Some onscreen partnerships leave a lasting impression long after a show ends, and that seems to be exactly what happened with Olivia Wilde and Hugh Laurie. Years after starring together on ‘House‘, Wilde is still full of praise for her former costar and has opened up about why he remains so special to her.
Looking back on their time together, the actress and filmmaker described Laurie as “the dreamiest dreamboat” and revealed what made him such a joy to work with.
Why Olivia Wilde Calls Hugh Laurie “The Dreamiest Dreamboat”
Olivia Wilde recently spoke about her ‘House‘ costar Hugh Laurie during an appearance on the Armchair Expert podcast. The actress, who joined the medical drama in 2007 as Dr. Remy “Thirteen” Hadley, looked back fondly on her years working with the actor who played the show’s lead, Dr. Gregory House.
Related: The 8 Worst Things Dr. House Did On ‘House M.D.’
Host Dax Shepard admitted that he usually is not a fan of medical dramas, but Hugh Laurie’s performance kept him hooked on the Emmy-winning series. When he asked Wilde if she had also been “smitten with him,” she smiled and replied, “He is so smitten-worthy. No, he’s so smart.”
Wilde also explained that she had admired Laurie long before they met on the set of House. “I loved him on Jeeves and Wooster, and he had done all sorts of interesting comedy in the English comedy theater world that I was obsessed with,” she said.
Recalling their first meeting, she added, “Meeting him, ugh, I mean, the dreamiest dreamboat. And so gracious, and had all these kids around him, really, that he was so sweet and encouraging [toward].”
Wilde Reveals What Made Hugh Laurie So Special On ‘House’ Set
Beyond his acting talent, Wilde said Laurie made the long filming days much easier because of his encouraging nature. She revealed that the cast often worked exhausting schedules together. “We did, like, 19-hour days,” she recalled. “I think the show went eight years. I did, I think, four years.”
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She also shared one of Laurie’s funniest comments about performing with an American accent throughout the series. Wilde remembered, “Someone said, ‘What is it like acting with an accent on the show?’ And he said, ‘It’s like everyone else is playing with a tennis racket and I have a salmon,’” before adding, “It’s so perfectly, like, evocative.”
The actress eventually left ‘House‘ in 2011 to focus on films, but she said the production always supported her ambitions. “I started doing movies in the off season,” she explained. “I had a deal with them where I would get paid less, but it meant I could go do movies.”
She added, “It was really nice of them to let me do that. But I knew I couldn’t stay. And it was because the hours were, I mean, poor Hugh.” Despite leaving the series years ago, Wilde said her friendship with Laurie has continued.
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