Manny Pacquiao is a Filipino professional boxer and politician. Born in 1978 in the Philippines, he began boxing professionally at age 16 and has won titles in eight weight divisions, more than any other boxer in history. Along with his boxing career, Pacquiao has been elected to the Philippine House of Representatives twice. Arnel Pineda is a Filipino singer, born in 1967, who endured a troubled childhood before finding success in Asia as the front man for bands like The Zoo. In 2007, he was discovered on YouTube singing Journey songs and became the new lead singer of the band Journey. Lou Diamond Phillips is an American actor, born in 1962 in the Philippines to a Filipino mother and American father. He

1. Manny Pacquiao Biography
NAME
Manny Pacquiao
OCCUPATION
Boxer
BIRTH DATE
December 17, 1978 (age 37)
PLACE OF BIRTH
Kibawe, Philippines
AKA
Manny Pacquiao
NICKNAME
Ang Pambansang Kamao
Pac-Man
FULL NAME
Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao
ZODIAC SIGN
Sagittarius

2. Synopsis
Born in the Philippines in 1978, Manny Pacquiao began boxing professionally at age 16.
After beating Thailand's Chatchai Sasakul to win the WBC flyweight championship in
1998, he continued to overwhelm his era's top competitors en route to titles in eight
separate weight divisions. Along with his boxing career, Pacquiao has twice been
elected to the Philippine House of Representatives.
Early Life
Filipino world boxing champion Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao was born on December
17, 1978, to parents Dionesia Dapidran-Pacquiao and Rosalio Pacquiao. He was raised
in Kibawe, which is located in the Bukidnon province of Mindanao, Philippines.
When he was a teenager, Pacquiao left his family and boarded a ship to Manila,
Philippines, in hopes of training as a boxer and launching a career in the sport. Not long
after, in January of 1995, his goals gained some traction; at age 16, he stepped into the
ring for his first professional bout, against Edmund Ignacio. Pacquiao won the fight in
four rounds, in a unanimous decision. The victory propelled him on a successful boxing
run that would encompass the better part of two decades.
Boxing Career
In December 1998, Pacquiao won a bout against Chatchai Sasakul of Thailand, taking
the World Boxing Council flyweight title—his first major championship. Moving to a
higher weight division, he scored a sixth-round technical knockout of Lehlo Ledwaba in
2001 to capture the International Boxing Federation junior featherweight title. He went
on to win several high-profile bouts in the years thereafter, claiming world titles in a total
of eight different weight divisions.
Ten years after his win against Sasakul, in December 2008, Pacquiao was named victor
of an eight-round, non-title welterweight bout against famed American boxer Oscar De
La Hoya. The fight generated nearly $70 million from viewers of pay-per-view—the
broadcasting format for most of Pacquiao's fights since the early 2000s.
Pacquiao went on to fight United Kingdom boxing star Ricky Hatton in May 2009, in a
light welterweight division bout in Las Vegas. Pacquiao won the fight by a knockout in
the second round, taking The Ring's junior welterweight championship. Later that year,
in November, he beat Puerto Rico's Miguel Cotto in a 12-round bout, for the World
Boxing Organization welterweight title—an honor he defended in 2010, when he
outlasted Ghanaian boxer Joshua Clottey in a 12-round fight.

3. On June 9, 2012, Pacquiao lost a 12-round bout with American boxer Timothy Bradley,
in a 115-113 decision by three judges. The fight was an incredible upset for boxing fans,
as Pacquiao had won seven rounds to Bradley's five. The fight, broadcast on pay-per-
view, was watched by thousands of fans worldwide. The judges' decision spurred wide
speculation, as both critics and fans argued that Pacquiao should have been named the
victor.
That December, Pacquiao suffered another difficult defeat. He was knocked out by Juan
Manuel Marquez in the sixth round of their welterweight bout in Las Vegas. Pacquiao
explained his loss by saying "I just got hit by a punch I didn't see," according to the New
York Daily News.
Pacquiao's impeccable footwork, speed and quick jabs have kept boxing fans on their
feet. And his endearing smile, charm and chiseled physique have only helped to boost
his public appeal. In 2003, he was voted the Philippines' Person of the Year over
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. He was also named "Fighter of the Decade" for the
2000s by the Boxing Writers Association of America, among various other honors.
Following a win over Brandon Rios in November 2013, Pacquiao emerged the victor in
an April 2014 rematch with Bradley to regain the WBO welterweight title. He then
scored his third straight win by holding off Chris Algieri in November.
In February 2015, it was announced that Pacquiao would fight undefeated American
Floyd Mayweather at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 2, 2015.
Billed the "Fight of the Century," the long-anticipated bout between the era's two
signature boxers brought in a record purse via gate receipts and pay-per-view buys.
Despite fighting with an injured right shoulder, Pacquiao gamely went after Mayweather
but was unable to land many effective punches. He lost a unanimous decision to drop
his record to 57-6-2.
Politics and Entertainment
In 2007, Pacquiao made his first attempt to enter politics, running for a seat in the
House of Representatives of the Philippines. He was defeated by incumbent Rep.
Darlene Antonino-Custodio, and returned to life as a full-time boxer. In 2009, however,
Pacquiao formed a new Filipino political party, the People's Champ Movement, and
again ran for a legislative seat. He won in a landslide, beating opponent Roy
Chiongbian to become the Sarangani province representative in May 2010. Three years
later, he earned a second term after running unopposed for relection.
Along with his boxing and political careers, Pacquiao has shown off his vocal abilities by
releasing two albums and collaborating on other tracks. He has appeared in several

4. movies, and starred in the Philippine sitcom Show Me Da Manny from 2009-11. A
documentary about his life, Manny, was released in the United States in early 2015.
Pacquiao's wife, Jinkee, was elected vice governor of Sarangani in 2013. They have
five children together.

5. Arnel Pineda Biography
NAME
Arnel Pineda
OCCUPATION
Singer
BIRTH DATE
September 5, 1967 (age 48)
PLACE OF BIRTH
Sampaloc, Manila, Philippines
FULL NAME
Arnel Pineda
ZODIAC SIGN
Virgo
Synopsis
Arnel Pineda was born on September 5, 1967 in the Philippines. After a series of
unfortunate events in his childhood, Pineda found success in Asia as the front man for
the group The Zoo. In 2007, he was discovered by Journey guitarist Neal Schon, after a
series of YouTube videos were posted of him covering American songs, including the
famous hit, "Dont Stop Believin'." In December 2007, Pineda became the new lead

6. singer of Journey. His is noted for having a strikingly similar sound to former Journey
front man Steve Perry.
Troubled Childhood
Singer-songwriter Arnel Pineda was born on September 5, 1967, in Sampaloc, Manila,
in the Philippines. Throughout his childhood, Pineda endured grave misfortune. When
he was just 13 years old, his mother, who was 35 at the time, passed away after a long
battle with heart disease. Her medical costs left the family in serious debt, and Pineda's
father could no longer provide for Pineda and his three younger brothers, Russmon,
Roderick and Joselito.
While relatives were able to take in his brothers, Pineda was left on his own. He spent
the next few years homeless, often sleeping outside in public parks and scraping for any
food or water that he could afford. When possible, he would stay at a friend's house,
who offered him a cot outside. Eventually, Pineda was forced to quit school and take up
odd jobs collecting scrap metal and bottles at the pier and selling newspapers to
support his family.
Early Career
Pineda's love of music started at a young age. He began singing at just five years old,
and had entered many singing contests as a child. In 1982, when he was 15, Pineda
was introduced to a local band called Ijos, and was encouraged by his friends to try out
as their new lead singer. He sang the Beatles' "Help" and Air Supply's "Making Love
Out Of Nothing At All." Although they were concerned with his lack of training, Ijos
members were wowed by Pineda's powerful voice, and took him on as the new front
man of the band. One of the band member's friends even offered to pay Pineda's
salary, 35 pesos a night, out of his own pocket, and Pineda was offered a tiny room to
sleep under the guitarist's front stairs.
In 1986, some members of Ijos joined together to form the new pop-rock band Amo.
The group found success covering songs by hit groups Heart, Queen and Journey. In
1988, they turned heads when they won the Philippines' leg of the Yamaha World Band
Explosion Contest. Although they were disqualified in the finals due to a technicality, the
event was broadcast on TV in Asia, widening their fanbase. The band continued
performing at popular clubs and arenas around the Philippines.
In 1990, the members re-grouped yet again, under the new name Intensity Five, and re-
entered the contest. The band came in as runner up and Pineda won the Best Vocalist
Award. After a series of unfortunate health problems in the early '90s, including the brief

7. loss of his voice, Pineda re-emerged in 1999 with a new solo album with Warner
Brothers. The self-titled album had several hits in Asia.
After brief stints with a few different bands, Pineda found success again in 2006 with
The Zoo, a band that he formed with Monet Cajipe, a guitarist/songwriter who had been
in all his bands during over the previous 20 years. The Zoo performed at several
popular clubs in the area and, in 2007, released an album by MCA Universal
titled Zoology. Soon the band began covering songs by groups such as Journey,
Survivor, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, The Eagles and more, with more than 200
performances uploaded to YouTube.
Journey
On June 28, 2007, Neal Schon, guitarist and member of the band Journey, saw a video
of Pineda on YouTube and immediately contacted him. The band had been looking for a
new lead singer, and Pineda's voice sounded strikingly similar to Steve Perry, Journey's
legendary former front man. After speaking with Schon on the phone, Pineda made
arrangements to fly to the United States and audition with the band in San Francisco.
On December 5, 2007, Pineda was welcomed as the band's new lead singer.
Right away, Pineda went on tour with the band, performing two shows in Chile and two
in Las Vegas. Both were a huge success. After a series of guest show appearances and
magazine features, Pineda gained popularity within the American public. On June 3,
2008, the newly organized Journey released their first album, Revelation, which came in
at No. 5 on the U.S. charts. The album was their highest charting album since Trial by
Fire (with Steve Perry), and reached platinum status by October 2008.
Soon after the album's release, the band continued touring around the world with
Pineda. The documentary, Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey,slated to be
released in 2012, will chronicle the band's "Revelation Tour," and Pineda's first years
with the band.
Personal Life
When he is not on tour, Pineda resides in the Philippines with his wife, Cherry, their son,
Cherub, and newborn baby Thea. He has two other sons—Matthew, 19, and Angelo,
13—from past relationships.


8. Lou Diamond
Phillips Biography
NAME
Lou Diamond Phillips
OCCUPATION
Film Actor
BIRTH DATE
February 17, 1962 (age 54)
EDUCATION
University of Texas at Arlington
PLACE OF BIRTH
Subic Bay Naval Station,Philippines
ORIGINALLY
Lou Diamond Upchurch
ZODIAC SIGN
Aquarius

9. Synopsis
Born on a military base in the Philippines, Lou Diamond Philips rose to fame with a
series of hit films in the late 1980s, including La Bamba, Stand and Deliver and Young
Guns. After a few flops in the early 1990s, Philips earned a Tony nomination for his
work in The King and I on Broadway. He continues to make television appearances,
and plays poker competitively.
Early Life
Actor. Lou Diamond Phillips was born February 17, 1962, on the Subic Bay Naval
Station in the Philippines, to Lucita Aranas and American naval officer Gerald Upchurch.
The young actor was eventually adopted by his mother's second husband, taking his
stepfather's surname, Phillips.
Though he was raised in small-town Texas, Lou Diamond Phillips had stars in his eyes
from a young age. Passing up the opportunity to go to Yale, he instead chose to attend
the local University of Texas at Arlington, where he got his Bachelor of Fine Arts in
drama. He was active in drama club productions and a local comedy troupe. Eager to
break out of the small-town drama scene, Phillips capitalized on whatever opportunities
came his way. The up-and-comer would often go to great lengths to meet idols (like
Robert De Niro) when they passed through nearby Dallas.
Acting Break
Phillips remained actively involved in the theater after college, appearing in various
productions at Stage West Theatre in Fort Worth, Texas. In 1987, Phillips got his big
break in Hollywood with a starring role in La Bamba. In perhaps his most beloved
performance, the actor played ill-fated rocker Ritchie Valens in this biopic turned cult hit.
Seemingly out of nowhere, Phillips became one of Hollywood's most promising young
stars.
Before La Bamba was even released, Phillips had finished Stand and Deliver(1988), in
which he gave a dynamic performance as a gang member whose life is changed by a
tenacious and caring math teacher (played by Edward James Olmos). Phillips's intense
performance would go on to garner him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting
Actor. That same year, Phillips portrayed yet another outlaw in Young Guns, placing
him among a crew of young Hollywood heartthrobs that included Kiefer Sutherland,
Charlie Sheen and Emilio Estevez. Phillips would make a second appearance in the
film's less commercially successful sequel, Young Guns II, in 1990.

10. After a three-year winning streak, the Texas actor fell upon tougher times at the box
office in the early 1990s. He starred in a series of mediocre films
likeHarley (1991), Shadow of the Wolf (1992) and Sioux City (1994). After this dry run,
Phillips was pleased to return to box office success once again with his supporting role
in Courage Under Fire (1996), which starred Denzel Washington and Meg Ryan.
In 1995, Phillips went back to his roots on the stage when he debuted as the King in the
1996 Broadway production of The King and I. This change in direction earned the actor
a Tony Award nomination as well as a Theatre World Award. His surprising mid-career
shift caused a bit of a stir, but Phillips saw it as emblematic of his reach as an actor,
noting, "Hollywood will put you in a box, so to speak. Some people will have seen you
in La Bamba or another dramatic film and think, OK, that's what Lou does. But they
don't really have an idea of the range or diversity that I can bring to a project."
Television Roles
Having seen him travel from stage to Hollywood and back again, no one was surprised
when Phillips made the crossover to television. In 2001, Phillips joined his old friend
Kiefer Sutherland to guest star in two episodes of the popular TV action drama 24.
Phillips recalled how that happened: "We got the call from the people at 24, saying,
'Listen, we don't have a script yet, but the episodes are going to revolve around Kiefer,
Dennis Hopper and a role that we'd like you to do.' That's really all I needed to hear. So
I made one phone call—to Kiefer's cell phone on the set—and said: 'Listen man, they
want me to come on the show. Is that cool with you?' And he said, 'Yeah, c'mon, let's
go!'"
In subsequent years, Phillips popped up on television shows like Numb3rsand Stargate
Universe. He also embraced the reality TV craze by appearing on—and winning—I'm a
Celebrity…Get Me Outta Here and Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off.
Recent efforts have led to roles on the series Longmire and Blindspot. Phillips has also
continued to work in film, notably with the 2015 drama The 33, about the 2010 Chilean
mining accident that trapped 33 workers underground.
Personal
When not auditioning for his next role, Phillips can be found playing a mean game of
poker. Though he had been playing the game since college, the actor got serious in
2009 when he entered into the California State Poker Championship, ultimately placing
31st out of 403 entrants. After his successful first foray into competitive card playing,

11. Phillips went on to enter the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, walking away with
over $30,000 in earnings.
While he was making the movie Trespasses (1986), Phillips met assistant director Julie
Cypher, who became his first wife. After they divorced in 1990, he was briefly engaged
to actress Jennifer Tilly. In 1994, he married Kelly Preston (not the famous actress of
the same name); the couple had three children, twins Isabella and Grace and younger
sister Lili. Though the couple separated in 2004, they did not officially divorce until 2007,
by which time Phillips had begun dating Yvonne Boismier. When his divorce went
official, the two married and soon had a daughter, Indigo Sanara.
Lou Diamond Phillips has played characters of many ethnicities, and has often fought
back against being pigeonholed in any one. His own diverse background (Hispanic,
Scottish-Irish, Asian, Cherokee) has helped him avoid being typecast.
While acknowledging that he has been lucky to get a shot at a variety of roles, he hasn't
forgotten how much harder it used to be. One night in a Hollywood restaurant, Phillips
ran into Sidney Poitier and thanked him for opening the door for leading men of color.
He fondly recalled the famous actor's response: "Sidney Poitier, who is class
personified, said: 'Lou, you're a leading man because you're a good actor.' Brought
tears to my eyes."

12. Misty Copeland Biography
NAME
Misty Copeland
OCCUPATION
Ballet Dancer
BIRTH DATE
September 10, 1982 (age 33)
EDUCATION
Lauridsen Ballet Centre, American Ballet Theatre Studio Company
PLACE OF BIRTH
Kansas City, Missouri
ZODIAC SIGN
Virgo
Synopsis
Born on September 10, 1982 in Kansas City, Missouri, Misty Copeland endured a
tumultuous home life to find her way to dance, eventually studying under California
ballet instructor Cindy Bradley. Copeland joined the studio company of American Ballet
Theatre in 2000, becoming a soloist several years later and starring in an array of
productions such as The Nutcrackerand Firebird. An icon whose star shines beyond the

13. world of classical dance, in late June 2015 Copeland became the first African-American
performer to be appointed as an ABT principal dancer in the company's decades long
history.
Family Background
Dancer Misty Copeland was born on September 10, 1982 in Kansas City, Missouri. She
was the fourth of six siblings of generally mixed ethnic heritage. Copeland’s mother
Sylvia Delacerna had several successive marriages and boyfriends, with the family
packing up and moving under harried conditions at times. Copeland and her siblings
eventually settled in the coastal community of San Pedro in California. Delacerna's
relationship and eventual marriage to her fourth husband was tumultuous: he was
emotionally and physically abusive to his stepchildren and wife and would refer to them
using racial slurs.
Training and Early Career
Later describing herself as an anxious child, Copeland was able to find solace in the
halls of school and the world of performance, developing a love of movement and
connecting with the story of Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci. Copeland would
perform dance routines at home to the songs of another icon, Mariah Carey, and
eventually was chosen to be the captain of her drill team at her middle school. The
teacher who ran the team thought Copeland should take ballet classes at the Boys and
Girls Club she already attended. Copeland eventually did so under the tutelage of
Cynthia "Cindy" Bradley, who realized that the youngster was a prodigy, able to see and
perform choreographed movement immediately and dance en pointe after a very short
period of ballet training.
While her dancing life was blossoming, Copeland’s home life was difficult, with
Delacerna leaving her husband and the family later moving into a motel. Delacerna and
Bradley ultimately decided to allow the 13-year-old dancer to move in with her teacher’s
family. Copeland was thus able to continue her training while also entering the public
spotlight as a promising up-and-coming performer, featured at special performances
such as a charity event with actress Angela Bassett. Around this time Copeland also
had a lead role in the Debbie Allen production The Chocolate Nutcracker. "She's an
incredibly gifted ballerina. . .She's a child who dances in her soul," Allen said of
Copeland in a December 1999 issue of Los Angeles Times Magazine. "I can't imagine
her doing anything else."
An ABT Ballerina
After having attended a summer intensive program on scholarship at San Francisco
Ballet, Copeland’s mother demanded that she return home. With accompanying

14. coverage from local media, a battle ensued between Bradley and Delacerna, with
Copeland, at 15 years old, looking into legal emancipation from her biological parent.
The request was ultimately dropped, however, with Copeland getting a police escort
and returning to live with her mother.
Yet Copeland refused to let go of her career. After taking classes at Lauridsen Ballet
Centre, she did another summer intensive in 1999, this time at the renowned American
Ballet Theatre. She joined ABT’s studio company in September 2000, and then became
part of its corps de ballet the following year. In 2007, Copeland reached the rank of ABT
soloist, with an artistic forcefulness to be showcased in productions like Marius
Petipa’s La Bayadère, Alexei Ratmansky’s Firebird and The Nutcracker, and Twyla
Tharp’s Sinatra Suite and Bach Partita, among an array of performances lauded by
critics.
Copeland continued to pursue her passion and develop her skills across a varied
repertoire while also facing severe injuries. At the beginning of her ABT career, having
had a delayed onset of puberty, she faced a vertebral fracture that required time off of
dance and the wearing of a brace for practically the entire day. Years later, she had to
temporarily stop dancing again to recuperate from stress fractures to her left shin.
Misty Copeland performs in Coppelia in 2014. (Photo: Gilda N. Squire Gildasquire
(Extracted from File:From the ballet Coppelia.jpg) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia
Commons)
Historical Achievements
With a non-traditional entry into ballet, Copeland has created buzz outside of that world
due to her being one of the few African-American performers seen in classical dance. In
a meteoric rise, she has continually acknowledged the responsibility she feels to brown
girls looking to make their way in the art form. Her trailblazing accomplishments have
been recognized by a range of institutions, and in spring 2015 she was named one
of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People, a rare feat for someone from the dance
world.
In June 2015, Copeland became the first African-American woman to dance with ABT in
the dual role of Odette and Odile in Pyotry Ilycih Tchaikovsky’sSwan Lake. Then on
June 30 of that same year, Copeland scored a monumental achievement covered the
world over, becoming the first African-American performer to be appointed an ABT
principal dancer in the company's 75-year history. At a subsequent news conference, an
emotional Copeland stated in tears that the announcement marked the culmination of
her lifelong dream.

15. A few days later, it was announced that Copeland would join the cast of the Broadway
revival of Leonard Bernstein's On the Town for two weeks in late summer, succeeding
Megan Fairchild in the role of Ivy Smith.
Misty Copeland at the premiere of 'A Ballerina's Tale' during the 2015 Tribeca Film
Festival in New York City. (Photo: Sam Aronov / Shutterstock.com)
Other Media Endeavors
Copeland has also been able to forge a career outside of the classic traditions of ballet
via the guidance of manager Gilda Squire. In addition to having her own 2013 calendar,
endorsement deals with COACH and American Express, a spot on Prince’s Welcome 2
tour, and a guest appearance on So You Think You Can Dance, Copeland has been
one of the stars of Under Armour’s “I Will What I Want” video campaign, with her clip
receiving more than 8 million views and counting. Copeland is also a member
of President Barack Obama's Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition.
The ballerina has also become a tour de force in the literary world, publishing two works
in 2014: New York Times best-selling memoir Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina, with
journalist Charisse Jones as co-writer, and the award-winning children’s picture
book Firebird, with art by Christopher Myers.
In May 2016, Copeland inspired a Barbie doll wearing a costume reminiscent of the one
she wore in Firebird. The doll is part of Barbie's Sheroes program which honors female
heroes who break boundaries.

16. Hugh Laurie Biography
NAME
Hugh Laurie
OCCUPATION
Film Actor, Theater Actor,Television Actor, Comedian
BIRTH DATE
June 11, 1959 (age 57)
EDUCATION
Dragon School, Eton Public School for Boys, Selwyn College
PLACE OF BIRTH
Oxford, United Kingdom
FULL NAME
James Hugh Calum Laurie
ZODIAC SIGN
Gemini

17. Synopsis
Actor, comedian, and accomplished musician, Hugh Laurie was born on June 11, 1959,
in Oxford, England. He skyrocketed to fame in the United States playing the brilliant but
rude and arrogant Dr. Gregory House in the TV dramaHouse.
Early Life
James Hugh Calum Laurie was born on June 11, 1959, in Oxford, England. Laurie's
father, William "Ran" Laurie, was a medical doctor and Olympic gold medalist in rowing.
His mother, Patricia Laurie, was a writer whose occasional essays were published
by The London Times. The youngest of the family, Laurie has two older sisters and an
older brother.
Laurie's family observed the Scottish Presbyterian religion and frequented church, but
the self-purported atheist said a belief in God didn't play a large role in his raising. "My
mother... was Presbyterian by character, by mood," he said in an interview with James
Lipton. "Pleasure was something that was treated with great suspicion." This idea, and
what Laurie felt was an inability to meet his mother's impossibly high expectations,
caused frequent clashes between the two family members. "I was a frustration to her,"
Laurie said. "There were big chunks of time where I think she didn't like me." His
relationship with his father was quite different; Laurie describes him as "the sweetest
man in the world," and "a solid citizen who wore tweed suits and was overflowing with
good sense and kindness." The two grew very close during the actor's childhood.
As Laurie reached his early teens, he entered the Dragon School, a prep academy in
Oxford, England. He found himself fighting depression, smoking cigarettes and
"cheating on French vocabulary tests." A particularly lazy student with no inclination to
study, Laurie said he was unpleasant to be around, later admitting that he was
"miserable and self-absorbed." Despite his lack of scholarly motivation, Laurie excelled
as an amateur rower. His athletic pursuits gave him the credentials necessary to
transfer to the prestigious Eton public school for boys during high school. During his
studies here, Laurie and his rowing partner became junior national champions in coxed
pairs rowing, and placed fourth in the World Junior Rowing Championships in Finland in
1977.
Early Career Direction
While in his last year at Eton, Laurie briefly toyed with the idea of becoming a member
of the medical profession, like his father. Instead, the young man entered Selwyn
College, Cambridge, in 1978 with the sole intention of rowing. He majored in
anthropology and archaeology, but Hugh was never truly interested in either subject,

18. claiming "anthropology was the most convenient subject to read while spending eight
hours a day on the river."
But Laurie's rowing career came to a sudden halt his freshman year, when a serious
case of mono kept him off the team. To keep himself busy, he auditioned for Footlights,
the university's world-renowned dramatic society, known for launching the careers of
such famous alumni as John Cleese, Douglas Adams and Sacha Baron Cohen. The
decision would change Hugh Laurie's life forever.
After his successful audition for Footlights, Laurie met fellow student Emma Thompson,
and the two became romantically involved. By 1980, Laurie was the president of
Footlights, and Thompson was vice president. Through their relationship, Laurie met
Footlights performer and playwright, Stephen Fry. Laurie had been so impressed by
Fry's play Latin! that he insisted Thompson introduce the two men. Together, the fast
friends wrote the sketch "The Cellar Tapes" with Emma Thompson in 1981, which they
entered in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Comedy Career
After their graduation in 1981, the comedy trio won the Perrier Comedy Award for their
Fringe submission. The honor resulted in a tour across England and Australia, and a
1982 made-for-TV film of their work called Cambridge Footlights Review. Thompson,
Fry, and Laurie also teamed up with Grenada television to create several sketch
comedy shows throughout the early 80s, including There's Nothing to Worry About!, The
Crystal Cube, and Alfresco. They also appeared as guests on the popular British
comedy, The Young Ones.
In 1986, Fry and Laurie continued their partnership without Thompson. They wrote and
starred in a string of comedy shows, including A Bit of Fry and Laurie (1987). Fry and
Laurie showcased the duo's wide variety of talents, including Laurie's musical abilities
on piano and guitar. The show ran for eight years, and made the pair household names
in Britain.
In 1987, after several guest appearances on Blackadder, Laurie became a regular on
the show for its entire third season. Laurie's portrayal of the simpering idiot George, the
Prince Regent, caught the public's attention—and typecast him as an upper-class twit
for years to come. During this time, Laurie also found love with theatre administrator Jo
Green, whom he married in 1989.
The following year, Laurie and Fry began the series Jeeves and Wooster, a comedy
adapted from P.G. Wodehouse's Jeeves stories about a brainless young man (played

19. by Laurie) who is helped out of various tricky situations by his ingenious butler, Jeeves
(Fry). The show ran for four seasons until its end in 1993.
On the Big Screen
During the mid-1990s, Laurie branched out into films, music and writing. He appeared
alongside friend and former girlfriend, Emma Thompson, in the film version of Jane
Austen's Sense and Sensibility (1995). He also began a voice-acting career for
children's films such as The Snow Queen's Revenge(1995) and The Ugly
Duckling (1997). In 1996, he played a clumsy villain in the Disney hit, 101
Dalmatians and a year later, appeared in the film The Borrowers and the Spice Girls
vehicle, Spice World. Soon after, Laurie presented audiences with his novel, The Gun
Seller, and performed a small role in the blockbuster film The Man in the Iron Mask.
In 1999, Laurie appeared in another children's film about a mouse, Stuart Little, and
returned for its sequels in 2002 and 2005. He returned to the small screen in 2003 as a
director and actor in the television comedy-dramaFortysomething. The show was
canceled after one season.
Mainstream Success
Laurie starred in the action film Flight of the Phoenix in 2004 and that same year he
scored the role that would make him famous in the U.S. He adopted an American drawl
for his portrayal of the tortured and erratic but brilliant Dr. Gregory House in the
television medical drama, House. His performance earned him Golden Globe awards in
2006 and 2007, as well as six Emmy nominations.
Since House ended its run in 2012, Laurie has gone on to star in Mr. Pip(2012) and
alongside George Clooney in Tomorrowland (2015). In 2016, he starred in the AMC
miniseries The Night Manager, for which he earned an Emmy nomination. He's also
starred as Tom James in the popular HBO comedy Veep since 2015.
Music Career
A talented musician his entire life, Laurie began playing the piano at age six and went
on to learning the drums, guitar, harmonica and saxophone. He's featured his talents
throughout his acting career and even performed piano on Meatloaf's studio
album Hang Cool Teddy Bear (2010).
Having a deep love for jazz and the blues, in 2011 Laurie released a blues album, Let
Them Talk, in both France and Germany, famously collaborating with Tom Jones

20. and Irma Thomas, among others. A second album, Didn't It Rain, would be released in
the U.K. two years later.
"I have resolved to forge on, deeper into the forest of American music that has
enchanted me since I was a small boy,” explains Laurie. “And the further I go, the more
bewitched I become – both by the songs and by the people I have been lucky enough to
play them with.”
Personal Life
Laurie married Jo Green in 1989, and have three children together: Charles, William
and Rebecca.
In 2007, Laurie was made an Officer of the British Empire.