Hugh Laurie Net Worth, Money and More
NET WORTH: $40 MILLION
OCCUPATION: ACTOR/MUSICIAN/COMEDIAN
EARLY CAREER
Full name Hugh James Calum Laurie, he was born to doctor Olympic gold medalist father William Laurie and mother Patricia. Hugh was born in Oxford, Oxforshire, England on June 11, 1959. Laurie went to one of Britain’s best known preparatory school Eton College. He developed a passion for the sport rowing. He became a world class oarsman, similar to his father who won a gold medal at the 1948 London Olympics.
He went to Cambridge University after, to study archaeology and anthropology. Laurie started doing comedy with a undergraduate comedy group called ‘Footlights Club’, of which he was later made the President and fellow mate Emma Thompson, Vice President.
Footlights Club
He met Stephen Fry, his comedy partner, via Emma Thompson. Both of them, along with Ben Elton and Richard Curtis came up with the Black Adder series which starred Rowan Atkinson. Laurie and Fry worked together on quite a lot of other projects as well, which includes the series A Bit of Fry and Laurie and Jeeves and Wooster. It wasn’t long before Hugh started starring in films. Fry and Laurie, along with fellow comedian Emma Thompson did a film together called Peter’s Friends in 1992.
MOVIES & TELEVISION
Laurie in Stuart Little
Hugh gained his mark by working as a character actor in many films like Sense and Sensibility, 101 Dalmatians, Maybe Baby and Girl from Rio. he took the lead in the adaptation of E.B. White’s Stuart Little , playing the adopted father to a walking, talking, fully dressed mouse in 1991. He reprises the role in the 2002 sequel Stuart Little 2.
Laurie has guest starred on TV shows like F.R.I.E.N.D.S, Spooks, Forty Something and The Lenny Henry Show. He also directed the series Forty Something. He became really popular among the American people when he was starred on the House M.D as a physician specialising in diagnostic medicine in 2004. Laurie adapted an american accent for this role. His accent was so convincing that the show’s director Bryan Singer actually took him for an American actor. Hugh did a film called Street Kings with Keeanu Reeves and Forest Whitaker in 2007. In 2009, he did Dreamworks’ movie Monsters vs. Aliens where he portrayed the eccentric ‘Dr. Cockroach.’
Most recently, Laurie featured in an independent film The Oranges in 2012. The movie had a limited release.
MAN WITH MULTIPLE TALENTS
Apart from being a fabulous actor, Laurie is a musician as well as a writer. He can play various musical instruments like the piano, guitar, drums, harmonica and saxophone. He sings and plays the keyboard for the charity rock group Band From TV. Laurie performed a blues song on his movie Maybe Baby. He also co-wrote this song. His character on House M.D. owns a Hammond organ and is shown performing the classic Whiter Shade of Pale by Procol Harum. Laurie has released two blues albums so far. Let Them Talk in 2011 and very recently Didn’t It Rain in May 2013.
Hugh Laurie is also the author of the book The Gun Seller, 1996. It was his first novel and it went on to become a best seller.
WEALTH AND EARNINGS
Hugh Laurie’s house in Hollywood Hills
Laurie is the highest paid television actor, earning a reported $400K per episode as Dr. House (2011). Hugh purchased a £2million lavish mansion in the Hollywood Hills in 2008. It is 3,242-sq ft gated English country house with a gym, a pool and a guest house. He also owns a house back in his hometown, in Belsize Park, North London, which is estimated to be worth £2-£3 million. Laurie also owns a red classic Ford Galaxie 500 convertible.
Hugh driving his Ford Galaxie through L.A.
FUN FACTS
- Laurie is a big fan of Clint Eastwood and Steve McQueen.
- He is the great-great nephew of George Alexander.
- Laurie 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.
- According to the Guinness Book of World Records (2012), Laurie is the most watched leading man on television due to the worldwide viewership of House M.D.
QUOTES
- (After he received his 2009 Screen Actors Guild Awards) I actually had a 100 dollars on James Spader, this is just not my night.
- (On living in L.A.) It’s just too damn sunny in every dimension – weather-wise, socially and professionally.
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I travel to work on my motorcycle, so it’s jeans, boots and a brown Aero leather jacket that weighs as much as I do. If it were black, it would seem like I’ve got a Marlon Brando idea going on, which I don’t.
- (On the difficulty of performing with an American accent) It’s as if you’re playing left-handed. Or like everyone else is playing with a tennis racket and you have a salmon.
- (His speech after winning a Golden Globe award for House M.D.) I am absolutely speechless. Seriously, I don’t have a speech. People are falling all over themselves to send you free shoes and free cuff links and colonic irrigations for two. Nobody ever offers you a free acceptance speech. There just seems to be a gap in the market. I would love to be able to pull out a speech by Dolce & Gabbana.
- In life you don’t regret the things you do, you regret the things you don’t do.
