The Greys

Hugh Laurie is an incredibly versatile actor. Quite how the same person can so convincingly portray both Gregory House and the Prince Regent in Blackadder is hard to fathom.

For those of us in the UK he’s perhaps best known for his portrayal of humorously foppish English gentlemen – whether it’s Prince George, or Bertie Wooster. The pitch of his voice rises, a large plum develops in his mouth, and he becomes a naive artistocrat, lost without his faithful (or conniving) butler. So successful was he at these parts that he also made a regular appearance as a voice-over artist for adverts with similar intonation.

Compare that to House. Gone is the bright-eyed stupidity, replaced with dark, brooding intellect. The voice is deeper – and American – and the fresh-faced youth of the past has given way to a craggy, characterful visage. It’s such a convincing portrayal that it’s sometimes hard to remember that he’s the same actor who urged Stephen Fry to “pass the marmalade” in full Pythonesque drag-and-falsetto mode.

When House was first shown on Channel 5 in the UK, however, there was one subtle clue that reminded us of Hugh Laurie’s past on this side of the Atlantic. Almost every break featured an advert for Tiscali (a broadband supplier) with a voice-over performed by Hugh in his foppish Englishman guise. What a great way to destroy the suspension of disbelief!

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