British Actor Hugh Laurie has built an impressive career in the entertainment industry, and in May, he received another high recognition for his work.

According to the Associated Press, the 48-year old actor was given membership to the Order of the British Empire, the first level in the British order of chivalry. The honor, which is given to accomplished individuals of the United Kingdom, was bestowed upon Laurie by Queen Elizabeth II herself.

Laurie, who has also worked as a comedian and writer, first rose to fame with his performance in the annual revue, The Cellar Tapes. He, along with co-stars Stephen Fry, Emma Thompson, Tony Slattery, Paul Shearer and Penny Dwyer, were the recipients of the first Perrier Comedy Award. The revue began airing on television in 1982, and from there, Laurie continued to work with Fry, most notably on the Blackadder series.

Currently, he is known among the television world as crabby diagnostician, Gregory House. His portrayal has earned him 2006 and 2007 Golden Globe Awards for Best Actor in a Television Drama and a 2007 Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Male Actor in a Drama Series.

House has been a favorite among viewers since its debut in 2004. The show has also been a recipient of many prestigious awards, including a 2006 Peabody Award and a 2005 writing Emmy for the show’s creator, David Shore, for the episode “Three Stories.”

Other House cast members include Omar Epps, Lisa Edelstein, Robert Sean Leonard, Jesse Spencer and Jennifer Morrison.

The show, which recently concluded its third installment, finished in seventh place this season, having brought in a total of 19.4 viewers among adults 18-49. The season began on September 5th and ended on May 29th, and all 24 episodes will be shown in 1:78:1 anamorphic widescreen in the DVD, which is scheduled to be released on August 21st. Additionally, the episodes will be accompanied by English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround tracks. The DVD will contain 5 discs, and has been priced at $59.98.

-Lisa Claustro, BuddyTV Staff Columnist

Source: TV.com

(Photo Courtesy of Fox)