I love House, the detective hospital drama starring Hugh Lawrie, primarily for the Englishman’s performance.
Who would have thought that an Englishman could make a misanthropic US diagnostician a success? What it makes it even funnier is that a number of American actors were rumoured to have turned it down, convinced that such an unlikeable character could never work.
Ironically, though, even though Greg House is American, the basis of his character is rooted in one of the most quintessentially fictional English character, Sherlock Holmes, with links-a-go-go.
– For starters, there’s the name: think of how Holmes sounds – yup, homes… house, geddit?
– Then there’s his Vicodin addiction – which is effectively his 21st century equivalent of opium, on which Holmes was hooked.
– House’s best friend is Wilson, while Holmes is Watson – coincidence? Shurely not!
– Sherlock Holmes used to play the violin to relax, while House uses rock and electric guitars to help him chill out.
– The killer link is the fact that House lives at No. 221 and in the ground floor Flat B – ring any bells?
