Hugh Laurie played Dr. Gregory House in the television series House, M.D. Laurie’s performance made the diagnostician’s abrasive personality, chronic pain, and sharp medical reasoning central to the show’s identity.
Before House, Laurie was widely known in the United Kingdom for comedy, including A Bit of Fry & Laurie and Blackadder. His casting was notable because he was English while House is an American doctor. Laurie adopted an American accent for the role and became the series’ lead performer.
The character is a physician specializing in diagnostic medicine at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. House’s cane and dependence on Vicodin are recurring parts of the character’s story, but the series primarily presents his unusual ability to solve difficult cases. Laurie received major award recognition for the role, including Golden Globe wins.