Over the course of four decades as an actor,Hugh Laurie’s best movies and TV shows prove just how incredible he has been throughout his entire career. Laurie first started acting in the ’80s and appeared in a number of different projects in both that decade and the ’90s, including severalBlackadderseries,101 Dalmatians,Stuart Little, andThe Man in the Iron Mask.
Despite building an impressive filmography early on, it was in 2004 that Hugh Laurie’s acting career really took off as he starred as the eponymous character in the incredibly popular medical dramaHouse, which is often considered one of thebest medical dramas of all time. ThoughHousehas dominated the discussion around Laurie since then, he has also had major roles inVeep,The Night Manager, andChance.
Chance
Cast
Chance follows San Francisco-based forensic neuropsychiatrist Eldon Chance, who becomes embroiled in a perilous realm of mistaken identity, police corruption, and mental illness. The 2016 thriller explores the complexities of Chance’s life as he navigates these challenges.
Based on Kem Nunn’s book of the same name,Chancefocuses on a forensic neuropsychiatrist named Dr. Eldon Chance, who is sort of willingly pulled into a life of police corruption, manipulation, and abuse by one of his patients. Though it only ran for two seasons,Chancewas an impressive thriller that was often tense throughout the show’s strongest moments, and featured a fantastic central performance by Hugh Laurie as the titular protagonist.
Though Dr. Eldon Chance isn’t nearly as strong of a character as Hugh Laurie’s more famous Dr. Gregory House, the acyortruly does some fantastic work inChance, completely elevating the series and everyone else around him. Though he initially seems like a decent man, Laurie is able to pull back the darker layers of Dr. Eldon Chance.
Stuart Little
Stuart Little is a family film directed by Rob Minkoff, featuring a talking mouse named Stuart, adopted by the Little family in New York City. Michael J. Fox voices Stuart, who embarks on various adventures while trying to fit in with his human family, including his brother George, played by Jonathan Lipnicki. The film explores themes of belonging and acceptance in a heartwarming and comedic manner.
Surprisingly co-written by M. Night Shyamalan,Stuart Littleis a charming little comedy loosely based on E.B. White’s children’s novel of the same name, and revolving around Stuart, a young mouse adopted by the human Little family who learns to navigate his new circumstances through optimism and joy.Stuart Littleis genuinely great family fun and features some strong performances from Michael J. Fox as Stuart Little and Jonathan Lipnicki as George Little, his adoptive older brother.
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Though Stuart Little is the star of the film, Hugh Laurie does a fantastic job as Frederick Little, the patriarch of the family, Eleanor’s husband, and Stuart’s adoptive father. He has an immediate connection with Stuart as soon as they meet and is shown to be incredibly supportive over the course of the film. Laurie’s performance is very charming throughout as well.
One of the most recent projects that Hugh Laurie has been in,Tehranis an Israeli spy thriller that focuses on Tamar Rabinyan, a Mossad agent and computer hacker on an undercover mission in the Iranian capital to destroy a nuclear reactor. Gripping from start to finish,Tehranis a solid series withinApple TV+’s impressive libraryof titles, though it sometimes falls short of being really great, while exploring both the personal and professional lives of its characters to great effect.
Laurie plays a significant role in season 3 ofTehranas Eric Peterson, a South African nuclear inspector who is convinced that Iran is building a nuke. Through a variety of events, he finds himself tangled up with the Iranians as they capture him to help them assemble and test a bomb, and he gets help from Tamar only to reveal that he was working with them the whole time.It’s a great villain turn, and Laurie delivers a strong, tense performance throughout.
Arthur Christmas
Written and directed by Sarah Smith, Arthur Christmas is a 3D animated, Fantasy, Comedy, Holiday film featuring voices from Bill Nighy, Jim Broadbent, Hugh Laurie, and James McAvoy. The plot revolves around the son of the current Santa Claus who embarks on a mission to get a present to a child after an error is made and it is undelivered.
Telling the story of Santa Claus' family and focusing on Arthur Claus, the younger son who works in the mailroom,Arthur Christmasis a delightful family holiday film that doesn’t seem to be talked about as much as it should be. The movie is surprisingly emotional, with an earnest streak throughout that really celebrates the idea of Christmas and the joy that it is supposed to bring to people. Plus, the animation is stunning throughout.
Hugh Laurie has also proven himself to be a strong voice actor through various roles in his career, and he does an admirable job inArthur Christmas. He plays Steve Claus, Arthur’s older brother who does not have an ounce of Christmas spirit, as he is largely joyless and cynical, but really capable of running the business side of things.Laurie captures Steve’s personality perfectly, and it is some of the best voice acting of his career.
The Personal History of David Copperfield
The Personal History of David Copperfield offers a fresh take on Charles Dickens' classic novel. Directed by Armando Iannucci, the film stars Dev Patel as David Copperfield, navigating a life marked by hardship and fortune. The ensemble cast includes Tilda Swinton, Hugh Laurie, and Ben Whishaw, among others, in a richly textured period drama that balances humor and pathos while examining themes of identity and resilience.
Based on the novelDavid Copperfieldby Charles Dickens,The Personal History of David Copperfieldis a worthy adaptation, with a great cast of actors to play these important literary figures. The historical dramedy chronicles David Copperfield’s life from childhood into adulthood, and Dev Patel takes on the role of the titular character. The film is funny, and a fresh update to a beloved classic, really setting itself apart by taking its source material in interesting new directions.
Alongside Dev Patel as David Copperfield, Hugh Laurie also does a fantastic job as Mr. Dick, a tormented but kind man whose head is often filled with thoughts that aren’t his own.Laurie has always done an incredible job portraying characters that are at least a bit eccentric and he is remarkable as Mr. Dick, one of the most moving characters in the entire film.
Sense and Sensibility
The Dashwood sisters, Elinor and Marianne, face sudden destitution after their father’s death, which snatches their comfortable lifestyle away. Thrust into a world where marriage is often more about economics than emotion, they must wade through suitors and social expectations to find what others define as happiness.
Based onJane Austen’s incredible novelof the same name,Sense and Sensibilityis a stunning period piece that captures the spirit of its source material to great effect. The movie revolves around two sisters named Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, who are forced to seek financial security through marriage after facing sudden destitution. Exploring gender norms and class in the late-1700s,Sense and Sensibilityis an often funny and observant film.
Sense and Sensibilityhas been adapted numerous times for different mediums, including TV, stage, and even radio.
Though Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet are great as Elinor and Marianne, the supporting cast of characters is also fantastic, including Hugh Laurie. He plays Mr. Palmer, a serious man who finds himself married to an unserious woman, and the contrast makes for some funny moments throughout.He seems to despise everyone around him but hides his softer side, and Laurie does a great job of exploring both of those aspects of the character.
Catch-22
Based on Joseph Heller’s seminal novel, Catch-22 is a dark comedy war-drama series. Set during World War II, it follows Captain John Yossarian, a U.S. Army Air Forces B-25 bombardier who contends with the rule that holds him back from continuing his risky combat missions, while wrestling with the conundrum that the Catch-22 rule presents.
Catch-22is a stunning satirical dark comedy miniseries that is adapted from the novel of the same name by author Joseph Heller. The series follows a bombardier in the U.S. Air Force during World War II who is upset that thousands of people he has never met are trying to kill him. As his own military keeps increasing the number of missions they must fly, he continues to get more and more angry.Catch-22is smartly written and quite funny throughout, while also not failing to capture the horror of the war.
The miniseries is full of talented actors, and Hugh Laurie fits right in alongside the rest of the stellar cast as he plays Major de Coverley, a major in the 256th squadron of the Army Air Forces. He rarely talks with his men, but he is able to get them to do what he wants despite that.It might not be the most significant role in the series, but Laurie captures Major de Coverley’s personality so well.
Led by the delightful Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer, the Vice President of the United States,Veepis a hilarious political satire series from start to finish. Its biting satire is perfect, and the writing is witty enough to consistently be not only engaging but insightful as well. It’s one television’s best comedy series and a staple of the political satire genre on TV.
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Hugh Laurie has a significant recurring role inVeepas Senator of Connecticut Thomas James, who is nominated by his party for the Vice President of the United States as Selina Meyer runs for President. His relationship with Selina gets messy during his time on the show, andhe ends up screwing her over in more ways than one, with a stellar performance from Laurie in every scene that he is in.
Running for only six episodes,The Night Manageris a fantastic British spy thriller series based on the novel of the same name by author John le Carré. The series follows Jonathan Pine (Tom Hiddleston), a former British soldier and night manager at a luxury hotel in Cairo, who is eventually tasked with infiltrating the inner circle of an infamous arms dealer. The taut series is incredibly well written, full of twists and turns, and features some knockout career performances from Hiddleston and Hugh Laurie.
Laurie plays Richard Roper, the arms dealer that Pine is tasked with infiltrating. On the surface, Roper is a charming guy who does fantastic charity work, but there is a darkness beneath the surface that makes him one of the world’s most dangerous men. The tension between Pine and Roper throughoutThe Night Manageris some truly intense television, andHiddelston and Laurie are perfect on screen together.
House
House is a medical mystery drama in which the villain is typically a difficult-to-diagnose medical malady. It follows Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie), a world-renowned disabled diagnostician with a notorious substance abuse issue. With his team of world-class doctors, House has built a reputation as one of the most brilliant doctors in the world - an especially impressive feat when taking into account that he rarely actually sees his patients.
There are few medical dramas that have ever been as good asHousewas during its remarkable eight-season run. Following the eponymous Dr. Gregory House and his often unconventional methods for dealing with patients,Houseis everything that makes TV so incredible, as the character is explored in great depth over the course of the series. It can also be very funny, with Dr. House often being the center of the comedy just by the way he carries himself.
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It’s a no-brainer that Hugh Laurie’s performance inHouseis the best of his entire career, as it was the one that catapulted him to TV stardom, and for good reason. He is incredible as the character, commanding every scene that he has. Dr. Gregory House is arguably one of the most fascinating characters in any medical TV show, and it is largely due to the stunning performance byHugh Laurieat the center of it all.
