Famously known for his role as Dr. Gregory House in the hit American medical drama series, House M.D., Hugh Laurie is an English actor, comedian, writer, and musician born 11 June 1959. Laurie is a social anthropology graduate of the constituent college of the University of Cambridge, Selwyn College, where he met British actress and screenwriter, Emma Thompson. Interestingly, it was Thompson who introduced the actor to Stephen Fry, who later became his comedy partner.
Between the 1980s and 1990s, Laurie was featured in various comedy-related projects. Laurie and Fry also worked together on a number of projects including the famous British sitcom, Blackadder and the BBC sketch comedy series, A Bit of Fry & Laurie. In 2018, Laurie was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) by the then Prince of Wales, Prince Charles. Over the years, Hugh Laurie has featured in numerous acting roles, here are five of his best;
House M.D
First on our list is the American medical drama TV series, House. Also known as House M.D., follows the adventures of Dr Gregory House, a medical genius and his team of young diagnosticians who solve cases of patients with peculiar illnesses. Dr. House is known for frequently going against the hospital’s administrative rules and occasion, his colleagues’ wishes but House had one true friend Dr. James Wilson. Hugh Laurie played the role of the main character Dr. House.
The show lasted for eight seasons. The series was set in a fictional Princeton–Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. The series proved to be a huge success, in 2008 it was tagged the world’s most-watched fiction show on television. House also received quite a number of awards including five Primetime Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Peabody Award, and nine People’s Choice Awards.
Blackadder
Blackadder is a medieval historical British sitcom that aired on BBC One from 1983 to 1989. The series spanned over four different historical periods, with the two protagonists accompanied by different characters. Although all episodes starred famous British actor and comedian Rowan Atkinson as Edmund Blackadder. The first series was called The Black Adder and was set in the fictional reign of “Richard IV”. Hugh Laurie made his first appearance in the second series. He made another appearance as George in the third and fourth series, and again as The Prince Regent, and Lieutenant George later on in the fourth series. Blackadder was ranked by Empire magazine as the 9th-best TV show of all time.
Stuart Little
The live-action, computer-animated comedy film, Stuart Little was released in 1999. The film was loosely based on the 1945 novel by Elwyn White. Stuart Little follows the life of Stuart the mouse who lives in the orphanage till one day when the Littles decide to make an addition to their family. This comes with some problems which all make up the major conflict in the film. Hugh Laurie plays the role of Mr. Frederick Little, the father of the Little family. The film received generally positive reviews and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects but lost to The Matrix. The film also proved to be a commercial success grossing an estimated total of $300 million worldwide.
The Night Manager
Based on the 1993 novel by John le Carré, The Night Manager is a British television series spy thriller. The show premiered on BBC One on 21 February 2016, with the first season featuring six episodes. The show tells the story of a former British soldier and now night manager of a luxury hotel in Cairo, Jonathan Pine played by famous English actor Tom Hiddleston. Pine is recruited by British intelligence agent Angela Burr to infiltrate the inner circle of arms dealer Richard Roper tagged the ‘the worst man in the world’ played by Hugh Laurie. The Night Manager was nominated for 36 awards and won eleven, including two Primetime Emmy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards. Laurie won the award for best-supporting actor for his role as Richard ‘Dicky’ Roper.
Monsters vs. Aliens
Monsters vs. Aliens is an animated comedy sci-fi film released on March 27, 2009. The film follows the story of Susan Murphy, voiced by Reese Witherspoon. On her wedding day she is struck by a meteor which transforms her into a giant, the US government renames her Ginormica. They confine her to a top-secret government facility where she meets other monsters, including Dr. Cockroach voiced by Hugh Laurie. When an extraterrestrial gigantic robot lands on Earth Ginormica and her team of monsters battle the robot and save Earth from an alien invasion. The film received generally positive reviews and was a huge commercial success grossing over $381 million worldwide on a $175 million budget.
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