Hugh Laurie to Retire From Acting Once ‘House’ Wraps

Hugh Laurie may have found fame, fortune, and a few Golden Globes during his 30-year career, but he’s ready to give it all up.

The “House” star tells the U.K.’s Daily Record that once his award-winning medical drama finishes its final season, he’s done with the TV game.

Laurie, who was reported to be the world’s highest paid TV star by the Guinness Book of World Records in 2010, says he’ll give it all up once the show wraps, which some sources say may happen as soon as the end of this season.

The 52-year-old actor says that he’s been “rather spoiled” by the runaway success of “House,” noting that he thinks he is “no longer a desirable commodity for TV.” While the British-born father of two may find himself with some time on his hands after the show is over, don’t count on him disappearing from the spotlight all together.

Laurie says, “I think I will probably be as interested by either writing or producing or directing, or some other aspect. I find the whole field of it fascinating. And I think I am extremely lucky to have had the one shot that I have had at it and I wouldn’t go looking for lightning to strike twice.”

While his days as a TV star may be coming to an end, Laurie still has several irons in the fire. Warner Brothers released his debut album, “Let Them Talk,” in 2011, and his big-screen career is burgeoning. In 2011, Laurie starred in “The Oranges,” opposite Leighton Meester and Catherine Keener, in addition to lending his voice to the animated comedies “Hop” and “Arthur Christmas.”