These are some new and newish photos of Hugh Laurie, out and about in Paris this week. Hugh rarely gets pap’d, so I thought we’d mark the occasion. I have no idea why he’s in Paris, by the way. Perhaps he’s promoting House internationally? Or maybe Hop? Maybe his album (did you know he recorded an album?)? I don’t know. It’s funny, I only really think Hugh is sexy when he’s on House. These photos aren’t doing much for my biscuits, sexy-time-wise. But give me an episode of House where there’s a close-up of his grizzly face with those beautiful blue eyes… and my biscuits are feeling naughty.

Recently, Hugh was confirmed for one of the biggest parts he’s taken since House – he’s going to take the lead in the adaptation of Lloyd Jones’ Mister Pip! Here’s more from EW:

Poor Hugh Laurie. Here’s an actor so convincing in his performance every week on House, M.D., he’s often associated with being just as cranky and biting as the show’s titular character.

When it was reported by Deadline that Laurie was set to appear in director Andrew Adamson’s big screen adaptation of Lloyd Jones’ Mister Pip, nowhere in his character’s description do the words “snippy,” “mean-spirited” or “sarcastic” come up. In other words, Laurie, who is actually trained as a comedic actor, seems to be putting an end to any typecasting.

Alas, the Golden Globe-winning actor would be set to play the role of Mr. Watts, the last white man remaining on the war-torn island of Bougainville. After Watts opens a school on the island, he bonds with his young students over his favorite novel, Great Expectations. You’re hearing House-like quips in your head right now, aren’t you?

Still, it will be nice for the actor (nice being the operative word), who can currently be heard in Hop as the voice of Russell Brand’s fluffy patriarch, to show off his diverse range of acting skills with moviegoers. Although will House fans be willing to see him in a new light? Moreover, could this slightly hurt Laurie’s chances for snagging the still-vacant role of Haymitch Abernathy in The Hunger Games? Thanks to the rough-around-the-edges demeanor he’s become almost synonymous with, Laurie’s name has been coming up quite a bit as a suggestion for someone who could play the boozy mentor.

But when it comes to an actor like Hugh Laurie, we’re willing to go in whatever direction he does.

[From Entertainment Weekly]

Aw, it sounds like a nice role for him. Considering one of my favorite movies of all time, Sense & Sensibility (the Emma Thompson-Kate Winslet version) has a younger, lovely Hugh Laurie in a smaller role, I am already willing to accept Hugh in non-House roles.

But, since we’re talking about House, can we talk about what’s been happening this season? This paragraph is full of SPOILERS for the current season, by the way. It’s my opinion that the episode where Cuddy gets “sick” and House takes some Vicodin and Cuddy dumps him – well, that episode was basically the end of House as we know it. It really made me sick that after all of these years, they finally got together and Cuddy dumps him over something so… I don’t know… something they easily could have gotten through. I’m still watching the show, of course, but it just feels WRONG. Maybe something interesting will happen towards the season finale. Fingers crossed.

Photos courtesy of Fame.