Hugh Laurie

Laurie’s first love returns to the screen

A first love can have a powerful grip on someone – even on a well-bred British lad.
So Hugh Laurie says he’ll always remember “my first-ever crush.”  Frankie Derwent was “quick and bold and ready to take a chance.”
And fictional. She’s a character in a novel – “Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?” (shown here) – that he’s adapted and directed; it reaches the Britbox streaming service on Tuesday (April 12). Read more…

Big screen or small, Christie mysteries are eternal

 Yes, show-business loves things that are fresh, flashy and new.
But some old tales still work well. Near the top of the list are Agatha Christie stories; two new examples:
–“Death on the Nile” (shown here), It opened this weekend in movie theaters, with Kenneth Branagh directing and starring as Hercule Poirot.
–“Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?” It’s a three-parter that starts streaming April 12 on Britbox, with Hugh Laurie writing, directing and taking a small role. Read more…

Restrained Brits seethe (a little) in “Roadkill”

As our political season winds down, we can settle back and watch a different one.
This one is fictional … and British … and sometimes rather subtle.
“We are a more restrained country, in many ways,” Hugh Laurie (shown here) said in a virtual session with the Television Critics Association. “I think the fun for an actor is to allow the audience an opportunity to decipher things, rather than simply present them in bold captions.”
He does that in “Roadkill,” a “Masterpiece” drama starting at 9 p.m. Sunday (Nov. 1) on PBS. Throughout the four episodes, we’re not sure what to think of Peter Laurence, the politician he plays. He’s a member of the Conservative Party, which has ruled England for 45 years – lately, with people from upscale backgrounds. Read more…

Laurie’s out in space and back in comedy

PASADENA, Cal. – Hugh Laurie is back to the world he once mastered – comedy that’s dark and droll and odd and … well, very British. Also, very funny.
“That’s where my heart will always be,” Laurie said.
He’s been other things lately – from a crabby doctor to a nasty arms dealer – but comedy was first. Now “Avenue 5” – an HBO show from the “Veep” creator – returns him there. “It brought back for me … the thrill, but also the fear of trying to do something funny,” Laurie said. Read more…