Hugh Laurie
Though many American fans know Hugh Laurie best for his iconic role on the medical drama "House" (Fox, 2004-2012), viewers in Britain knew him far earlier for his wildly popular comedy work with creative partner Stephen Fry. Born in Oxford, England, Laurie was a successful member of his high school rowing team. He continued rowing after enrolling at Cambridge University, but after a bout of mononucleosis forced him to quit the team, Laurie discovered an unexpected new path in life by joining the Footlights drama club. It was there that he met and began working with Fry, performing their bits for theatrical audiences. Eventually, they brought their talents to the television screen on the sketch series "Alfresco" (ITV, 1983-84), shortly before they both joined the cast of the cult favorite series "The Black Adder" (BBC, 1986-1996) alongside Rowan Atkinson. Meanwhile, Laurie and Fry would find a new TV home for their collaborations when they began co-writing and co-starring on the sketch series "A Bit of Fry and Laurie" (BBC, 1987-1995). The show would run until 1995, with Laurie and Fry concurrently starring on the show "Jeeves and Wooster" (ITV, 1990-93) from 1990 to 1993. Laurie would enjoy success in movies as well, with memorable turns in "Sense and Sensibility" (1995) and "Stuart Little" (1999). After taking on the role of Dr. Gregory House on "House" in 2004 however, Laurie's fame reached a new level. He would stick with the series until 2012, going on to star on the series "Chance" (Hulu, 2016-) before signing on to star with George Clooney and Kyle Chandler in a mini-series adaptation of the novel "Catch-22" (Hulu, 2019).