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Hugh Laurie to Star in HBO Sci-Fi Comedy Pilot ‘Avenue 5’

Hugh Laurie has lined up his next gig and he’s flying by all of the hotels and hospitals to head to outer space. The Emmy-nominated actor has just been cast in the new HBO pilot Avenue 5, which teams him back up with Veep creator Armando Iannucci. Laurie guest starred on Veep in season 4 while Iannucci was still showrunner and will soon appear in his feature film The Personal History of David Copperfield.

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Laurie on ‘House’

Laurie will star in the space comedy as “Ryan Clark, the charming and in-control American captain of the Avenue 5.” According to The Hollywood Reporter, ther series has already received a pilot commitment with backup scripts also ordered. It marks Laure’s first series regular role since he appeared on Hulu’s Chance, which ran for two seasons back in 2016.

The series will be executive produced by Iannucci who will be returning to HBO after stepping down as showrunner for the Emmy-winning comedy Veep starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus after season 4.

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Laurie on ‘Veep’

Whether or not you’ve heard of Laurie, you’ve almost certainly heard of his smash hit medical drama House, which ran on Fox from 2004 to 2012, earning Laurie six Emmy nominations. He also starred in AMC’s 2016 miniseries The Night Manager, which won both him and his co-star Tom Hiddleston Golden Globe Awards. He will soon be starring in George Clooney’s upcoming limited series Catch-22 on Hulu.

Avenue 5 joins a huge roster of new series heading to HBO including Danny McBride’s religious comedy The Righteous GemstonesOther new series on the horizon include an adaption of The Time Traveler’s WifeZendaya’s young adult series EuphoriaThe Watchmen, and a Game of Thrones prequel.

Are you excited to see Hugh Laurie in a new television role? Let us know!

Avenue 5 is set to begin filming in London later this year!