He hasn't won an Emmy (although that might change in a little over a week from now) and he's not going to win People magazine's Sexiest Man Alive (although I think he very attractive), but at least Hugh Laurie, the star of Fox's House, is being rewarded in another way -- the wallet. Laurie is getting a raise in salary to $400,000 an episode. That's not as much as 24's Kiefer Sutherland ($500,000) or CSI's William Petersen ($600,000) or Two and a Half Men's Charlie Sheen ($825,000), but it's pretty darn good.
Whether you think Charlie is worth that much money or Bill (who's actually only going to be in half the shows on CSI in 2008-2009) or Kiefer, for that matter, but Hugh Laurie has earned this raise. He's the center of House, the most important character, and there is no show without him.
He was not a big star when they cast him as the brilliant, but vexing, Dr. Gregory House, but his performance and the show's success have catapulted him into the stratosphere. While the producers and the corporations cash in, it's only right that the actor who's in the middle of it all gets a big payday, too.
As is the thing in Hollywood, Laurie will also be getting a new title. In addition to actor, he's going to become a producer. I noticed that on Psych Dule Hill and James Roday are now listed as co-producers. It seems like a way to sneak a bonus into the budget for the talent, although I'm sure Hill and Roday contribute as much or more to the Psych success as a line producer.
Hugh Laurie's deal has also been extended a year. That ensures that he will be on the show through the 2011-12 season.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-12-2008 @ 3:43PM
Nina said...
It's OBSCENE how LITTLE they're paying a man of Mr. Laurie's extraordinary talents! Charlie Sheen is a bad joke in a tabloid and gets $825,000 per episode...for a half hour show?! That's utterly ridiculous! Hugh should be getting AT LEAST the 1.6 Mil Kelsey Grammer was getting for Frazier.
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9-12-2008 @ 4:10PM
Midnight13 said...
I agree his raise is well deserved, an Emmy, if you put any weight in that, even more so. The work he did in the 2 part season finale of "House" should make him a shoe in, if he loses it to ANYONE else he'll be robbed. In a television season that was lackluster all around, "House" was the one show that came back the strongest and had some of its best episodes post-strike then any other series.
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9-12-2008 @ 5:07PM
StillBash said...
Here's a link about spiffy titles:
http://kenlevine.blogspot.com/2008/09/what-do-those-goofy-credits-mean.html
And maybe you could proofread this post. It has a couple of spelling errors in it. "Keifer" is especially funny. Translates into "nagger" in german...
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9-12-2008 @ 9:52PM
Galley said...
Sheesh! It would take me nearly a decade to make $400K.
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9-12-2008 @ 10:01PM
Lawrence said...
I love House, and as a Brit I love seeing how well Hugh Laurie is doing. He is the centre of the show and I feel really pleased to see him rewarded for his work. It's funny, usually I think 'How much???' but this time, all I'm thinking is: 'Congratulations, well deserved'. And to know the show will continue for a few more seasons is GREAT NEWS!
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9-13-2008 @ 1:21AM
Lisa said...
I ADORE HUGH and love HOUSE.
I hope the show runs at least another 5 seasons or so, if that's ok with Hugh.
FINGERS CROSSED FOR THE EMMY FOR HUGH!!!
He so deserves it. He is an AMAZING actor and carries HOUSE. Maybe don't work him so hard and he'll stay a bit longer?
GET RID OF 13 PLEASE!!!!!!
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9-12-2008 @ 11:42PM
twofifty9 said...
Kiefer's salary is well deserved as well as Laurie's since they are in almost every scene of their shows and both have got an emmy an I believe a golden globe.
Charlie Sheen seems overpayed but the fact remains that he is in the #1 rated comedy for awhile now, and that counts for something. High ratings for comedies is a dying breed, quality isn't everything, look at 30 rock and How I Met Your Mother, even the Office which are better comedies but don't have the same ratings as Two and A Half Men.
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9-13-2008 @ 10:01AM
Karen said...
I would totally vote for Hugh Laurie for People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive. He does a hell of a lot more for me than Matthew freakin' McConnaughey. And he's got bluer eyes.
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9-13-2008 @ 7:44PM
RobynM said...
He might not have been a big star over here when House started, but there were plenty of us who remember him from his Britcom days and tuned in when we ordinarily wouldn't have simply because Hugh Laurie was the lead. He completely deserves the money, and I'll be rooting for him at the Emmys.
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