History Creator / HughLaurie

James Hugh Calum Laurie (born June 11, 1959 in Blackbird Leys, England), [[UsefulNotes/KnightFever CBE]] is an English actor, comedian, writer and musician.

He first reached fame as a cast member of ''Series/{{Blackadder}}'' (particularly in season three and four, also known as ''Blackadder the Third''[[note]]where it takes place during Regency-era Britain[[/note]] and ''Blackadder Goes Fourth''[[note]]where it takes place during World War I[[/note]]) and then as one half of [[Creator/StephenFry Fry and Laurie]] in ''Series/ABitOfFryAndLaurie''. He also played Bertie Wooster in ''Series/{{Jeeves and Wooster}}''. Between 2004 and 2012, he starred as Dr. Gregory House in [[Series/{{House}} the show of the same name]]. He has since starred in a number of other American movies, including ''Film/StreetKings'' and recently made a return to television with the Creator/{{Hulu}} series ''Chance'' and the Creator/{{HBO}} series ''Series/Avenue5''.

He has also done voice-acting, as Dr. Cockroach in ''WesternAnimation/MonstersVsAliens'' and some of its spinoff shorts, Steve in ''WesternAnimation/ArthurChristmas'', E.B.'s Dad in ''Film/{{Hop}}'', Owl in ''WesternAnimation/BrownBearsWedding'', Squire Trelawney in ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendsOfTreasureIsland'', Johnny Town-Mouse in ''WesternAnimation/TheWorldOfPeterRabbitAndFriends'', and Newton in ''VideoGame/LittleBigPlanet 3''.

[[quoteright:325:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/E_HughLaurie_325.jpg]]

James Hugh Calum Laurie (born June 11, 1959), [[UsefulNotes/KnightFever CBE]] is an English actor, comedian, writer and musician.

He first reached fame as a cast member of ''Series/{{Blackadder}}'' (particularly in season three and four, also known as ''Blackadder the Third'' and ''Blackadder Goes Fourth'') and then as one half of [[Creator/StephenFry Fry and Laurie]] in ''Series/ABitOfFryAndLaurie''. He also played Bertie Wooster in ''Series/{{Jeeves and Wooster}}''. Between 2004 and 2012, he starred as Dr. Gregory House in [[Series/{{House}} the show of the same name]]. He has since starred in a number of other American movies, including ''Film/StreetKings'' and recently made a return to television with the Creator/{{Hulu}} series ''Chance'' and the Creator/{{HBO}} series ''Series/Avenue5''.

He's also an accomplished author, his book ''Literature/TheGunSeller'' being praised by critics. And on top of that, he's a multitalented musician, having released two well-received blues albums (and performing numbers as TheCastShowoff on many of his series) featuring his skills on vocals, piano, guitar, drums, harmonica, and saxophone. And before he started his entertainment career, he was a high-level rower at the [[UsefulNotes/{{Oxbridge}} University of Cambridge]], rowing on the Cambridge boat that lost The Boat Race against rival Oxford in 1980.

He first reached fame as a cast member of ''Series/{{Blackadder}}'' (particularly in season three and four, also known as ''Blackadder the Third'' and ''Blackadder Goes Fourth'') and then as one half of [[Creator/StephenFry Fry and Laurie]] in ''Series/ABitOfFryAndLaurie''. He also played Bertie Wooster in ''Series/{{Jeeves and Wooster}}''. Between 2004 and 2012, he starred as Dr. Gregory House in [[Series/{{House}} the show of the same name]]. He has since starred in a number of other American movies, including ''Film/StreetKings'' and recently made a return to television with the Creator/{{Hulu}} series ''Chance''.

This leads to a strange dichotomy in his perception. To British audiences he is the comedic master of ThePratfall, the over-done and over-silly counterbalance to the more reserved Creator/StephenFry or Creator/RowanAtkinson... but, to Americans, he is best known as the stern and cynical Dr. [[Series/HouseMD House]]. In fact--perhaps due to his uncannily [[FakeAmerican flawless American accent]]--some Americans are surprised to learn that he's British. Including the casting director that hired him for the role.

He's also an accomplished author, his book ''Literature/TheGunSeller'' being praised by critics. And on top of that, he's a multitalented musician, having released two well-received blues albums (and performing numbers as TheCastShowoff on many of his series) featuring his skills on vocals, piano, guitar, drums, harmonica, and saxophone.

James Hugh Calum Laurie (born June 11, 1959), OBE is an English actor, comedian, writer and musician.

He first reached fame as a cast member of ''Series/{{Blackadder}}'' (particularly in season three and four, also known as ''Blackadder the Third'' and ''Blackadder Goes Fourth'') and then as one half of [[Creator/StephenFry Fry and Laurie]] in ''Series/ABitOfFryAndLaurie''. He also played Bertie Wooster in ''Series/{{Jeeves and Wooster}}''. Between 2004 and 2012, he starred as Dr. Gregory House in [[Series/{{House}} the show of the same name]]. He has since starred in a number of other American movies, including ''Film/StreetKings''.

He first reached fame as a cast member of ''Series/{{Blackadder}}'' (particularly in season three and four, also known as ''Blackadder the Third'' and ''Blackadder Goes Fourth'') and then as one half of [[Creator/StephenFry Fry and Laurie]] in ''Series/ABitOfFryAndLaurie''. He also played Bertie Wooster in ''Series/{{Jeeves and Wooster}}''. Between 2004 and 2012, he starred as Dr. Gregory House in [[Series/{{House}} the show of the same name]]. He has since starred in a number of other American movies, including ''Film/StreetKings''. He's also an accomplished author, his book ''Literature/TheGunSeller'' being praised by critics. And on top of that, he's a multitalented musician, having released two well-received blues albums (and performing numbers as TheCastShowoff on many of his series) featuring his skills on vocals, piano, guitar, drums, harmonica, and saxophone. He has also done voice-acting, as Dr. Cockroach in ''WesternAnimation/MonstersVsAliens'' and some of its spinoff shorts, Steve in ''WesternAnimation/ArthurChristmas'', E.B.'s Dad in ''Film/{{Hop}}'', Owl in ''WesternAnimation/BrownBearsWedding'', Squire Trelawney in ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendsOfTreasureIsland'', Johnny Town-Mouse in ''WesternAnimation/TheWorldOfPeterRabbitAndFriends'', and Newton in ''VideoGame/LittleBigPlanet 3''.

He first reached fame as a cast member of ''Series/{{Blackadder}}'' (particularly in season three and four, also known as ''Blackadder the Third'' and ''Blackadder Goes Fourth'') and then as one half of [[Creator/StephenFry Fry and Laurie]] in ''Series/ABitOfFryAndLaurie''. He also played Bertie Wooster in ''Series/{{Jeeves and Wooster}}''. Between 2004 and 2012, he starred as Dr. Gregory House in [[Series/{{House}} the show of the same name]]. He has since starred in a number of other American movies, including ''Film/StreetKings''. He's also an accomplished author, his book ''Literature/TheGunSeller'' being praised by critics. And on top of that, he's a multitalented musician, having released two well-received blues albums (and performing numbers as TheCastShowoff on many of his series) featuring his skills on vocals, piano, guitar, drums, harmonica, and saxophone.

'''James Hugh Calum Laurie''' (born June 11, 1959), OBE is an English actor, comedian, writer and musician.

-->-- '''StephenFry'''

This leads to a strange dichotomy in his perception. To British audiences he is the comedic master of ThePratfall, the over-done and over-silly counterbalance to the more reserved StephenFry or Creator/RowanAtkinson... but, to Americans, he is best known as the stern and cynical Dr. [[Series/HouseMD House]]. In fact--perhaps due to his uncannily [[FakeAmerican flawless American accent]]--some Americans are surprised to learn that he's British. Including the casting director that hired him for the role.

He first reached fame as a cast member of ''Series/{{Blackadder}}'' (particularly in season three and four, also known as ''Blackadder the Third'' and ''Blackadder Goes Fourth'') and then as one half of [[StephenFry Fry and Laurie]] in ''{{A Bit Of Fry And Laurie}}''. He also played Bertie Wooster in ''Series/{{Jeeves and Wooster}}''. Between 2004 and 2012, he starred as Dr. Gregory House in [[Series/{{House}} the show of the same name]]. He has since starred in a number of other American movies, including ''Film/StreetKings''. He's also an accomplished author, his book ''Literature/TheGunSeller'' being praised by critics. And on top of that, he's a multitalented musician, having released two well-received blues albums (and performing numbers as TheCastShowoff on many of his series) featuring his skills on vocals, piano, guitar, drums, harmonica, and saxophone.

He first reached fame as a cast member of ''{{Blackadder}}'' (particularly in season three and four, also known as ''Blackadder the Third'' and ''Blackadder Goes Fourth'') and then as one half of [[StephenFry Fry and Laurie]] in ''{{A Bit Of Fry And Laurie}}''. He also played Bertie Wooster in ''Series/{{Jeeves and Wooster}}''. Between 2004 and 2012, he starred as Dr. Gregory House in [[Series/{{House}} the show of the same name]]. He has since starred in a number of other American movies, including ''Film/StreetKings''. He's also an accomplished author, his book ''Literature/TheGunSeller'' being praised by critics. And on top of that, he's a multitalented musician, having released two well-received blues albums (and performing numbers as TheCastShowoff on many of his series) featuring his skills on vocals, piano, guitar, drums, harmonica, and saxophone.

This leads to a strange dichotomy in his perception. To British audiences he is the comedic master of ThePratfall, the over-done and over-silly counterbalance to the more reserved StephenFry or Creator/RowanAtkinson... but, to Americans, he is best known as the stern and cynical Dr. [[HouseMD House]]. In fact--perhaps due to his uncannily [[FakeAmerican flawless American accent]]--some Americans are surprised to learn that he's British. Including the casting director that hired him for the role.

'''James Hugh Calum Laurie''' (born 1959), OBE is an English actor, comedian, writer and musician.

This leads to a strange dichotomy in his perception. To British audiences he is the comedic master of ThePratfall, the over-done and over-silly counterbalance to the more reserved StephenFry or Creator/RowanAtkinson... but, to Americans, he is best known as the stern and cynical Dr. House. In fact--perhaps due to his uncannily [[FakeAmerican flawless American accent]]--some Americans are surprised to learn that he's British. Including the casting director that hired him for the role.

He first reached fame as a cast member of ''{{Blackadder}}'' and then as one half of [[StephenFry Fry and Laurie]] in ''{{A Bit Of Fry And Laurie}}''. He also played Bertie Wooster in ''Series/{{Jeeves and Wooster}}''. Between 2004 and 2012, he starred as Dr. Gregory House in [[Series/{{House}} the show of the same name]]. He has since starred in a number of other American movies, including ''Film/StreetKings''. He's also an accomplished author, his book ''Literature/TheGunSeller'' being praised by critics. And on top of that, he's a multitalented musician, having released two well-received blues albums (and performing numbers as TheCastShowoff on many of his series) featuring his skills on vocals, piano, guitar, drums, harmonica, and saxophone.

And according to anybody who has ever played a computer game, he looks [[ComicBookFantasyCasting oddly similar]] to a certain [[VideoGame/HalfLife Gordon Freeman]]...which is particularly hilarious because ''Creator/MorganFreeman'' has the American equivalent of Stephen Fry's voice.

----

A lot of anime fans will argue that if he just grew his beard out a little more he'd look '''exactly''' like [[NeonGenesisEvangelion Gendo Ikari]].

And according to anybody who has ever played a computer game, he looks [[ComicBookFantasyCasting oddly similar]] to a certain [[VideoGame/HalfLife Gordon Freeman]].

He first reached fame as a cast member of ''{{Blackadder}}'' and then as one half of [[StephenFry Fry and Laurie]] in ''{{A Bit Of Fry And Laurie}}''. He also played Bertie Wooster in ''Series/{{Jeeves and Wooster}}''. Between 2004 and 2012, he starred as Dr. Gregory House in [[Series/{{House}} the show of the same name]]. He has since starred in a number of other American movies, including ''Film/StreetKings''. He's also an accomplished author, his book ''Literature/TheGunSeller'' being praised by critics. And he did a blues album called ''Let Them Talk''.