Even though TV’s most famous doctor was earning $700,000 per episode in the final season, *House* star Hugh Laurie said he still feels like a fraud.
Laurie regrets playing a “fake version” of a doctor instead of becoming a real one, as his father had hoped. He admitted that his “dad would have hated” the easier path he chose by becoming an actor.
Keep reading to find out why Laurie chose acting over medicine.
Dr. William (Ran) Laurie, Hugh’s father, had big dreams for his youngest son, born in June 1959.
Hugh Laurie was on track to follow in his father’s footsteps. His father was not only a respected physician but also a 1948 Olympic gold medalist in rowing and a graduate of a Cambridge college.
When British-born Hugh Laurie was studying at the same college as his father, he was also a member of the rowing team, with plans to train for the Olympics and then go to medical school.
However, Laurie discovered a drama club, the Cambridge Footlights, a sketch comedy group. There, he met actress Emma Thompson (*The Remains of the Day*) and his future comedy partner, Stephen Fry, who later co-starred with him in the 1997 film *Wilde*.
Laurie’s path changed completely.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the now 64-year-old actor appeared in several TV shows, including the BBC sitcom *Blackadder*, where he co-starred with Fry.
Hugh Laurie also appeared in the 1995 film *Sense and Sensibility* with Emma Thompson, with whom he had once been in a relationship. He starred in Disney’s live-action *101 Dalmatians* (1996) and even made a guest appearance on *Friends*.
In 2004, Laurie was offered the chance to play a doctor in a new TV series called *House*, a medical drama that ran for eight seasons.
In his Golden Globe-winning role as Dr. Gregory House, Laurie dropped his British accent and perfectly played the narcissistic genius who led a teaching hospital in New Jersey.
During the show’s run, Laurie became Hollywood’s most popular doctor, gaining a huge global fan base. However, life as a celebrity also brought its own challenges.
“I had some pretty bleak times, dark days when it felt like there was no way out,” Hugh Laurie said in a 2013 interview with *Radio Times* (via *Daily Mail*). “I have a strong work ethic, so I was determined never to be late or miss a single day of filming. You wouldn’t catch me calling in sick, saying, ‘I think I’m getting the flu.’ But there were times when I’d think, ‘If I had a little accident on the way to the studio and got a couple of days off to recover, that would be great.’”
Those days off didn’t come until 2012, with the final season of *House*.
After that, Laurie kept busy, appearing in TV shows like *Veep* and the 2015 science fiction film *Tomorrowland*, which starred another famous TV doctor, George Clooney.
In 2016, Hugh Laurie took on another doctor role, this time as neuropsychiatrist Dr. Eldon Chance in the TV series *Chance*.
The *Maybe Baby* star explained to the *Los Angeles Daily News*, “As a gambler, my instinct is to walk away after even a modest win… Yet I was drawn back to this wonderful project that was simply irresistible.” Comparing *House* to his role in *Chance* (which was canceled after two seasons in 2017), Laurie said, “The characters are very different. Their medical practices and attitudes toward life are completely different.”
Despite his Hollywood fame, Laurie, who also starred in 2018’s *Holmes & Watson*, still feels he let his father down by not becoming a real doctor. His father, who passed away from Parkinson’s disease in 1998, had been a respected physician.
“My father was a real doctor. If it’s true that many men try to become versions of their father and fail, it seemed fitting that I ended up being a fake version of a doctor,” said Laurie, who also played a doctor in the 2005 film *The Big Empty*.
“My father had high hopes for me to follow him into medicine,” Hugh Laurie said. “I would have liked to become a doctor myself, and I still have dreams about being one. We live in a world of shortcuts, don’t we? And I took those shortcuts. Dad would have hated that.”
Laurie calls himself a “cop-out,” adding, “Honestly, this causes me a lot of guilt.”
What do you think about Hugh Laurie’s surprising confession? Please share your thoughts in the comments below and share this story so we can hear what others think!
WATCH : This Unusual Dance Routine by Two Girls Had the Entire Crowd On Their Feet from the Moment They Turned Around!
You would be incorrect to initially underestimate this dance routine’s mesmerizing power.
Irish dances like clogging, which are usually rather stunning, are characterized by their complex footwork and little upper body movement.
The routine shown in this video, however, gives the conventional approach a novel and thrilling twist.
This exciting clogging duet, performed by Madison and Morgan, was the highlight of the 2013 Clogging Champions of America – Showdown of Champions in Knoxville, Tennessee. Set to the lively track “Hit the Ground Runnin’” by Keith Urban, their performance departs from the traditional Irish music typically connected with clogging.
Madison and Morgan, dressed in white pants, clog shoes, and plaid shirts, break stereotypes from the very beginning.
The crowd roars with excitement as the two take the stage with their backs to the spectators, creating a thrilling atmosphere for their performance.
When the music starts, you can feel the excitement rising as Madison and Morgan whirl around quickly, beaming with joy. The pair is launched into motion by their coordinated footwork, hand-holding, and elegant spins.
The girls combine classic clogging techniques with contemporary flair throughout the routine, including stage circles, high kicks, and even an amazing high jump. Every motion in their dance is precisely timed, and it is flawlessly performed.
Madison and Morgan give the traditional dance style a modern twist by including upper body arm and hand moves that give the routine a lively, fun feel. A riveting performance that captivates audiences is created by fusing classic and modern components.
Viewers were astounded by the smooth transitions and deft footwork, and many expressed their amazement in the comments area. Some lauded clogging’s exuberance, while others got into a heated argument on how to categorize it.
Despite dissenting views, one commenter highlighted the rich cultural history of clogging and how it developed into a contemporary Irish-American dance form. Another confirmed the routine’s legitimacy by recognizing the classic steps mixed with modern components and drawing from their own expertise teaching clogging.
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