Although he didn't gain international acclaim until he starred in the title role of House in 2004, Hugh Laurie has remained one of the most accomplished television actors of his generation. The Oxford native made his small screen debut in the 1982 series There's Nothing to Worry About and spent the following decade acting on various British TV series.
Laurie spent much of his career on television until the mid-1990s before he began transitioning to the cinema screen. By the early to mid-2000s, Laurie returned to television where landed a role of a lifetime in the aforementioned House. Here's how the rest of Hugh Laurie's TV work stacks up.
10 Life With Judy Garland (2001) 8.1/10
In the 2-part miniseries Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadow, Laurie played the iconic screen idol's husband and world-class filmmaker Vincente Minnelli. Judy Davis earned a Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy for her turn as Judy Garland in the series.
Based on the Lorna Luft memoir, the series charts Garland's career from the 1930s until her death in 1969. The series won a total of five Primetime Emmys, including a Best Supporting Actress honor for Tammy Blanchard.
9 The Legends Of Treasure Island (1993) 8.0/10
Laurie voiced the role of Squire Trelawney in the beloved but short-lived animated series The Legends of Treasure Island, which ran for 2 seasons and 26 episodes from 1993 to 1995.
At its core, the series follows the harrowing adventures of Jim Hawkins, a young boy who sets off on a dangerous sojourn to find a trove of hidden treasure. Laurie's character appeared in eight of the 26 episodes, joining the likes of British stars as Rob Brydon, Richard E. Grant, David Holt, Juliet Stevenson, and Dawn French.
8 The Night Manager (2016) 8.1/10
Based on the 1993 John Le Carre novel, the highly-acclaimed AMC series The Night Manager ran for just six episodes over one season in 2016. Hugh Laurie headlines a stellar ensemble as Richard Roper, a shady arms dealer operating out of a luxury Egyptian hotel.
When Jonathan Pine (Tom Hiddleston) is tasked by FCO boss Angela Burr (Olivia Coleman) to expose Roper's illegal business practices, a web of intrigue, espionage, and deadly double-crossings ensue. Laurie, Coleman, and Hiddleston all won Golden Globes for their work.
7 A Bit Of Fry And Laurie (1987) 8.3/10
Beginning in 1987, legendary British comedian Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie teamed up for a comedy variety show that ran for eight years until ending in 1995. The sketch comedy series spanned four seasons and 26 episodes.
In addition to starring in every episode, the two stars also wrote each sketch featured on the series. Famous British guest stars who appeared on the show include Rowan Atkinson, Imelda Staunton, Nigel Havers, and others.
6 Veep (2015) 8.3/10
Although Veep had been on the air for three years prior to his arrival, Laurie instantly bolstered the comedic ensemble when joining the cast in 2015. Laurie appeared in 20 episodes of the HBO hit series from 2015 to 2019.
Laurie portrayed Tom James on the show, a U.S. Senator from Connecticut who President Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) chose as her Vice Presidential running mate. When the electoral college vote resulted in a tie, James was denied the position. In 2019, James announced his candidacy for President in 2020.
5 Jeeves And Wooster (1990) 8.4/10
Made while A Bit of Fry and Laurie was on hiatus, the comedic duo of Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie also starred in the sitcom Jeeves and Wooster, which ran for 23 episodes between 1990 and 1993.
The comedy of manners traces Bertram Wooster (Laurie), a wayward but affluent socialite who can't shake his bad habit of getting into troublesome misadventures. Bertie depends on his wise personal assistant, Jeeves (Fry), to constantly bail him out of danger.
4 Blackadder II (1986) 8.6/10
In what would become a longtime reign on various offshoots and iterations of the series, Laurie first appeared in the Blackadder universe in 1986. He played two different characters on Blackadder II.
Starring Rowan Atkinson as the title character, the series follows Edmund Blackadder, a dimwitted Lord in the Tudor court of Queen Elizabeth I. Laurie played Prince Ludwig in the episode entitled Chains, and a character named Simon Partridge in the episode Beer.
3 Blackadder The Third (1987) 8.6/10
Laurie made such a strong impression in his bit roles one year prior that he was promoted to series regular in Blackadder The Third, in which he spent all six episodes playing the role of The Prince Regent.
Set in the Regency era, Edmund Blackadder (Rowan Atkinson) is tasked with butlering for the dandy dolt, Prince George. Laurie is joined by his longtime comedy partner Stephen Fry, who plays the Duke of Wellington in one episode of the miniseries.
2 House (2004) 8.7/10
It's no stretch to say that House is the most well-known TV series of Laurie's career to date. Laurie played the role of Dr. Gregory House for 176 episodes from 2004 to 2012. Laurie won two consecutive Golden Globes for the role in 2006 and 2007.
Currently ranked #103 on IMDb's Top 250 TV shows, House charts the comedic exploits of grumpy and eccentric M.D. Gregory House, whose radical methods of treatment rub most people the wrong way. Laurie also won a SAG Award in 2009 for his central performance on the show.
1 Blackadder Goes Forth (1989) 8.8/10
According to IMDb, the highest-rated TV series of Hugh Laurie's career thus far is Blackadder Goes Forth. The six-part miniseries continues the overwhelming idiocy of the title character (Rowan Atkinson) as he contends with the horrors of World War I.
Currently rated #58 on IMDb's Top 250 TV Shows, Laurie plays a character named Lieutenant The Honourable George Colthurst St. Barleigh in the series, a bumbling soldier who proves very little to earn his rank. Laurie's longtime comedy partner Stephen Fry also stars in the series.
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October 01, 2020 at 05:30AM
