This article contains mentions of suicide ideation.
Jennifer Morrison played Dr. Allison Cameron in the medical proceduralHouse,a character whose compassionate, idealistic nature often clashes with Dr. Gregory House’s (Hugh Laurie) abrasive, cynical outlook. Given her significance, fans were surprised when Morrison was written out ofthe showin season 6, as she was the first of the originalcast ofHouseto leave the series. Cameron had already taken on a more background role when producers decided to shake upHouse’s formula in season 4 by breaking up House’s team, leading to some ofHouse’s best episodes.
ByHouseseason 6, Cameron is no longer on House’s diagnostic team. At this time, she is still working at Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital with her husband, another former member of House’s team, Dr. Robert Chase (Jesse Spencer).Morrison was excited to become more integral toHousein season 6, but instead, her character was written out of the show,pushing her to explore other acting and creative opportunities in various genres of movies and TV.
Why Jennifer Morrison Left House In Season 6, Episode 8
Morrison Would Have Stayed With House If It Were Up To Her
While some fans think Morrison left to star inOnce Upon a Time, the fantasy series would not start production until 2011, two years afterHouseseason 6 aired. In reality,Morrison did not want to leaveHouse, but her character’s departure was a creative decision made by the producers(viaEntertainment Weekly). Fans were at least consoled by the fact that Cameron was not written out of the show by being killed off, which meant that the door was always open for her to return. Cameron also leaves the show for admirable personal and professional reasons, doing her character some justice.
How Cameron Was Written Out Of House (& Why She Breaks Up With Chase)
Cameron Wanted To Leave House & Chase Could Not Do It
Cameron leaves House’s diagnostic team at the end of season 3, having concluded thatHouse’s toxicity was stunting her growthpersonally and professionally. However, mixing up House’s team madeseason 4 the best season ofHouse. Cameron transitions to working in Princeton-Plainsboro’s emergency room, focusing on her immunology specialty. While Cameron would occasionally consult for House, her character is less integral than during the first three seasons. Meanwhile, by season 5, Cameron and Chase are finally able to commit to each other romantically. They are married off-screen in season 5, episode 9, “Last Resort”.
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However, Cameron and Chase are brought in on one of House’s cases involving a fictional African dictator, President Diabla (James Earl Jones) in season 6, episode 4, “The Tyrant.” Chase has a disturbing meeting with a “patient” who tells him about Diabla’s heinous genocide. Though Cameron disagrees with everything Diabla stands for, she does everything in her power to save him. Chase intentionally tampers with the results of some blood tests, so the team will arrive at the wrong diagnosis and give Diabla the wrong treatment. Diabla dies as a result, and Chase chooses to keep this a secret from Cameron.
However, Cameron senses Chase is pulling away over the next few episodes and worries he is having an affair. Eventually,Chase confesses that he euthanized Diablaby tampering with the results. Cameron forgives him, blaming House’s influence over Chase. She also decides they both need to leave Princeton-Plainsboro to get away from House. However, Chase does not regret his action, admitting he would do it again. He decides to return to House’s team, leading toChase becoming the new House. This is the breaking point for Cameron, who leaves Chase and the hospital inHouseseason 6, episode 7, “Teamwork”.
Jennifer Morrison’s Cameron Returned For Two House Episodes
Cameron Returns For One More Episode In Season 6 To Get Closure With Chase
Morrison’s character Cameron would return toHousefor two additional episodes.Cameron returns to give fans a sense of closure between her and Chase, one of the longest-runningcouples inHousein season 6, episode 16, “Lockdown”.Chase and Cameron are getting divorced, and she returns to bring him the divorce papers to sign, but they get locked in an exam room together when the hospital goes into lockdown. Chase accuses Cameron of never really having loved him, pointing out her reluctance and hesitancy every step of the way.
Cameron and Chase reminisce about happier moments in their relationship, like her reaching for him in the night while she slept, or the dance classes they took before their wedding.
Overwhelmed, Cameron admits she “doesn’t know” if she loved him and breaks down, admitting she is the one who is “unfixable,” not him. Cameron and Chase reminisce about happier moments in their relationship, like her reaching for him in the night while she slept, or the dance classes they took before their wedding. Chase plays the song “Allison” by Elvis Costello and the new divorcees share one last dance. Their closeness leads to a kiss, then Cameron locks the exam room door, and they have sex before saying one final goodbye.
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Cameron also appears inHouse’s finale"Everyone Dies". House experiences near-death hallucinations featuring important people from his past, including Cameron. All the hallucinations are telling House to fight to live, but Cameron, who everyone expects to be a beacon of hope and positivity, suggests he has “suffered enough” and that death is “not a punishment, it’s a reward.” House is surprised, noting he did not think she hated him, but Cameron assures him that she does love him.
In the finale, House also sees former (and now deceased) team members Lawrence Kutner (Kal Penn) and Amber Volakis (Anne Dudek), and well as his first love Stacy Warner (Sela Ward).
Cameron gets philosophical, asking House what is important to him:Does he care most about the patients, the puzzle, or himself? Cameron also accuses House of cowardice, saying he’d rather leave the choice of life or death to fate than make the decision himself. This is an interesting framing of what Cameron means to House’s subconscious, as she was his moral compass when she worked for him.
Cameron appears to have achieved the happy ending she wanted away from House.
The real Cameron also makes an appearance in the episode at House’s funeral. Her eulogy says that “somewhere inside” House knew how to love, which is something her hallucinated self also discusses with House. Cameron appears to have achieved the happy ending she wanted away from House. She is now the head of an ER in Chicago. Cameron also has a husband and a child, finally able to let go of the past and commit to a future, although she does linger on a photo of her and the team fromHouse.
All Movies & TV Shows Jennifer Morrison Did After Leaving House
Morrison Is Best Known For Once Upon A Time & How I Met Your Mother (But Has Done Much More)
Since leavingHouse, Morrison became best known for the leading role of Emma Swan inOnce Upon a Time. The show ran for seven seasons, and this timeMorrison chose to leaveOnce Upon a Timeof her own accord. Morrison returned only as a recurring character for the final season after her six-season contract ran out, explaining the show means a lot, but she was ready to move on “creatively and personally” (viaHollywood Reporter).
Wasp (voice)
2009
2010
2011-2018
Leading role (Season 1–6), Special guest star (Season 7)
2019-2022
Recurring role (Season 4, 6), Guest role (Season 5)
2023
2024
Episode: “The Storm”
Morrison also had a few memorable recurring and guest roles in popular TV shows. She is also known for her portrayal of Zoey Pierson, a feisty activist and one of Ted Mosby’s love interests inHow I Met Your Mother. Although their relationship did not last, Zoey was one ofTed’s best girlfriends. Morrison also played Cassidy Sharp, a veteran struggling with PTSD and a love interest of Kevin Pearson inThis Is Usseason 4 and season 6.
2011
2012
2013
2016
2017
Also director
2018
Alex & the List
2019
Juliet Huddy
On the movie side, Morrison starred in the 2018 romcomAlex & the Listas Katherine Stern, a woman who wants her boyfriend to get his act together. She also makes a brief appearance in J.J. Abrams' reboot ofStar Trekas Winona Kirk, James T. Kirk’s mother, the same year she was written offHouse. Morrison has had other small roles in major films likeBombshell,The Report, andAmityville: The Awakening.
Director, actress & producer
Episode: “‘03 Bonnie and Clyde”
2021
TV Series
2021-2023
Episodes: “Dock Ellis”, “An Occurrence at Randall Kirby’s Sink”, “Like Magic”, “Worth The Risk”, “The Horizon”
Episodes: “Shoot, Shovel and Shut Up”, “The Most Hated Man in 12 Sleeps”
2022
Episode: “Trust Fall”
Morrison has also transitioned to working behind the camera, making her directorial debut withSun Dogs, a comedy-drama about a young man who wants to make a difference but whose attempts to do so go comedically awry. Morrison’s Netflix film premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival in 2018. Additionally, since leavingHouse, Morrison has begun directing TV episodes, such asEuphoriaseason 1, episode 5 “‘03 Bonnie and Clyde”. Morrison is now doing a lot of directing for Peacock, including the pilot ofOne of Us Is Lyingand three episodes ofDr. Death.
House
Cast
House is a medical mystery drama in which the villain is typically a difficult-to-diagnose medical malady. It follows Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie), a world-renowned disabled diagnostician with a notorious substance abuse issue. With his team of world-class doctors, House has built a reputation as one of the most brilliant doctors in the world - an especially impressive feat when taking into account that he rarely actually sees his patients.
