Dr. House has been around for eight seasons of drama, intriguing cases and controversial treatment methods. Hugh Laurie, the man behind the shameless, straightforward Dr. Gregory House talks about the “House” finale.
In the beginning of “House”, not many people could stand Dr. House. Hugh Laurie played a Dr. House unlike most characters of the hospital related TV series. He surely came off as mean for many people and his ongoing controversy didn’t make it easier for many fans to love him. But in the end, even without knowing, many fans of the series found themselves quite caring for the straightforward and stubborn character.
Throughout the eight seasons of pain, both physically and mentally, “House” had a peak audience of over 20 million and received four Emmy nominations. The man who made Dr. Gregory House so loved and so hated, Hugh Laurie got six nominations for an Emmy.
This Monday evening, you’ll get the last portion of Dr. House branded humor and controversy. Fox airs a two hour finale that begins 8ET/PT. Hugh Laurie said about the “House” finale: “I feel a huge satisfaction that we got to the end with our dignity intact. I never felt that we did anything that wasn’t true to the character or the show”.
Laurie reveals that when he originally signed on the show, he thought of Dr. House as a “peripheral character”. But, the cast and the story managed to make Dr. House the hero, a sort of nowadays medical Sherlock Holmes. Needless to say how many risks the producers behind the show took on.
“To make someone so apparently jagged and unsympathetic into the central character was a very bold step” explains Hugh Laurie. Perhaps it was the constant thought and at one point the show is going to prove us that behind all that misery is a man with a heart of gold. Hugh Laurie is sure that can’t be it. “I’m not sure that House does have a heart of gold. He is on the side of the angels, but that doesn’t mean that he’s an angel”.
What saved Dr. House and made him a hero? His humor. He is witty, straightforward at times and controversial in jokes. “It was extremely important that the character be funny”, explains Hugh Laurie. “He had to be good value for the audience, and also to explain Wilson’s tolerance and friendship”.
