Hugh Laurie Desert Island Discs 3 of 4 (FULL INTERVIEW

INTERVIEW. 1995 or 1996. The humble actor Hugh Laurie interviewed by Sue Lawley on the radio programme Desert Island Discs. Parts of the interview have earlier been uploaded by u2fan15 (thanks u2fan15!). I've cut out all the musical bits, in order to enable You to listen to the whole interview. The interview reveals aspects of Laurie and his life that we've never heard before. Candid. In this part, Laurie talks about (among many other things):

* How he became an actor
* "Comedy gangs"
* Peter's Friends
* Acting
* Stephen Fry's disappearance and his reaction to that.
* Being on his own

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• hugh
• laurie
• stephen
• fry
• emma
• thompson
• tony
• slattery
• rowan
• atkinson
• peter's
• friends
• group
• comedy
• bit
• of
• and
• suicide

[VamLoveAndKisses]

I really disslike this interviewer. She is blunt, rude, and insisting that Hugh should talk for Stephen. I feel sorry for Hugh having to be in this horrible situation.

[ImeldaLumos]

@VamLoveAndKisses Agreed. She did expose lots about Laurie that I never knew before - she really loose his tongue a bit (oh - how bad that sounds). I found myself cringing though several times during this, listening to her. Like when she compared Laurie to Stephen in the 1st part, I think. She were like an elephant in a very small shop, at certain times. And bringing up Stephen's disappearance and suicide attempt, asking those question, she went way TOO FAR.

[neonatalpenguin]

@cinnamonbrandylite Erm, sure. Did you manage to sit through the whole thing without wanting to chew your own fist off in embarassment? I'm pretty sure Laurie himself has more or less disowned the film.

[cinnamonbrandylite]

@neonatalpenguin In your humble (and getting ever more so) opinion.

[cinnamonbrandylite]

@ghostmadlittlemiss - I agree - given that Hugh Laurie & Stephen Fry have both stepped forward to say their bit about depression & mental illness in general - it would be totally naff to ignore it. If they'd at any point said 'this is private sod off', that would be one thing. But they both agree that talking about it is generally For The Common Good - and quite right too.

[cinnamonbrandylite]

@drgregsgurl Yes it bloody is. We should talk about suicide, and depression, and low self esteem & bullying. Sod the whole 'we're too nice to mention all of that' approach. If you're hovering on the brink of going out and getting some cyanide, and someone says - 'hm, I thought of that - failed totally - glad really - ' or 'my mate considered it - failed totally - glad really' - that does 1000% more good than any kind of namby pamby 'let's all pretend we're all perfectly healthy all the time

[ghostmadlittlemiss]

Personally, I think the interviewer was a bit more tactful than a lot of people are giving her credit for. She had the perfect link to start asking about Stephen with all the stuff about running away from it all but she called for a song before she asked Hugh any more questions. I'd like to think that while they were off air, she asked if she could ask him about Cell Mates and what had happened. But that's just my opinion.

Kayleigh

[jimbopumbapigsticks]

I've listened to several of these interviews and the one constant is Sue Lawley being rude, asking inappropriate questions, and occasionally insulting the guests (listen to George MacDonald Fraser's where she calls his values 'Victorian'). Thankfully, most are tolerant enough to put up with it - though God knows how she got this gig with that personality.

[marshhen]

Interviewers in the UK ask real and probing questions to stimulate interesting responses. US fans are used to fawning, unprepared and barely literate entertainment reporters.  He is not obliged to answer her questions. He can take it. He is a brilliantly articulate person. He knew her interview style before he did this. Fry had disapeared from a stage show and she asked about it. Why not?

[StanleyDonwood]

7:55, American accent

[higfny]

@VamLoveAndKisses yeah, Kirsty Young is a much better presenter of DID. (check out the one with David Mitchell - for some reason he reminds me of Laurie - though perhaps not as charming :p)

[FastMonkeyBluePants]

@drgregsgurl She's a journalist (of sorts). It's her job to ask hard questions. I'll admit that part of the interview made me a bit uncomfortable but Hugh's a big boy; if he doesn't want to answer he doesn't need to, politeness be damned!