"House" ended its eighth and final season in May and its star, Hugh Laurie, could be the Susan Lucci of Emmy nominees. He's had seven nominations, and this year is his final shot at winning for his role as ill-tempered Dr. Gregory House. While fingers are crossed for Laurie, writer and show creator David Shore and director Greg Yaitanes have both won Emmys.
Emmy Nomination Purgatory
Laurie shouldn't feel too disappointed since he already has two Golden Globe wins for his portrayal of Dr. House. Besides, if Lucci could eventually snag an Emmy in 1999, after two decades playing Erica Kane on "All My Children" and 18 nominations, there is still hope for Laurie.
Last year at the Primetime Emmys, Laurie was nominated once again for Lead Actor in a Drama Series but lost to Kyle Chandler from "Friday Night Lights." Among the nominees was "Dexter's" Michael C. Hall, who also seems to be, as the old adage goes, always a bridesmaid, never a bride.
Hall was nominated for lead actor in a drama series in 2002 for "Six Feet Under" and from 2008 to 2011 for "Dexter." He never managed to snag an Emmy, but has won both Golden Globe and SAG awards. Season 7 of "Dexter" begins in September and brings with it renewed hope that Hall might garner another nomination and perhaps a win.
Emmy wins don't always equal all-encompassing success. Fox's critically acclaimed "Arrested Development," starring Will Arnett and Jason Bateman, had six Emmy wins, but was still canceled after three seasons of low ratings. The show was revived six years later for a fourth season to be aired on Netflix.
Pride for a Flawed Protagonist
During his last day of shooting "House," Laurie told The Hollywood Reporter, "We feel, I think -- if I had to describe for everybody -- it's a feeling of sorrow that it's over but also immense pride that we've done what we've done, and these are shows we can look back on or have to look back on." He went on to say, "I wouldn't swap it for anything."
The show was groundbreaking for making its protagonist an unsympathetic cynic with a penchant for lashing out at those around him and chronic pain that didn't help his already dour personality. In spite of (and perhaps because of) the character's flaws, the series had a lengthy run and was one of Fox's most watched scripted shows.
Happy End at the Emmys?
When he first auditioned for the show, Laurie assumed he was playing a supporting role considering his character's callous personality. He explained to the Associated Press, "To make someone so apparently jagged and unsympathetic into the central character was a very bold step. And so was clinging to that premise, never relenting to suggest that, underneath it all, he has a heart of gold."
It's that unrelenting severe personality that kept Laurie in the Emmys nomination pool but the win, if it should occur, will be an upbeat finale to a show that, as Laurie agrees, never relented on maintaining a bad-tempered front.
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