House: Odette Annable Won't Be Playing Cuddy 2.0, Talks Breaking In's Future

As any Housefan knows, Dr. Gregory House is not the easiest person to get along with. Well, actually, he's probably one of the most loathed characters on television. But the cynical, self-absorbed, isolated doctor is about to find a kindred spirit -- in the form of a new female doctor played by Odette Annable.

"They have a great connection," Annable tells TVGuide.com about her character. "Much like House, she loves the puzzle, the clues and the discovery of the diagnosis. I think they can really relate to each other."

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Annable, as well as fellow new series regular Charlyne Yi, are entering the picture in the wake of Lisa Edelstein's unexpected exit. Although Annable is still learning about her character, she knows one thing for sure: she's not Cuddy 2.0. "She's a completely different character. She's not coming in to replace anybody," Annable says. "She's a prison doctor who meets House at the prison so that's a little bada--. She's very friendly, she's very enthusiastic."

Her character's enthusiasm is only matched by that of the actress herself. "It's so exciting to be a fan of House and to now be talking about being a character on the show. I'm so grateful and I hope that the fans will accept me."

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She may have to worry about winning over House fans, but behind-the-scenes, Annable says she's had no such issues joining the cast and crew in the medical drama's eighth season. "It's so nerve-wracking to be able to come in and work with these great actors and feel like you actually have a place," she says. "Hugh Laurie is a dream to work with. He's very generous and very funny and immediately calmed my nerves."

Unfortunately, Annable's days playing doctor may be numbered. Many have speculated that this could be the last season of House, after the down-to-the-minute negotiations between Fox network and Universal Studios and in the wake of Season 7's decline in viewership (from an average of 12.6 million viewers in Season 6 to 10.3 million). "This is going to be a very exciting season. We don't know if it's going to be the final season, but if it is, I'm so happy to be a part of it," Annable says. "We'll see how it unfolds."

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Aside from the future of House, the other burning question is the chance of survival for Breaking In. Annable starred on the Fox comedy last season, which ran for seven episodes in the post-Idol spot. The show performed well, but then was canceled last May before the network decided to pick up the cast members' options.

Although Annable now has a new gig, she remains optimistic about a Season 2 of Breaking In. "It's a possibility that it still will come back and I will be able to — hopefully — do both shows," Annable says. "Unfortunately, we know nothing. The options have been held. So now I think it's seeing if it has a place in their comedy block and if it does, then they'll pick up that option."

The new season of House premieres on Monday, Oct. 3 at 9/8c on Fox.