Genius in the House
Edmonton Sun TV Guide
December 18,2005

But for a group of fans from England on the other side of the fence, there was only one Fox star that mattered: Hugh Laurie, better known on this side of the pond as House(Tuesdays at 10pm on Fox, Cable 16.)

Laurie, 48, was born in Oxford, England, and is well known for his comic turns in both Blackadder and Jeeves & Wooster. In America, he was mostly that dad guy from those mouse movies Stuart Little 3 is the latest

Now, of course, he is firmly established as Dr. Gregory House, the cranky, aloof, dismissive MD who hates patients, almost as much as he hates himself. Good thing he also just happens to be a diagnostic genius.

It's been a wild year for Laurie, a witty, self-effacing actor who stayed late at the Fox bash .House was a slow build for Fox last season, earning renewals in increments. Laurie, the cautious and seasoned veteran, left his family back home in England until he was sure the series would catch on.Now there is no doubt; House is one of Fox's top-rated dramas.

There was never any doubt from the fans on the other side of the fence."He's something, a big name back in the UK," said one woman."Did you know he was a rower as well?" added her husband."He's a serious rower. He used to represent Cambridge."

Laurie, who went over and spoke to his fans, sheepishly admitted later he was a bit of a sculler. The son of an Olympic gold medalist in the sport, he was a national Junior champion as a teenager

These days he gets more recognition as an actor. Even the Yanks noticed, awarding him an Emmy nomination for his first year on House. The TV critics went even farther, voting him last season's best actor in a series.

"I can't deny it's a big persona; thrill to get noticed," he says."I've been toiling in this particular vineyard for many years now, and to finally get the chance to do something of this density and this complexity and to get noticed for it is even better."

Not every one, of course, loves Dr. House. He hates people, especially patients. He has the worst bedside manner. Talking to patients is just a waste of time, he tells his hand-picked posse of young, smart associates(played by Omar epps, Jennifer Morrison and Jesse Spencer)He hates co-workers, especially his icy boss, Dr. Lisa Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein).

Which of course is what Laurie loves about the character."House is a character who pursued and celebrates reason above all else," says Laurie,"He's after the truth."

Even if it costs him personally, House values truth and facts above, as Laurie says, "life, love, professional advancement, comfort and friendship. It cost him. There are many times in his life he could take an easy turn."

Real doctors get it, he says."If I was a doctor I would find that-what's the word - affirming."says Laurie."Doctors appreciate the fact that fundamentally, despite his poor social skills, this is a pro-medical, pro-rational show. It's an empirical show."

The people who do take issue, he says, are lab technicians."They become infuriated by it,"he says."They become very upset that they're kind of left out of the picture. I try to explain to them that you can't have a cast of 80."

Just don't say House isn't funny, says Laurie."I actually think he is a barrel of laughs," he says."In this touchy-feely emotional age, we're kind if suspicious of science.People want emotion and good heartedness. This is a guy who just says to hell with all that; a fact is a fact."

I tell him of one objection I've heard from a female viewer. House is too smart.It is implausible that he alone would have the answers.

While House may be a know-it-all, there is one sunject Laurie admits he knows next to nothing about-hockey.Two years ago, when the pilot for Housewas shot in Vancouver(production is now based in L.A.) he attended his first hockey game,a play-off tilt between the Vancouver Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers.

"We were the only two people in the-what do you call it? Stadium?"Laurie took co-star spencer and the two had a blast. He does have one complaint, though:Commercial breaks."The game stops,"says Laurie, "I looked at Jesses and said,'What are they waiting for?"It took us all game to figure it out. Oh, it's a commercial break."

The man still has a lot to learn about North American television.