Line #11 Creator/HughLaurie


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hugh_7.jpg]]
2	->''"I would cling to unhappiness because it was a known, familiar state. When I was happier, it was because I knew I was on my way back to misery. I've never been convinced that happiness is the object of the game. I'm wary of happiness."''
3
4	James Hugh Calum Laurie, [[UsefulNotes/KnightFever CBE]] (born 11 June 1959 in Blackbird Leys, Oxfordshire, England) is an English actor, comedian, writer and musician.
5
6	Laurie 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 [[Characters/HouseGregoryHouse Dr. Gregory House]] in ''Series/{{House}}''. He has since starred in a number of other American movies, including ''Film/StreetKings'' and made a return to television with the Creator/{{Hulu}} series ''Chance'', the Creator/{{HBO}} series ''Series/Avenue5'', and the British series ''Series/{{Roadkill}}''.
7
8	Laurie is also known for [[RenaissanceMan a considerable number of other talents]]. He is an author, having published his debut novel, the comic thriller ''The Gun Seller'', in 1996 to critical praise (although his second novel, ''The Paper Soldier'', was scheduled for release in 2009 and still remains to be seen). 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. Before he started his entertainment career, he was additionally 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.
9
10	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'', Newton in ''VideoGame/LittleBigPlanet 3'', Archie in ''[[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0311773/ Second Star To The Left]]'', and Maurice in ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingMaurice''.
11
12	This leads to a strange dichotomy in Laurie's perception. To British audiences, he is the comedic master of ThePratfall, and 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. 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, who was in fact hoping to ''avoid'' casting a Brit doing an accent.
13
14	To some, he is a mixture of both, a man of legend perceived to be able to switch from [[{{Jerkass}} cold and merciless]] to [[NiceGuy the most lovable man on earth]] in a single sentence.
15
16	But wherever in the Anglosphere or indeed the world we are, he's still Hugh Laurie.
17
18	!!Provides examples of:
19	* DeadpanSnarker: House, obviously, but even in other roles this is quite common for him.
20	* FakeAmerican: '''House.''' Bryan Singer was adamant that an American be hired to play Dr. House initially, but Hugh Laurie's American accent was so convincing that Singer didn't even realize that Laurie was British at the time! Laurie even maintained the accent between takes and in blooper reels.
21	* RenaissanceMan: Highly accomplished in multiple fields including acting, writing, multiple musical instruments and rowing.
22	* StarMakingRole: His acting in ''Blackadder the Third'' made him a household name in the UK, and is considered his breakout role that paved the way for shows like ''Jeeves and Wooster''. However, ''House'' catapulted him to superstardom on a global level.
23	* UpperClassTwit: When he's not playing a grumpy American, many of his other roles tend toward this type.

Context Creator / HughLaurie