Hugh Laurie
full name
James Hugh Calum Laurie
married to Jo Green and has 3 children
Achieved a third-class degree in anthropology & archaeology at Selwyn College, Cambridge University.
Bought an all-black Triumph Bonneville motorcycle, a replica of the '60s British model, in Los Angeles, upon getting the role in _"House, M.D." (2004)_ but he was always an avid motorcyclist, even in England. He enjoys the anonymity the motorcycle helmet gives him.
Attended the Dragon School, a renowned British "public" college preparatory school located in Oxford, England. Also attended by actress Emma Watson and tennis player Tim Henman.
Douglas Adams, author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005), originally wanted him to play Arthur Dent for the film adaptation. A deal was almost in place to have Hugh play Dent, along with Jim Carrey as Zaphod and Jay Roach directing, before Adams's untimely death.
Won the 1977 National Junior Championship for rowing (coxed pair). In the same year, he and his rowing partner represented England in the World Junior Championship for rowing where they finished fourth place.
He lives in a West Hollywood apartment rental while working on _"House, M.D." (2004)_ , but flies home to London to be with his family whenever he has a break in filming. Has said that he will move his whole family to America to be with him if the second season looks to be equally successful as the first.
Plays the husband opposite Imelda Staunton's characters in two films: Sense and Sensibility (1995) and Peter's Friends (1992).
His father, William George Ranald Mundell Laurie (known as Ran), and mother, Patricia, are both of Scottish descent.
Is the youngest of four children, by six years. He has a brother, Charles, who works as a lawyer/shepherd in Scotland, and two sisters.
His father won an Olympic gold medal for coxless pairs in the 1948 Games. Hugh also had a promising career as an oarsman, but he was forced to give it up while at Cambridge when he contracted glandular fever (mononucleosis). His brother was also an oarsman.
He is an accomplished piano player.
Entered the 1980 Silver Goblets and Nicklass Cup with his Eton rowing partner J.S. Palmer at the Henley Royal Regatta, becoming the only British crew to reach the final that year. They finished in second place behind the favored American crew.
Was first cast in the role of Perry White in Superman Returns (2006). However, the popularity of his TV show _"House, M.D." (2004)_ caused schedule conflicts. Frank Langella was then cast.
Auditioned for the part of Rimmer in "Red Dwarf" (1988). Others to audition for the part were Norman Lovett, Lee Cornes, Alfred Molina, Alan Rickman, and Craig Ferguson. The role went to Chris Barrie.
He was a house captain (senior prefect) in his last year at Eton College. He also played percussion for the school's orchestra and was a "wet bob" - a member of Eton's prestigious rowing team.
He received his first motorcycle when he was 16 as a present from his father. The same year he owned his first guitar, a Yamaha.
Although his first name is James, he has never been called that. His third name, Calum, is an old Scottish variant of the name Malcolm. His brother's full name is Charles Alexander Lyon Mundell Laurie.
He took up diving a few years ago.
He's a big fan of Clint Eastwood.
Was a member of Cambridge Footlights throughout his university years, serving as a writer and cast member for two years (1978-1980) and president during his last year (1980-1981). Emma Thompson was the vice president.
He is a member of the Leander Club, one of the oldest rowing clubs in the world. His father once served as the club's president.
His son Bill auditioned for a role in a Harry Potter film but was told he was too young.
His daughter Rebecca Laurie starred in the film Wit (2001) (TV) as Emma Thompson's character aged five.
He is a member of the celebrity band 16:9 with Greg Grunberg of "Alias" (2001) and _"Felicity" (1998)_ , James Denton of "Desperate Housewives" (2004), Bob Guiney of "The Bachelor" (2002), and other special guests.
Plays keyboard in the band Poor White Thrash with Lenny Henry, Shade Adejumo, Kate McKenzie, Sophie Elton (wife of Ben Elton), Ken Bowley, Andy Gangadeen, John Thirkell, and Phil Smith.
He has three children: Charles Laurie (b. 1988), William (Bill) Laurie (b. 1990), and Rebecca Laurie (b. 1992).
Directed some scenes of his film Maybe Baby (2000) when Ben Elton had to go to hospital for the birth of his children.
He is a big fan of Steve McQueen.
He was a member of the Cambridge Footlights and in 1981, along with Stephen Fry, Tony Slattery, Emma Thompson, Paul Dwyer and Paul Shearer, he became the winner of the first ever Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Godfather of his three children with Jo Green is Stephen Fry
Personal quotes
On Cambridge: "I went there to row. I'll be blunt with it. It's been ten years, and I think the admissions tutor can take it now...but that's really what I went for, and anthropology was the most convenient subject to read while spending eight hours a day on the river."
On the Oxford vs. Cambridge Boat Race: "The year was 1980, I was no. 4 in this particular encounter, and the result was a loss by Cambridge by a distance of five feet, which is something which I will carry to my grave....In fact, I shouldn't really say this, because I still to this day wouldn't want to give any pleasure or satisfaction to the opposing crew. But yes, it's true, it was a very bitter defeat."
On picking up his new hobby: "Boxing is fascinating. It's good for the soul to be made to feel clumsy. I swank around during the week thinking I'm a big cheese, but you don't feel like that when you're in the ring with a chap who knows what he's doing. It's ritual humiliation. I'm going to be slugged about and probably killed, but I love it and have to do something to keep fit."
"I picked a reverence for medicine because I rather hero-worshiped my father [a former doctor], and because I admire doctors, I admire study, empiricism and rational thought. I don't admire crystals and chewing willow bark and herbal remedies."
On his late father's reaction to Dr. House: "He would be absolutely appalled. He was an endlessly polite, generous and soft-spoken man. He was no pushover, but he would never hurt, shock or outrage people just for the hell of it. At the same time, I hope he would be entertained and see that science and logic are like a religion to House. He'd approve of that."
On what he misses about England: "The buildings and the cruelty. They're very harsh people, the British: hard to impress, very tough on each other, but I rather like that. It's not that the British are more honest - you're just under no illusion with them. LA runs on optimism, enthusiasm and flattery. I think you can go a little bit crazy. I've heard people say there's a limit to the number of years you can stay in this city without going slightly mad. It's just too damn sunny in every dimension - weather-wise, socially and professionally."
"I travel to work on my motorcycle, so it's jeans, boots and a brown Aero leather jacket that weighs as much as I do. If it were black, it would seem like I've got a Brando idea going on, which I don't."
On raising his daughter: "Girls are complicated. The instruction manual that comes with girls is 800 pages, with chapters 14, 19, 26 and 32 missing, and it's badly translated, hard to figure out."
"I grew up with an impatience with the anti-scientific. So I'm a bit miffed with our current love affair with all things Eastern. If I sneeze on the set, 40 people hand me echinacea. But I'd no sooner take that than eat a pencil. Maybe that's why I took up boxing. It's my response to men in white pajamas feeling each other's chi."
"It's as if you're playing left-handed. Or like everyone else is playing with a tennis racket and you have a salmon." - on the difficulty of performing with an American accent.
Where are they now
(March 2005) He is now starring as Dr. Gregory House on Fox's new TV series _"House, M.D." (2004)_ .
Hugh has has been in 74 Movies and TV shows everything from comedy to drama
he was in such movies the "Stuart Little" movies
"Flight of the Phoenix"
"The Man in the Iron Mask"
"101 Dalmatians"
britsh shows like "A Bit of Fry and Laurie"
"Jeeves and Wooster"
"Blackadder Goes Forth"
Blackadder: The Cavalier Years (1988)
"Blackadder the Third"
to name a few
