James Hugh Calum Laurie, OBE , known professionally as Hugh Laurie , is an English actor, writer, director, musician and comedian. He first became known as one-half of the Fry and Laurie double act with his friend and comedy partner Stephen Fry, whom he joined in the cast of A Bit of Fry & Laurie, Blackadder, and Jeeves and Wooster in the 1980s and 1990s.