Hugh Laurie, ‘House’ Star, Reflects on How His Father Would Disapprove of the Fictional Doctor
|Even though the star of TV’s most famous doctor, Hugh Laurie from “House,” was making $700,000 an episode in the final season, he expressed feeling like a fraud. Regretting that he portrayed “a fake version” of a doctor instead of becoming a real one as his father wished, Laurie admitted that his “dad would have hated” the shortcut he chose.
Dr. William (Ran) Laurie had grand aspirations for his youngest son, Hugh Laurie, born in June 1959. Following in his father’s footsteps, the junior Laurie initially planned to pursue rowing, aiming for the Olympics, and then attend medical school.
However, Laurie’s path took an unexpected turn when he discovered a drama club during his time at the University of Cambridge. He became involved with the Cambridge Footlights, where he met Emma Thompson and his future comedy partner, Stephen Fry.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the actor appeared in various TV shows and films, gaining recognition for his role in the BBC sitcom “Blackadder” and collaborating with Stephen Fry. In 2004, Laurie took on the role of Dr. Gregory House in the medical drama “House,” becoming a global sensation and earning a Golden Globe.
Despite his successful acting career, Laurie couldn’t shake the feeling of guilt for not becoming a real doctor like his father. He acknowledged that his father would have disapproved of the shortcuts he took, calling himself a “cop out” and expressing deep regret.
Even as Laurie continued his acting career in subsequent projects like “Veep” and “Tomorrowland,” the feeling of failing his father lingered. In 2016, he starred as a neuropsychiatrist in the TV series “Chance,” comparing the character to Dr. House.
Reflecting on his father’s high hopes for him in medicine, Laurie expressed a sense of guilt and confessed that the pursuit of shortcuts was a source of great remorse for him.
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