Hugh Laurie plays ‘Dr. Cockroach, Ph.D.’
- Movies -
HUGH Laurie, yes of “House,” will be doing the voice “Dr. Cockroach, Ph.D.” in DreamWorks’ latest animation film “Monsters vs. Aliens.”
Director Rob Letterman recalls why they chose Laurie to play the part: “We wanted somebody to be very formal and erudite, because we thought that would be a great contrast with the whole ‘cockroach bad’ thing. And so, we immediately thought of Hugh. And a lot of people don’t realize, at least people in the States, that he’s a Brit. Hugh Laurie is obviously mostly known in the States for ‘House,’ but he is a famous actor for many years in England. He did ‘The Black Adder’ [television series] with Rowan Atkinson and he’s an incredible comedic actor. We were fans of his prior to ‘House.’ So it was very fortunate to have him on the movie.”
Dr. Cockroach is a brilliant scientist who turned himself into a cockroach as a result of a self-experiment gone awry. With his life’s work confiscated, the doctor spends his time locked up, working on something diabolical.
“First of all, I love doing animated projects. You wear your own clothes. I love the freedom of messing around and trying to create something in a voice. It’s exciting and a fun challenge. But also, now these animated films have sort of really become the summit of modern entertainment,” Laurie says, referring to his role as Dr. Cockroach, Ph.D.
