Dr. Feelbad

Why is that?
I don't know. My memory of how I was at the age of eighteen was that I knew absolutely everything there was to know. There were no subjects on which I didn't have a coherent and forceful opinion. And as the years go by, that has just fallen away. I feel like a baby now. I feel as if I have less and less technical expertise. I feel like I know nothing about anything. I suppose what's actually happening is that the arrogance of one's youth is just sort of disintegrating. And the truth is, I never knew anything.

Did you have an experience that humbled you or made you less confident?
Almost every day and in almost every scene I do. I never feel like, "Oh, boy, I hit that one out of the park." In fact, I usually feel slightly embarrassed, slightly humiliated, and I slink away like a man who has come out with his pants off. On the weekends, I voluntarily go through the same thing when I go boxing. The whole point of the exercise is to be humiliated by someone who knows what they're doing. And it reminds me that I don't know anything. And I find that very bracing.

Maybe you have a strong sense of guilt, and that's your Achilles' heel.
Yeah, guilt I can do. If I have any expertise at all, it's in the area of guilt. I have a black belt in it. If you ever want a guilt-off, next time we meet let's see how we match up. I'm pretty confident in that area.

Because you were raised in a strict manner?
I wouldn't say strict, but traditional. My dad was a gentle soul and by no means a disciplinarian. My mother exerted a firmer hand. I don't know if that was a question of discipline or whether I just annoyed her. It was more the latter. She just found me annoying a lot of the time. And quite rightly.

You were the youngest of four siblings, and the youngest often tries to get the most attention, so I suppose that can be annoying.
Well, according to my sisters and brother, I did get all the attention, and that annoyed them. But that's not how it looked to me. Maybe I really am a typical actor who just can't get enough attention.

What was their form of punishment if you misbehaved?
My mother would smack me. My father never did. But that makes it sound like I was knocked around. I absolutely wasn't. Why am I even bringing it up? I should say, "No, that never happened." Her daily form of punishment was sulking. She was a good sulker.

So that's where the guilt comes from.
Yes, I inherited that skill from her.

Who were the actors or comedians that you admired when you were young?
Peter Cook, Peter Sellers and Michael Palin. I had a hankering to follow in Peter Ustinov's footsteps. He projected the aura of a gentleman amateur. He was fantastically accomplished. He could write a book or act or direct. He made them look like enjoyable pastimes instead of backbreaking work.

If House is such a misanthrope, why does he sacrifice so much to save his patients?
The show's creator, David Shore, has been quite candid about his debt to Sherlock Holmes, and Holmes cared very little for people. The one thing that could rouse him from his languor was the puzzle, the solving of the problem and it's the same with House.

Since House is a Vicodin addict, did you try it to understand the character?
I did, yeah. And I recommend it. It's very -- no, I don't recommend it. Kids, if you're reading this -- no, but it is good stuff. People tell me that it has a very different effect if you're actually in pain, though. If you are using it for fun, it's quite different. And the fun side is excellent. It really is.

In the same way, did you have to try LSD and a prostitute for the episode where you did that?
No. That didn't come up. You know, I should have thought of it. Damn it.

Do you worry about House becoming a parody of himself, especially as the seasons go on?
Absolutely. The show is now in its late adolescence. But what will the show be like when it's middle-aged? Or what kind of a death can the show look forward to? He died peacefully in his sleep, or he had a long, drawn-out miserable existence.

Do you worry about developing skeletal problems from walking with a limp on set?
Yes, I do. I remember watching a movie about someone escaping from a German prisoner-of-war camp by pretending to be mad. But the twist is that he ends up going mad. So by affecting something for long enough, it actually becomes real. There may come a time when my pelvis is shot and I just can't move. I actually have some shoulder problems, which I figure has to do with walking on the cane. But it's good to know that I'm suffering for my art. I feel good about that. A bit of pain makes it feel better.