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Hugh Laurie On His 9 Million Dollar "House" Pay Day
It's always strange in my line of work when you have to ask someone about his or her salary. Wouldn't you be horrified if a virtual stranger walked up to you and said, "Hey, I heard you got a huge pay raise. Tell me all about it." Most people would shoot you a dirty look and walk away. As they should! This is Hollywood though and the rules are just not the same as the rest of society. For some reason, star salaries are published information. On Friday, I found myself in the precarious position of being on the set of "House" the morning that The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Hugh Laurie would be receiving a huge pay raise for his role on "House" [from $50,000 per episode to $400,000 per episode].
Just as I suspected, I got an e-mail from my bosses saying that I should ask about it when I talked to him. I got that pit in my stomach thinking about it. Alas, this is my job and it's what I get paid to do. So, somehow I have to find a way to get him to tell me how feels about it. Thank goodness for one of our smart producers who had the idea to ask it like this. "So, is it strange that the entire Internet is buzzing today about your pay raise?"
His co-star Lisa Edelstein (Dr. Cuddy) looks at me and goes, "Awkward." Fortunately, she meant that people are talking about it - not the actual question.
Bless Hugh for going easy on me and not getting upset about the question. He actually chuckled a little bit when he told me, "I will now demonstrate how awkward it is with my awkward answer. It's very peculiar. I do my job as well as I can do it and clever people in offices somewhere else do the other stuff. I'm just incredibly lucky but I was very lucky when this whole thing started."
Edelstein politely added, "You have done your job well which has continued the good fortune."
Well, lets face it. FOX has made a lot of money off of this show and he is the star. No Dr. House… no show. Season five premieres tomorrow night in a new time slot -- 8 PM.
House's role in the death of his best friend's (Wilson's) girlfriend (Amber) will play a major role this season according to Hugh.
"Season five begins really with Wilson's processing of that loss and who he holds accountable for it and therefore it leads to a great rift between Wilson and House. The first sort of half dozen shows are about the repairing of that rift and the consequences of it for the hospital and the team."
And it will be up to Cuddy to heal that rift says Edelstein. "Cuddy really wants to help resolve the issue between House and Wilson because without Wilson she has to deal with House in a way that she doesn't have the time for or the interest. She doesn't want to baby-sit him and Wilson is much better at that in certain ways. She has to police him. Wilson has to baby-sit him."
Both actors confirmed to me that the sexual tension will finally bubble over between House and Cuddy, which leads to a kiss. When I asked about the kiss Hugh suddenly got shy.
"Is there a fire alarm going off? The sprinklers maybe about to go off?
But don't worry "House" fans. This is Dr. House after all! And Hugh promises things won't get too far in this relationship.
"Tension is the thing. Anticipation is the thing and writers have to be very careful not to dissipate that tension."
House's role in the death of his best friend's (Wilson's) girlfriend (Amber) will play a major role this season according to Hugh.
"Season five begins really with Wilson's processing of that loss and who he holds accountable for it and therefore it leads to a great rift between Wilson and House. The first sort of half dozen shows are about the repairing of that rift and the consequences of it for the hospital and the team."
And it will be up to Cuddy to heal that rift says Edelstein. "Cuddy really wants to help resolve the issue between House and Wilson because without Wilson she has to deal with House in a way that she doesn't have the time for or the interest. She doesn't want to baby-sit him and Wilson is much better at that in certain ways. She has to police him. Wilson has to baby-sit him."
Both actors confirmed to me that the sexual tension will finally bubble over between House and Cuddy, which leads to a kiss. When I asked about the kiss Hugh suddenly got shy.
"Is there a fire alarm going off? The sprinklers maybe about to go off?
But don't worry "House" fans. This is Dr. House after all! And Hugh promises things won't get too far in this relationship.
"Tension is the thing. Anticipation is the thing and writers have to be very careful not to dissipate that tension."
Thanks for the insight! And especially for this: "And Hugh promises things won't get too far in this relationship."
Good to know - the last thing I want is House turning into some mushy soap opera, especially since I can't see a glimpse of sexual tension between House and Cuddy (no wonder Hugh is shy and awkward when he has to talk about Huddy). And I want the self-confident, independent Cuddy from the earlier seasons back, that new House-fangirl Cuddy is no fun.
Oh, come on! Huddy is just the best ship ever...anyway, I'm some sort of masochist, therefore I absolutely love the sexual innuendos, the banter, the tension...In my opinion, if HuddySex should happen, this wouldn't be lost. The writers know their job, they know how to drag a fab troubled relationship through more than one season. Sure, their story will be estabilished just in the last season (at least I hope so) but in the meantime...we can have some fun.
In my mind the point is "This relationship won't go so far...yet.". I can't believe the writers won't make Huddy happen. Because, House fans, FACE IT! Huddy IS canon.
I want more than a simple kiss. I want the hurt, the tension, the sex (shut up prudes!), the fights, mixed emotions...a relationship is not all sunshine and roses...and, obviously, Huddy is much more tensed than that. I don't think it would be boring or telenovela-ish.
Mwhahhaahha. Me Happy. Me very Happy.
Keep on dreaming, Serena, and enjoy the couple of episodes "Huddy" will get - it will be over soon... Many, many fans don't want to see House and his "Mum" (he's see one who love to call Cuddy that, blame him) make out. Face it, Huddy will be history soon.
Thank God, Hugh said "things won't get too far in this relationship FULLSTOP".
@Serena: Just because YOU think Huddy is the best ship ever does not mean everybody has to think the same. It's not, definitely. Every ship has its fans, and each and every fan has a right to choose whatever ship she/he likes best. Sorry to disappoint you.
Huddy IS canon????
No! It's wrong! The show is born Hameron, and the show will die Hameron!
Fight for Hameron always!
http://it.youtube.com/watch?v=3Uq4FbD7f94
Hameron? ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND? Tsk...Why, is Cameron still on the show? Who'd have guessed?
House and Cuddy are meant to be, face it, you poor lost souls. Maybe even just for a couple of episodes, but she (at least) will have the real House, his real feelings and respect. Cameron...didn't even exist. Tsk tsk tsk...
Sandra, Serena was only giving her point of view just as you gave yours. No need to be a bitch.
I agree completly with Aleki77...."born Hameron, and the show will die Hameron!"
Go Hameron!
PS: Orkut's Hameron Community with 3.250 members, we're holping better days!!! haha
From Brasil;
Big Hug
I gotta say, I've always been a Huddy shipper and always will be... but there's nothing so wrong with Hamerons either, even if they're a bit misguided =)
@Leigh: It's not bitching to remind someone who claims to love "the best ship ever" that there are more than one ships and that there is no such thing as "the best ship". As I said, every ship has its fans and noone has the right to claim his/hers is the best one. I would never claim my ship (which I didn't even state) is the best ship ever or something like that.
And see, Caroline is the typical example of Huddy arrogance, sorry, if you don't like that, I'm just stating the truth! What she's doing is bitching (just quoting here: "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!" - That's not yours to decide!). One reason why I NOT like Huddy is the attitude many (not all!) Huddy fans have towards other ships. All I know is that Cameron is essentiell to the show, that she has always been the one who helped us get in touch with House's feeling, like it or not.
I don't care for stupid shipping wars, I know what I like and dislike and why, and that's all that matters to me. And I accept each and every differing opinion as long as the person stating it doesn't claim to be the only one to be right. When it comes to a TV-show and feelings towards a ship, there is no right or wrong.
Thank God this relationship isn't goingo too far... do you know what I think? I think Cuddy is a friend to House, not someone that he is in love. Maybe there´s a little of sexual tension, but it's just that. I don't think House loves Cuddy and Cuddy loves House. It´s a friendship..
I really believe House likes Cameron in another way because he´s just unconfortable when he's around her... she's the only one he talks and tell things... real things...
I agree with Aleki77 too ...."born Hameron, and the show will die Hameron!"
Hameorn is the best!
Hameron is the best shipper ever.
Go Cam! Because YOU are the House's girl.
Why did it take so long for them to give him that huge riase? House was a hit from season one. He should have gotten that raise 3 years ago.
Huddy will last, we know this today. Hameron is more than over