Start of the dog days for hairy Hugh

WHEN starring as Dr Gregory House on U.S. show House, Hugh Laurie’s rumoured fee of £250,000 per episode made him the highest paid actor on the small screen.

Yet you’d never know that to look at the dishevelled 63-yearold, who — with bushy beard, unkempt hair, creased clothing, and sporting scratches on both his arms and legs — appeared to be channelling his inner Robinson Crusoe while taking his dog for a walk in North London.

The Cambridge-educated comedian previously spoke about the difficulties of being based in Los Angeles for nine months at a time to film the Fox show, while his wife, three children and furry friends remained in the UK.

Having taken on the role — which earned him two Golden Globes and six Emmy nominations — in 2004, Hugh eventually hung up his doctor’s jacket in 2012.

After moving back to the UK, one of the things he said he was most looking forward to doing was ‘walking the dog’ again.