House Exclusive: Hugh Laurie on House Going 'Off the Deep End' and 'Exploiting' the New Girl

House leading man Hugh Laurie admits that his alter ego went “off the deep end” when he crashed his car into Cuddy’s dining room in last May’s finale. “Nobody died,” he notes in the following exclusive behind-the-scenes clip, “but they only don’t die by the skin of their teeth.”

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Season 8, premiering Monday, Oct. 3, picks up one year later and finds House serving time in prison for his crimes. “We thought it would be a great contrast to flash forward a year and see that he’s been in jail for the past eight months,” says executive producer Greg Yaitanes. Adds Laurie: “House survives by his wits, and I think a certain amount of respect has been given him. He’s essentially been able to sell his medical expertise. [But] it’s a old, rough place, and House does get knocked around a bit.”

For more from Laurie, as well as at a peek at never-before-seen footage from the new season (including a glimpse of new doc Odette Annable in action), press play below!

House Scoops and Spoilers are Running 24/7 on Twitter via @MichaelAusiello