Exclusive Details: Damages Alum Takes House by Storm

Zeljko Ivanek, Emmy-nominated this Sunday for his supporting role as Damages' "troubled" Ray Fiske, is poised to set Fox's House on fire. In one of this season's early episodes, Ivanek will deliver a guest-starring turn that is sure to grab people's attention - at least within the walls of Princeton Plainsboro. "I'm a would-be patient who has had enough, and needs to know what's wrong with him," Ivanek told me Friday night at an Academy event honoring Emmy-nominated actors. So how does this "would-be patient" pursue an appointment with Dr. House? "I start hijacking people," says Ivanek, "taking them hostage in the hospital." Is that the only Damages the actor will be doing this TV season? Asked if Ray might return to haunt Patty Hewes in Season 2, Ivanek said, "The official answer I'm supposed to give is, 'You never know, the writers might have some surprises in store.'" Regardless, the FX series' sophomore run looks solid. "I've been reading scripts," he shares, "and they're fantastic. There's the underlying storyline from last season continuing, and there's a whole new story on top of that." Ivanek also can be seen in the pilot episode of CBS' The Mentalist, premiering Tuesday. - Matt Mitovich