Hugh Laurie is known to U.S. television viewers for his eight seasons as grumpy physician Gregory House on hit Fox medical drama “House.”
Since then, he’s careened from comedy (HBO’s sci-fi-tinged “Avenue 5”) to dark drama (playing a cutthroat arms dealer in espionage thriller “The Night Manager”).
Having amassed more than 130 screen roles during the course of a career that began in the late 1970s, Laurie is now undertaking a new role that has nothing whatsoever to do with acting.
L’Oreal Brand Ambassador
Cosmetics manufacturer L’Oreal has named Laurie as its latest brand ambassador, promoting its line of men’s grooming products.
As Oxford Mail reported, L’Oreal stated that Laurie’s “deadpan wit and humour” had made him “one of the most genuine, charming and endearing actors appealing to millions of men and women.”
Per the outlet, Laurie is expected to appear a series of ads for L’Oreal Paris’ Men Expert product range, which includes haircare, skincare and other L’Oreal products..
Laurie follows in the footsteps of such previous L’Oreal brand ambassadors as Gerard Butler, Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, Patrick Dempsey and Rachel Weisz.
“Hugh Laurie is the perfect example of a modern man — genuine, uninhibited, strong and willing to pursue his passions to the end,” said Cyril Chapuy, global brand president of L’Oreal Paris, in a statement. “We are very excited that he is the spokesperson for these new liberated men.”
A Return to TV
Meanwhile, Laurie will soon be seen in a new acting role, this time accentuating his comedic talents.
Laurie will be starring alongside Amy Poehler in “Dig,” an upcpoming Peacock comedy series set in the world of archeology.
The series “follows a team of dedicated archaeologists (and less-dedicated college students) who spend their summer working on a dig site in Greece,” notes Peacock’s synopsis.
Poehler will play an archeologist named Elise. Laurie will portray Neville, a British professor who loves archeology while battling to preserve the traditions of his dying profession, fancying himself a mentor to the young students working on a dig site.
“Their discovery of a rare artifact sends them on the adventure of a lifetime,” the brief synopsis concludes.
The long-buried treasure they unearth holds the potential to rewrite history, with the archeologists suddenly finding themselves at the center of a high-stakes international conspiracy.
The series reunites Poehler with “Parks and Recreation” creator Mike Schur, who’s serving as showrunner on “Dig.”
The two first announced plans for the series in May 2025, after Poehler had cited Myers’ novel as one of her favorite reads of 2024 while appearing on “Late Night with Seth Myers.”
“It’s about women descending on an archeological dig site,” Poehler said, via NBC.
“I love the idea of digging things up, things being buried. But I always want to know, if you watch TikTok and you see things being uncovered: Did they just put it there?” Poehler joked.
Viewers can expect “Dig” to premiere November 23 on Peacock.
