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Profile: Dr. House

Language level: basic

Chuck Rolando (Standard American)

Insensível, bruto, nada convencional. Qual é o segredo do

sucesso global de Hugh Laurie/Dr. House? Uma alma de
humorista, nascido em Oxford e crescido sob as asas do
Monty Python.

by John Rigg

Dr House has a dry(01), cynical smile and no time to waste(02)

on his patients’ feelings. He is a very unconventional doctor
who tells his patients they are dying. Is this simply cruel, or
necessary to save their lives?

ARROGANCE

Hugh Laurie stars as Dr Gregory House in the successful US series House. Each episode
focuses on a patient who is dying from a rare disease(03); Dr House and his team of
experts must discover the cause and find a solution. He’s arrogant and cruel. He’s a
grumpy(04), middle-aged man, who is crippled(05) and walks with the aid of a walking
stick(06). This is not the recipe(07) for a successful American TV show: so why is House a
worldwide success? It’s the eccentricity and genius of Dr House, a man who is ready to
risk his career for his patients. He refuses to accept the obvious, ignores orders to stop
investigations, and eventually reveals the truth.

Executive producer Paul Attanasio, inspired by the New York Times’ Diagnosis Column,
wanted to create a medical version of the American hit series CSI. The show’s principal
writer David Shore decided, however, to focus on the characters of the medical team.
House, an infectious disease specialist(08), bullies and argues(09) with his group of young
colleagues, especially Dr Eric Foreman (who regularly questions(10) House’s ability).
House also ignores hospital administrator Dr Lisa Cuddy’s frequent reprimands. He has
just one friend who he confides in, Dr James Wilson.

ELEMENTARY...

The creator of the series, David Shore, modelled the doctor’s character on Sherlock
Holmes (even the name “House” is a synonym of Ho(l)mes). Both men have supreme
deductive powers, are addicted to drugs(11), and play musical instruments. Arthur Conan
Doyle in fact based the character of Holmes on the famous medical diagnostician Joseph
Bell. Hugh Laurie won the starring role in the hit series when producer Bryan Singer saw
his audition: “This is what the show needs,” he declared, “a real American actor!” Hugh
Laurie, an Englishman who does an excellent American accent, isn’t embarrassed, but
he feels guilty(12) because he now earns(13) far more than his father, a real doctor.

Who is hugh Laurie?

Laurie says he’s best known as a pair of ankles(14)

in the Stuart Little movies (pictured right): he was
the adopted mouse’s father. The truth is that
Laurie has been a successful comedian in Britain
for over 20 years: he starred(15) with Stephen Fry in
the British comedy shows A Bit of Fry and Laurie
and Jeeves and Wooster. He also appeared in
Rowan Atkinson’s BBC series Blackadder.

The Boat Race

Laurie was born in Oxford on June 11th 1959. He went to the exclusive public school(16)
Eton and studied Archaeology and Anthropology at Cambridge. He was a successful
rower(17) at school and university; his crew narrowly lost(18) the 1980 Oxford and
Cambridge Boat Race.

The Footlights

Glandular fever forced him to give up(19) rowing, so he joined

the university’s Footlights Revue – an annual show which has
produced many stars such as Monty Python’s John Cleese and
the actress Emma Thompson. In fact, Laurie and Emma
Thompson produced the 1980 Footlight revue called The Cellar
Tapes with Stephen Fry. Laurie has also written a novel, The
Gun Seller, a light-hearted thriller(20).

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Matéria publicada na revista Speak Up edição 243 - Agosto/2007