The man behind House, however, doesn't have that choice. While there may be nine featured actors on the drama, as Shore says, ''it is not an ensemble show.'' With the medical jargon, the cane, and that accent, Laurie's role is by far the most difficult — not that he'll ever let you hear him complain. The 49-year-old actor is something of a master at paving over unpleasantness. As he enters L.A.'s Chateau Marmont hotel for breakfast, he apologizes profusely for being 10 minutes late — even though that's early in HST (Hollywood Standard Time). He has an excuse, one he's determined to be terribly English about, no fuss, please: He and his wife, Jo, were robbed the night before. ''We were in bed [when it happened]. I came down this morning and I said, 'Where's the laptop?' And then we realized...''
Laurie is so freakishly professional that he's willing to entertain a chat about House the morning after a stranger entered his home while he and his wife slept. (Laurie's wife and children live in London but travel to the States for frequent visits.) When it comes to his career, this dedication is paying off: In addition to the two Golden Globes, he recently picked up a third lead-actor Emmy nomination. Personally, though, House has taken its toll. ''I was obsessive about every aspect of [the show],'' he says of the early days on the drama. ''My performance in it, everyone else's performance, and the camera angles, how it was cut... I was a pain in the ass. I am a pain in the ass.''
And sometimes, he's a pain in the ass who really needs a break. Last October, Laurie left unexpectedly for London to deal with personal issues, requiring producers to rearrange the production schedule briefly. ''I should be allowed to have certain elements of my life that are not in public view,'' says Laurie in a rare moment of testiness when asked about the trip. ''I think in five years for someone to go home for two days is not a huge event.'' Today Laurie credits costar Leonard for helping him find a better life balance; talking to Leonard was therapeutic, Laurie says, ''because he's a very sane, pragmatic fellow. I [also] started seeing a shrink because I became so close to being overwhelmed by the whole thing.'' Now the star says he's in a far healthier place, even though he's playing one of the most psychologically damaged characters on network TV. ''However monstrous he may be, it doesn't stop me from liking him. I think, by and large, our love for people is not dictated by virtue. We don't only love virtuous people — we don't even love virtuous people, a lot of the time. Virtuous people can be really annoying.''
NEXT PAGE: ''Sexual tension is fantastic, and we enjoy it — but, you know, so many shows have been killed by acting on it.''
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