Hugh Laurie’s performance as Dr. Greg House on the hit Fox showHouseranks as one of the most impressive and immersive in network TV history, yet for all his skill, one scene still leaves me feeling like even Laurie is capable of surprising mistakes. Despite being British (and becoming famous for theatrically aristocratic roles like Prince George inBlackadderand Bertram Wooster inJeeves and Wooster), Laurie was widely credited for his uncanny performance as the acerbic American diagnostician. However, as anyone who’s had to put on an accent will tell you, consistency is never easy.
Aside from having a brilliant,Sherlock Holmes-like intellect, House’sbiggest calling card is his acid tongue and take-no-prisoners sense of humor. Throughout the series, he is horribly rude to just about everybody, to the point where even die-hard fans like myself have to admit thatsome aspects ofHousehave aged pretty badly. What makes Laurie’s performance particularly remarkable is thathe’s able to convey this aspect of the character completely believably, embracing his desert-dry sense of humor. And yet, one scene suggests even an actor as accomplished as Laurie may occasionally let the mask slip.
Hugh Laurie Seemingly Broke Character In House Season 3, Episode 6
He Starts Cracking Up At His Own Joke
The telling moment comes in season 3, episode 6. The story, dubbed “Que Será Será”, concerns a morbidly obese patient who refuses to be tested for anything that could be attributed to his weight, to the frustration of House’s team. This situation sparks intense disagreement, particularly betweendoctors Chase and Cameron, as well as the usual insensitivity from House himself. However, while every episode features House insulting whoever he is trying to save, “Que Será Será” is different. At the end of a particularly ripe barrage,Laurie behaves in a very “un-House-like” manner, laughing to himself as he walks off-camera.
After 30 seconds spent likening the patient to a hippopotamus and Shamu, Laurie declares that “this conversation is over because I have officially run out of clever things to call the guy,” trying to conceal a giggle as he does. While the remark itself is very much in character, Laurie’s behavior is not. House’s abuse, while frequent, gives him little pleasure. Instead,it is a defense mechanism used to mask his cynicism and inner pain. He never peels away in genuine mirth. This leads me to conclude that the moment is actually an inadvertent mistake and that Laurie himself broke character.
House Laughing At His Joke Made Into The Episode – But Was It A Blooper?
It Would Be Unusual For The Show
Considering thatHouse’s sharp dialog is perhaps the most important aspect of the show, it’s surprising that this seemingly uncontrolled reaction stayed in. Admittedly, it’s very subtle and only really visible on a rewatch. Nevertheless,it marks a noticeably different pattern of behavior for Houseand seems in stark contrast to his generally misanthropic character. However, while it might seem jarring, it’s also understandable that the show left the incident in.
Given how much of his time he spends pranking Wilson, mocking patients, and irritating everyone around him,it makes a certain amount of sense that House would laugh out loud at his own inability to think of something horrible to say. Having exhausted everything in his verbal arsenal, laughter might be House’s natural recourse. It just seems strange because, as viewers, we’re so unused to seeing him actually enjoy himself.
Looking at the clip, it almost seems as though Laurie himself might have forgotten the lines, and ad-libbed the conversation closer on the spur of the moment.
Of course, there may be other explanations for the surprising incident. Looking at the clip, it almost seems as though Laurie himself might have forgotten the lines, and ad-libbed the conversation closer on the spur of the moment. This explains the uncharacteristic laughter and what appears to be a smile break out before he delivers the scene-ender. Whatever the explanation, there’s no doubt that this minor incident is one of the most baffling inHouse’s history.
