Hugh Laurie - Biography

Last Editor: Yablo92				Hugh Laurie Biography -   Name : Hugh Laurie Date of birth : 11 June 1959 Place of birth : Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK Height : 6' 2½ Spouse : Jo Green

Hugh Laurie Trivia -

Hugh is the President of Cambridge Footlights [1981] He is father of Charlie, Bill, and Rebecca. He achieved a third-class degree in Anthropology & Archaeology at Selwyn College, Cambridge University. He rides a Triumph Bonneville motorcycle An avid motorcyclist, he rides a Triumph when going on the set of "House, M.D." He attended the Dragon School, a renowned British preparatory school located in Oxford, UK. Also attended by actress Emma Watson and tennis player Tim Henman. Douglas Adams, author of The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, originally wanted him to play Arthur Dent for the film adaptation. A deal was almost in place to have Hugh play Dent, along with Jim Carrey as Zephod and Jay Roach directing, before Adams' untimely death. Bought an all-black Triumph Bonneville motorcycle, a replica of the '60s British model, in Los Angeles, upon getting the role in "House M.D." (2004), but he was always an avid motorcyclist, even in England. He enjoys the anonymity the motorcycle helmet gives him. In the year 1977, he won the National Junior Championship for rowing (coxed pair). In the same year, he and his rowing partner represented England in the World Junior Championship for rowing where they finished fourth place. He lives in a West Hollywood apartment rental while working on "House M.D." (2004), but flies home to London to be with his family whenever he has a break in filming. He has said that he will move his whole family to America to be with him if the second season looks to be equally successful as the first. He plays the husband opposite Imelda Staunton's characters in two films: Sense and Sensibility (1995) and Peter's Friends (1992). His father, William George Ranald Mundell Laurie (known as Ran), and mother, Patricia, are both of Scottish descent. He is the youngest of four children, by six years. He has a brother, Charles, who works as a lawyer/shepherd in Scotland, and two sisters. His father won an Olympic gold medal for coxless pairs in the 1948 Games in London. Hugh also had a promising career as an oarsman, but he was forced to give it up while at Cambridge when he contracted glandular fever (mononucleosis). His brother was also an oarsman. He is an accomplished piano player. Entered the 1980 Silver Goblets and Nicklass Cup with his Eton rowing partner J.S. Palmer at the Henley Royal Regatta, becoming the only British crew to reach the final that year. They finished in second place behind the favored American crew. Was first cast in the role of Perry White in Superman Returns (2006). However, the popularity of his TV show "House M.D." (2004) caused schedule conflicts. Frank Langella was then cast. He auditioned for the part of Rimmer in "Red Dwarf" (1988). Others to audition for the part were Norman Lovett, Lee Cornes, Alfred Molina, Alan Rickman, and Craig Ferguson. The role went to Chris Barrie. He was a house captain (senior prefect) in his last year at Eton College. He also played percussion for the school's orchestra and was a "wet bob" - a member of Eton's prestigious rowing team. He received his first motorcycle when he was 16 as a present from his father. The same year he owned his first guitar, a Yamaha. Although his first name is James, he has never been called that. His third name, Calum, is the short form of 'Mael Calum', which translates from Gaidhlig (Scots Gaelic) to Scottish and English as 'Malcolm'. (The Gaeilge or Irish Gaelic form is 'Maol Colm', or 'Colm' in short form). His brother's full name is Charles Alexander Lyon Mundell Laurie. He took up diving a few years ago. He's a big fan of Clint Eastwood. Was a member of Cambridge Footlights throughout his university years, serving as a writer and cast member for two years (1978-1980) and president during his last year (1980-1981). Emma Thompson was the vice president. He is a member of the Leander Club, one of the oldest rowing clubs in the world. His father once served as the club's president. His son Bill auditioned for a role in a Harry Potter film but was told he was too young. His daughter Rebecca Laurie starred in the film Wit (2001) (TV) as Emma Thompson's character aged five. He is a member of the celebrity band 16:9 with Greg Grunberg of "Alias" (2001) and "Felicity" (1998), James Denton of "Desperate Housewives" (2004), Bob Guiney of "The Bachelor" (2002), and other special guests. Plays keyboard in the band Poor White Thrash with Lenny Henry, Shade Adejumo, Kate McKenzie, Sophie Elton (wife of Ben Elton), 'Ken Bowley', Andy Gangadeen, John Thirkell, and Phil Smith. He has three children: Charles Archibald Laurie (b. Nov 1988), William (Bill) Albert Laurie (b. Jan 1991), and Rebecca Laurie (Rebecca Augusta Laurie, b. Sep 10, 1993). Directed some scenes of his film Maybe Baby (2000) when Ben Elton had to go to hospital for the birth of his children. He is a big fan of Steve McQueen. He was a member of the Cambridge Footlights and in 1981, along with Stephen Fry, Tony Slattery, Emma Thompson, Paul Dwyer and Paul Shearer, he became the winner of the first ever Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Stephen Fry is godfather of his three children. He is a published author (The Gun Seller - 1997). He has another book due in 2009. He was awarded the O.B.E. (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2007 Queen's New Years Honours List for his services to drama. He is very good friends with "House M.D." (2004) co-star Robert Sean Leonard. Great-great-nephew of George Alexander. When Bryan Singer cast Laurie as Gregory House on "House M.D." (2004), he was unaware that Laurie is British. In the 1980s he shared a house in London with Stephen Fry. They needed some plastering done. The plasterers turned out to be Paul Whitehouse and Charlie Higson, who were inspired by Fry and Laurie to have a go at comedy. He plays keyboard in the band "Band from TV.". Is the uncle of actress Rachel Hurd-Wood. During their time at Cambridge Footlights, he and Emma Thompson dated for some time.

Hugh Laurie Detailed Biography -

Hugh was born June 11, 1959 in Oxford, England, the youngest of four children of Dr. W.G.R.M. and Patricia Laurie. He attended the Dragon School, a well-known prep school in Oxford, and went on to Eton College, perhaps England's best-known public school. Hugh's father had been an outstanding oarsman at Cambridge, Henley Royal Regatta, and in the Olympic Games, where he won a gold medal in 1948. At Eton, Hugh also became an oarsman. He rowed for the school, becoming junior national champion in coxed pairs (with J.S. Palmer) and finishing fourth in the Junior World Championships in 1977. Hugh went up to Cambridge University in 1978 to read archaeology and anthropology - and to row. He rowed for his college (Selwyn) and also for the University in one of its premier sporting events, the annual Boat Race against Oxford University. This race, going back to the mid-1800s, is a gruelling contest between two crews of eight rowed on the tidal Thames each spring. To be a rowing Blue, as those who participate in the race are called, is to have earned one of the most highly-prized sporting honors Oxbridge has to offer. In his first year at Cambridge, Hugh was rowing in the "A" trials crew for Boat Race selection, and was tipped to be picked for the six-seat, the "strong man" position. Unfortunately, he fell ill with glandular fever and had to quit rowing in early January 1979. He did make the crew for the 1980 Boat Race, as did his former Etonian crewmate J.S. Palmer. The race they rowed in was one of the most exciting in years, with Cambridge almost coming from behind (an unheard-of occurrence for any crew in this race) and eventually losing to Oxford by less than ten feet, the closest finish of the century. Hugh has mentioned in interviews that the loss still rankles. A few months later Laurie and Palmer entered for the Silver Goblets (coxless pairs) at Henley Royal Regatta; they were the only British crew that year to reach a final in an elite event. They finished second to a heavily-favored American pair. Hugh also joined the Footlights Club at Cambridge, and got his start performing in their comedy revues and pantomimes. Footlights is a comedy club that has launched the show-business careers of such famous alumni as Alan Bennett, Peter Cook, John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, John Lloyd, Griff Rhy Jones, and on and on. Also joining Footlights that year was Emma Thompson, with whom he had a brief romance. Hugh was president and Emma vice-president of the club in 1980/81, a year which saw one of the club's most successful revues, The Cellar Tapes, win the first Perrier "Pick of the Fringe" Award for comedy at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The revue co-starred and was co-written by new recruit Stephen Fry, whose 1980 Fringe play Latin! had so impressed Hugh that he asked Emma to introduce them with a hope of getting Stephen to write with him for the coming year's revues. They became good friends, and their writing partnership was to last more than ten years. Winning the Perrier Award led to a West End transfer for the revue, and then to a TV offer for Hugh, Emma and Stephen in two sketch series for Granada. Hugh and Stephen Fry went on to form a comedy double-act that became a fixture of British television through the mid-1990s in series such as Blackadder, A Bit of Fry & Laurie, and most notably, Jeeves and Wooster. Hugh married Jo Green in 1989. They live in London with two sons and a daughter.