Even 'House MD' has a Lower Rating: Hugh Laurie has only One Series with a Top Rating in his Career — and He Only Said 17 Words in It
And the artist’s caustic remark was enough to make the viewer fall in love with him.
On June 11, Hugh Laurie turned 66. For many, he will forever be Dr. House — a brilliant, sarcastic, piano-playing cynic who can cure anyone if he finds time between sarcasm and Vicodin. But here's what's surprising: House M.D. has a rating of "only" 8.8. And the only series with Laurie that has a rating higher than nine is... Friends!
That's right, the British actor flashed there as a nameless passenger in the 24th episode of the fourth season ("Ross's Wedding. Part 2"). In this episode, Rachel flies to London to crash Ross's wedding with Emily. Hugh Laurie is her fellow traveler, who literally from the very first seconds cannot bear to listen to her complaints about love, separation, and the fact that "in fact, he loves me."
Laurie's character suffers in silence, then puts on his headphones, but Rachel continues to broadcast anyway - to another passenger. And then Laurie gives a dry, perfectly pitched British tirade, in which in a couple of phrases he says everything that not only his character, but also most of the viewers, is thinking:
"You're flying to another city to ruin someone else's wedding. You may not be the nicest woman in the world."
This mini-cameo is a brilliant episode in which Hugh Laurie essentially plays you and me. Because Rachel with her eternal "I love Ross, but now I need to ruin everything" has become quite tiresome by that point.
Here's the paradox: playing the most iconic role of the 2000s is one thing, but getting into a series with a 9.2 rating is quite another. And Laurie managed to do it in literally three minutes of screen time.
