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!
62-year-old Billy Ray Cyrus marries 34-year-old bride Firerose – fans upset by one little detail
Billy Ray Cyrus recently celebrated his wedding to Firerose in an intimate ceremony. This union followed his divorce from Tish Cyrus in 2022, marking the third time they filed for divorce after 28 years of marriage. Following the divorce, Billy Ray Cyrus began dating Firerose, an Australian artist, and the two announced their engagement in November 2022.
Interestingly, Billy Ray and Firerose had crossed paths years ago when Firerose auditioned for a role on “Hannah Montana” 13 years prior. This serendipitous encounter left a lasting impression on Billy Ray, who recalled the moment he first saw her and sensed her star potential. Although she didn’t land the role, Billy Ray introduced her to some producers, which ultimately led to a friendship that would later blossom into a romantic relationship.
Billy Ray and Firerose’s love story developed after his divorce in early 2022. They officially became a couple, and Firerose moved in with him in August 2022. Shortly thereafter, he proposed, and they decided to make their love official through marriage.
Their wedding coincided with Tish Cyrus, Billy Ray’s ex-wife, remarrying in August 2023 to “Prison Break” star Dominic Purcell. Tish’s two children from a previous relationship, Brandi and Trace, were in attendance at her wedding. Billy Ray had adopted Brandi and Trace while he was married to Tish. Billy Ray and Tish also have three children together: Miley Cyrus, Braison, and Noah.
Notably, Noah and Braison were absent from their mother’s wedding. They were seen together on the day of the wedding, posting on Instagram about their outing to Walmart. The choice of their outing on the wedding day raised some eyebrows.
As Billy Ray and Firerose shared pictures from their wedding day on social media, some fans focused on one detail: Billy Ray Cyrus’s hair. Some fans expressed surprise and wondered why he didn’t style his hair differently for the occasion, with comments like, “Could have at least brushed his hair for the occasion” and “He couldn’t comb his hair??” This sparked discussion about his hairstyle choice for the wedding.
Billy Ray Cyrus and Firerose’s wedding marked a significant moment in their relationship, and while the focus may have been on his hair for some, it’s a celebration of love and happiness that they both clearly cherish.
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