There’s little debate that Hugh Laurie‘s Dr. Gregory House was one of the most intriguing television characters of the last decade, and along with that there’s also little doubt that Laurie is an extremely talented actor. So that might be why many people are surprised that Laurie’s current magic project is… promoting his blues album?
Yes, in addition to being an actor Laurie is an accomplished pianist and is currently promoting his second album, Didn’t It Rain. He spoke to Reuters about why he’s so focused on his music in the wake of House ending in 2012.
Though Laurie admits that the transition from television star to musician is not a typical one, he notes that it helped him emotionally once House ended. He explains, “It’s not an obvious transition, but it was one I was very grateful for. Because I suppose after acting on the end of a television show, I would’ve probably had quite a long period of, I don’t know if mourning is quite the word, but withdrawal anyway, because it was a thrilling time in many ways … (House) was a character I loved, still love, always will love, he will be forever with me. And I might have gone into a strange withdrawal period, but (I had) this incredible opportunity, I mean really, really once-in-a-lifetime chance to suddenly get in a room and speak in different tongues, as it were, with a whole different set of people with different ideas about life.”
However, just because it was a coping mechanism for Laurie after House doesn’t mean his days behind the piano are numbered. He reveals, “This is more than a break. I know, I completely understand people who look at this whole thing and it might look like a hobby or it might look like a sort of a vacation. It isn’t that at all. This is where I, believe it or not, this is where I always wanted to be. I’m lucky enough to be here now, by a fairly circuitous route but I’m where I wanted to be. I mean there are things about the job I had playing House which of course I will miss. I will miss the people, and I’ll miss the character. There are wonderful, wonderful experiences I had but this is on a whole different level for me. This is real, it’s a thrilling experience.”