Cast Bios

Hugh Laurie Dr. Gregory House

Actor Bio
Character Bio

Hugh Laurie was born in Oxford, England, and educated at Eton College and Cambridge University, where he took a degree in anthropology. He rowed in the Cambridge and Oxford Boat Race of 1980 and was elected president of the venerable Footlights Revue. Along with Stephen Fry and Emma Thompson, Laurie produced "The Cellar Tapes," which won the Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe of 1981 and propelled the trio into a number of groundbreaking British television shows, including four seasons of "A Bit of Fry and Laurie," which Laurie co-wrote for the BBC with Stephen Fry; three seasons of "Blackadder"; and three seasons of "Saturday Live." In addition, four seasons of "Jeeves and Wooster," based on the novels of P.G. Wodehouse, aired on "Masterpiece Theatre" from 1990-1995.

On the big screen, Laurie's film credits include "Monsters vs. Aliens" opposite Reese Witherspoon and Seth Rogen, "Street Kings" opposite Forest Whitaker and Keanu Reeves, "Flight of the Phoenix" opposite Dennis Quaid, "Peter's Friends" directed by and co-starring Kenneth Branagh, "Sense and Sensibility" with Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet, "Cousin Bette" with Jessica Lange, "The Man in the Iron Mask," "101 Dalmatians" and the "Stuart Little" movies with Geena Davis.

On American television, Laurie portrayed Vincente Minnelli opposite Judy Davis in the network telefilm "Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows." He also appeared in "Tracey Takes On..." and "Friends."

Laurie has directed television programs and commercials, composed and recorded numerous original songs and written articles for London's The Daily Telegraph newspaper. Four volumes of "A Bit of Fry and Laurie" scripts have been published by Mandarin, and his first novel "The Gun Seller" was published in both the U.K. and the U.S. to critical acclaim and has been adapted into a screenplay.

Laurie's performance as "Dr. Gregory House" has garnered him two Golden Globe Awards for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series, four Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series and two Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series. He has twice been honored by the Television Critics Association with TCA Awards for Individual Achievement in Drama.

While filming HOUSE, Laurie lives in Los Angeles.

Dr. Gregory House is the world-renowned chief of Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital's diagnostic department. He is brilliant at solving medical mysteries but unconcerned with social niceties. Rarely speaking to patients, he's misanthropic and apt to disregard any rules he deems unreasonable.

A leg infarction he suffered years ago has left him walking with a cane and in chronic pain, which he managed by abusing Vicodin. Though he knew he was addicted to the drug, he felt he didn't need treatment to get sober. But his drug use, coupled with a string of deaths, contributed to his experiencing a psychotic break. He was forced to detox and begin therapy in a psychiatric hospital.

He and colleague Dr. James Wilson are close friends, though House's behavior has frequently strained that friendship. House has also tried the patience of hospital administrator Dr. Lisa Cuddy. Though he's harbored feelings for Cuddy for years, it wasn't until she was unavailable, dating Lucas Douglas, that House became most vocal about his desire for her. After House is shaken after losing a patient, Cuddy came to him and revealed that she left Lucas to be with House.