Hugh Laurie portrays Gregory House in the television series House M.D.
Laurie, an English actor, comedian, musician, and writer, became internationally famous for playing the American physician. His performance combined House’s medical brilliance, sarcasm, physical pain, and dependence on the prescription painkiller Vicodin. Laurie used an American accent throughout the series, which surprised some viewers familiar with his British comedy work.
Before House M.D., Laurie was widely known in the United Kingdom for comedy partnerships with Stephen Fry and for roles in productions such as Blackadder and Jeeves and Wooster. House M.D. gave him a dramatic leading role and earned him major award recognition, including two Golden Globe wins for Best Actor in a Television Series—Drama.
The character Gregory House was partly inspired by Sherlock Holmes: both are highly observant loners who solve difficult cases through deduction. The series ran for eight seasons, and Laurie appeared in every season as the central character.