Colbert, Laurie are mutual fans
The funniest relationship on TV might be the cross-network affair between “The Colbert Report” and “House.”
If you look carefully, you can spot a small, framed photograph of Hugh Laurie, the star of Fox’s “House,” on the set of Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report.”
“House” has reciprocated with a photo of Colbert that sits on Dr. Gregory House’s desk.
“House and I have a lot in common,” Stephen Colbert said on his show. “We both refuse to play by the rules, never consider the consequences of our actions, and are horribly abusive to our staffs.”
The shelf behind Colbert’s C-shaped desk contains a collection of odd objects. The House photo currently rests, he notes, “in a place of honor next to my coin purse made from a bull scrotum.”
Colbert first placed the photo on his set in June 2006 after receiving an honorary degree from Knox College.
That made him a doctor, he claimed, and next to his degree, he put photos of three other TV doctors: House, Noah Drake (“General Hospital”) and Cliff Huxtable (“The Cosby Show”).
The House photo (now more visible because “The Report” broadcasts in high-definition) has stuck around, Colbert explains, because he noticed it would frequently show up on camera over his shoulder.
When he saw that “House” responded in kind, Colbert says, he was “honored because I’m such a fan.”
For his part, Laurie says that he’s “hugely flattered by Mr. Colbert’s tip of the hat.”
“People sometimes ask whether I have anything in common with the character I play, and I answer as truthfully as I can: House and I are the same height and we both have a worshipful obsession with Stephen Colbert,” says Laurie.
“And even the height part isn’t quite right. I am actually one inch taller than House.
“But it seemed to us completely and satisfyingly consistent for House to curl up in front of Colbert after a hard day’s healing.”
The birthday bunch
Actor Robert Morse is 79. Actor Dwayne Hickman (“The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis”) is 76. Keyboardist Rick Wakeman (Yes) is 61. Country singer George Strait is 58. Actor Chow Yun-Fat is 55. Actress/comedian Tina Fey is 40. Musician Jack Johnson is 35.