‘The Night Manager’ Star Hugh Laurie Says He Couldn’t Possibly Pass Up Playing The Villain

Here in America, Hugh Laurie is best known for his role as Dr. Gregory House on House, M.D., but the veteran actor is well versed both in stage and screen. In all those years, Hugh has never been offered the chance to play the villain, until now. Cast in the BBC One adaptation of John le Carré’s The Night Manager, Mr. Laurie explains why he was destined to play Richard Roper.

The Night Manager offers Hugh Laurie the role of a lifetime

The Night Manager tells the story of Richard Roper, a black market arms dealer, who is described by one of his men as “the worst man in the world,” while Tom Hiddleston plays a veteran soldier infiltrating Roper’s gang.

Roper sounds like one mean customer, even more irascible than Dr. House on a Sunday morning. The question of the day seems to be: can Hugh Laurie play a truly evil bad guy?

“I’ve been preparing since I was a young boy for being bad and I’ve done a lot of background work and I am profoundly bad.”

Yes, he was joking. Or was he? On a more serious reply, Mr. Laurie reveals his idolization of the fictional villain and why he’s always hoped to play a true villain.

“Villainy serves a purpose in all good storytelling. It’s a very well-trodden path, in all kinds of stories, so when I was offered the chance to play [Roper] there was no way I could possibly pass it up.”

Laurie is the perfect choice to play Roper

Hugh excels in his role as The Night Manager‘s baddest bad guy, playing Roper with a degree of charisma, yet without compromising the character’s menacing aura. Mr. Laurie said he felt a connection to his character, remarking on the odd combination of sentimentality and barbarism.

Hugh describes Roper as someone capable of visiting any number of tortures upon any human being, but will cringe at the smallest slight committed upon an animal.

Taking on The Night Manager proved to be a humbling experience for Laurie, because he was such a huge fan of le Carré’s writings. Hugh says he read them all growing up and found himself worrying that the end of the Cold War also meant there would be no more le Carré spy novels.

Laurie even had dreams of producing an adaptation of The Night Manager in 1993, when the novel first hit bookstands, but Hugh admits to having been a dismal failure at the project.

“But back then I rather arrogantly dreamed of playing the character Jonathan Pine and then had to sit back and watch Tom Hiddleston be virile and charming and it’s f—ing galling to watch.”

Still, Hugh admits to being obsessed with every aspect of the production process, digging his fingers in where they don’t belong. It’s frustrating, especially when he reveals the long list of hobbies he has to keep himself busy. Things like making music. Mr. Laurie takes an electronic keyboard with him everywhere. He has released two albums and has toured the world with his band, the Copper Bottom Band.

Hugh also boxes and, as luck would have it, the former Spanish heavyweight champion Hovik Keuchkerian plays one of his body guards in The Night Manager. Hugh revealed that he trained and boxed with Hovik, but made no mention of who won the fight.

If that weren’t enough, Hugh Laurie is also a best-selling author. His first book, 1996’s The Gun Seller, has been translated into 26 languages.

“God, 15 years ago I signed a contract to do another one and I haven’t delivered it yet,” The Night Manager actor says. “But I hope to. That’s my plan and as more of my hair falls out I think writing is probably a more dignified way of continuing in this business.”

The Night Manager premieres on Tuesday, April 19, on BBC One.

[Image by Andreas Rentz / Getty Images]