Lisa Edelstein
Lisa Edelstein (born May 21, 1966) is an American actress, playwright, and visual artist best known for her portrayal of Dr. Lisa Cuddy, the authoritative Dean of Medicine at Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, on the Fox medical drama series House from 2004 to 2011.[1][2] Born in Boston, Massachusetts, to a pediatrician father of Russian Jewish and Polish Jewish descent, Edelstein began her career in New York City's nightlife scene in the 1980s before transitioning to acting, with early roles in films such as The Doors (1991) and television appearances that led to her breakthrough on House.[3][4] Following House, she starred as therapist Abby McCarthy in Bravo's Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce (2014–2018), earning recognition for her work in ensemble dramas, and later appeared as Gwyneth Morgan on 9-1-1: Lone Star.[2][5]
Edelstein has pursued multifaceted creative endeavors beyond acting, including writing and performing the AIDS awareness musical Positive Me in the 1980s at La MaMa Experimental Theatre and producing visual artworks exhibited during the COVID-19 pandemic.[6][7] Her activism, rooted in a Conservative Jewish upbringing, includes early protests as a teenager cheerleader for Donald Trump's New Jersey Generals football team and advocacy for animal rights through veganism and support for organizations opposing animal exploitation in industry.[8][9] In 2022, she received a Satellite Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a television series.[10]