A diverse and incredible talent, Hugh Laurie is a British and American TV legend. His film career includes classic, recognizable characters like Jasper in the 1996 live-action 101 Dalmatians, Mr. Little in Stuart Little, and Nix in Tomorrowland. Audiences know him best from his extensive television career in some of the most iconic British comedies, in addition to his groundbreaking Hollywood roles. Recognized for his tall build and piercing blue eyes, Laurie has played the hero, the anti-hero, the villain, and a healthy dose of supportive roles in between.

His range knows no genre limits as Laurie has credit in just about every category, from animation to psychological thriller, and lots of comedy in between. He's a three-time People's Choice Award winner, a Screen Actor's Guild Award nominee and winner, a Golden Globe winner, and an Emmy nominee. IMDb's reviewers have a thing or two to say about Laurie's canon, ranking his best television work accordingly.

10 'Fortysomething' (2003)

IMDb Rating: 7.5

In one of his first outings as a TV doctor, Laurie stars as a suburban husband managing the anxiety behind his daily life with three sons and a wife. While suffering from a midlife crisis, Dr. Paul Slippery starts coping with his newfound ability to hear people's inner thoughts. Fortysomething also features a young Benedict Cumberbatch as Paul's son, Rory, and Anna Chancellor as his wife, Estelle.

The Brit-com was a blip on television screens, and Laurie's career, only airing six episodes. However, IMDb reviewers rated the series with more love than its airing network did. For audiences following Laurie's early comedy credits, Fortysomething served as a stepping stone for more leading characters following his multiple roles in sketch-style series.

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9 'Chance' (2016-2017)

IMDb Rating: 7.6

This brief Hulu original featured Laurie in yet another well-played dramatic role. He stars as Dr. Eldon Chance, a forensic neuropsychiatrist with a list of patients with dark and mysterious personality rabbit holes that he finds alluring. While he considers where to draw the line and teeters over the edge of curiosity, Chance deals with his own ugly divorce and troubled teenage daughter.

In this darker role for Laurie, IMDb reviewers find the performance bingeworthy and disappointingly short-lived. Chance was a welcome addition to the psychological thriller genre, and Laurie's depth proved once again that comedy isn't the only arena he excels in.

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8 'All the Light We Cannot See' (2023)

IMDb Rating: 7.6

In this highly-anticipated Netflix original, Laurie is just one of many in the star-studded lineup. Directed by Shawn Levy, All the Light We Cannot See centers around a young blind French woman, Marie-Laure (Aria Mia Loberti), who is forced to flee German-occupied Paris during World War II. Laurie stars as her great uncle, Etienne LeBlanc, whose PTSD from World War I caused his agoraphobia.

Etienne takes Marie-Laure in, the pair forming a striking bond as they support each other in different ways through the devastation of the ongoing war. In the quick four-episode runtime, Laurie's performance hit home with viewers, with many of IMDb's reviewers claiming he made it worth the stream. The series, written and created by Steven Knight, is based on the novel of the same name by Anthony Doerr. In its infancy, All the Light We Cannot See earned its first major award nomination with a Golden Globe nod for Best Limited Series.

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7 'The Legends of Treasure Island' (1993-1995)

IMDb Rating: 7.9

Adding another checked box within his lengthy career in British television, Laurie lent his voice in the animation genre to Squire Trelawney in The Legends of Treasure Island. The children's series found its premise from the original classic novel Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson; however, the show takes a very loose interpretation of the story in which a young boy, Jim Hawkins (voiced by Dawn French), sets out to find a hidden treasure.

A short series with just two seasons, Laurie provided his voice acting talents in all 26 episodes. Many of the episodes are considered top-rated by IMDb reviewers. This role was not Laurie's first go at voice acting, but it remains his longest-running animated acting credit on television.

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6 'The Night Manager' (2016)

IMDb Rating: 8.0

Rounding out a highly successful TV career wouldn't be complete without a turn as the villain. A limited series based on the John le Carré novel, The Night Manager features Laurie as the arms dealer Richard Roper, whose operation is being infiltrated by a former soldier turned hotel manager named Johnathan Pine (Tom Hiddleston). Over the course of the seven-episode crime drama, Jonathan gains Richard's trust while gathering evidence to report back to the intelligence officer who recruited him.

In this villainous role, Laurie is downright chilling, keeping Johnathan and every other character on the edge of their seat. With very few redeeming qualities, Richard Roper is a stark contrast to any of the other notable roles Laurie has portrayed over his decades-long career. It was a character he seemed born to play, and Laurie was determined to bring Richard to the screen, earning his third career Golden Globe win and seventh acting Emmy nomination.

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5 'A Bit of Fry and Laurie' (1987-1995)

IMDb Rating: 8.3

Less than a decade into his career, Laurie became the second half of an iconic British duo. After meeting Stephen Fry at Cambridge in 1980, the pair eventually became household names, starting with their comedy sketch series A Bit of Fry and Laurie. They shared writing credits for the 26 episodes spanned across four seasons. A "before they were famous" series, Laurie and Fry created their version of SNL and Monty Python, skillfully using it to launch their careers.

Fry and Laurie balanced each other out with a variation of physical and slapstick comedy, all centered around perfect delivery. With his foundations in comedy and understanding of Laurie's dramatic career, audiences view this performance and appreciate the diversity and range he possesses.

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4 'Veep' (2015-2019)

IMDb Rating: 8.4

From a friend to lover - and then to foe, Tom James is another outstanding performance for Hugh Laurie on American television. In the political satire Veep, Vice President Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) is surrounded by a unique - and arguably somewhat incompetent - staff as she tries to balance her calculated chaos of public and personal life with a long list of political woes. Laurie joined the cast in season four as Senator Tom James.

Over the course of seasons four through seven, Tom's character arc shifts from likable to cringe as he goes from a running mate to a political opponent for Selina, with a lot more in between. Once again, Laurie masterfully dons an American accent, fooling the viewers unfamiliar with his British background. Tom's transition from a root-for politician to the standard unlikable candidate was expertly portrayed, another indication of Laurie's talent for timing and character development. For this role, he earned yet another Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in 2017.

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3 'Jeeves and Wooster' (1990-1993)

IMDb Rating: 8.5

This BAFTA-winning British buddy comedy was a continuation of the brilliant pairing of Laurie and Fry's comedic chemistry. The dynamic duo starred opposite each other as the wealthy Bertie Wooster (Laurie) and his valet Jeeves (Fry). Bertie, through some fault of his own, manages to get himself into the occasional mishap, leaving Jeeves to sort it out. Jeeves and Wooster is based on the book series written by P.G. Wodehouse. In the franchise canon, there are over ten novels as well as short stories.

Audiences adored Laurie's embodiment of the adapted literary character, serving up dozens of laugh-out-loud moments throughout the series' four seasons. Landing during the early era of his long-running television career, Jeeves and Wooster provided yet another launching pad for Laurie, previewing comedic chops that have withstood time years later.

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2 'House, M.D.' (2004-2012)

IMDb Rating: 8.7

In one of the greatest medical series of all time and Laurie's greatest role on American television, Dr. Gregory House took on the most bizarre and mind-boggling medical mysteries. He thrived on solving the puzzles no other doctors could decipher, surrounding himself with a team of the best doctors, whom he affectionately referred to as "idiots" in almost every episode. With his recognizable limp, House compensated for his chronic pain with sarcasm, wit, and a lot of drugs.

Laurie's American accent is incredible, flawlessly pronouncing complicated and tongue-twisting medical terminology without a hitch. His performance as the sarcastic, brutally honest doctor earned him six lead actor Emmy nominations (no wins) and six Golden Globe nominations, winning two. A top-rated TV series according to IMDb, House, M.D. earned 25 Emmy nominations during its eight-season tenure. The medical drama, created by David Shore, continues to captivate audiences with its frequent cable reruns and streaming presence; fans are still following the cast and where they are now.

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1 'Blackadder Goes Forth' (1989)

IMDb Rating: 8.8

Of the five installments he starred in of the iconic British franchise, Blackadder Goes Forth is the highest-rated for Laurie and the franchise, according to IMDb reviewers. The Blackadder series, led by Rowan Atkinson, was a set of period sitcoms and one-off specials. Laurie starred in the second, third, and fourth regular installments, as well as two specials. Blackadder Goes Forth features its titular character stuck in the middle of World War I. Laurie stars as Lieutenant The Honourable George Colthurst St. Barleigh. A supporting character, George, is a young officer who is the subject of frustration for Blackadder.

Laurie's comedic timing and tone made his character unforgettable in a series filled with British comedy legends. In a series filled to the brim with laughs and bits, Laurie managed to convey a character that was, while dimwitted, still kind and gentle despite the atrocities of war. This BAFTA award-winning installment is considered a top-rated series by IMDb reviewers.

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