeles. Additionally, the actress practices what she preaches, and never wears animal-made products or eats meat.

With a family of four-legged friends at home, two movies yet to be released in theaters (the dramatic Fathers and Sons and Donut Hole with Kathy Najimy and Gabrielle Union) and House starting its run on Fox, it's hard to imagine when Edelstein finds the time to do much else. Yet, the actress somehow manages to find the time to practice Ashtanga Yoga six days a week and look ahead to what the future holds. And while she may not be guest starring on any other television show in the near future ("Fox owns my time now," Edelstein laughs), with House's promising future, Edelstein has little to worry about.

"We're still shooting and we already have so many episodes in the can... that's rare for a show that hasn't even aired yet. But unlike being on NBC where ratings have to be so high, with Fox the pressure isn't as bad. They know nothing will beat American Idol or Survivor. We have great people working on the show, amazing writers... this is truly a dream job."

And if it wasn't a dream job, you can count on the always forthright Edelstein to set the record straight.

House airs Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m. on FOX.