Dee Laundry

Someone cleverer than I noted that in interviews, Hugh Laurie comes across much more as the affable, socially smooth, soothing Wilson-type and RSL comes across much more as the House-type.

Edited Date: 2009-01-09 02:08 am (UTC)

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RSL's real life persona is a huge turn off. He's snobby, avoids the press, doesn't like making public appearances. He acts like he's so great that he should get to travel around in the Pope-mobile with a bullet proof sheild. I mean, he's cute and all. But he's just a person, doing a job. If he didn't want to be bothered by fans, then he shouldn't have gone into a field where he was likely to acquire some.

HL always seems so open, willing to talk to people, hangs around after shows to mingle. I know he's not fond of the press either. But his attitude towards the public is much better.

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It's interesting, how differently we interpret RSL's public persona. I don't think he thinks he's too good for it or above it at all. I think he feels awkward and uncomfortable, and knows that's he's really, really not good at giving interviews, and that's why he avoids the press when he can.

To be honest, he is a horrible interviewee, and I don't think he's capable of being much better at it than he is. Hugh has an impeccable social filter, and Robert doesn't.

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But the thing is, being able to give an interview and deal with answering questions is part of the package. Most actors just accept that and deal with it. RSL is like you said, socially awkward, but basically saying he has no intention of trying to grow in that regard.

And he is a horrible interviewee. He says the lamest stuff. I'm surprised he hasn't been sued or lost any friends over some of the things he's said.

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I don't remember him having said he won't try to grow. But, yes, the show's PR people ought to hire him a coach. I've thought that for a long time. :D

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I don't mean those words exactly. I just mean -when someone who has been acting for a long time says "well, I'm just not good with the press" it's basically saying "and I don't plan on that changing at any point either".

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Some people aren't capable of seeing beyond where they are now in certain aspects of their life. I happen to think he's not mean-spirited, just a congenital dong. But your opinion on his motives is as valid as mine.

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I don't think he's mean spirited at all. He's lazy -he's admitted as much himself.

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blackmare.livejournal.com

I suffer to some degree from the affliction RSL seems to have. That is, a tremendous propensity to get caught up in my own train of thought and not realize until well after I've said something that the thing I've said was, shall we say, ill-advised. Sometimes very ill-advised.

My experience is that it's not a matter of laziness or aloofness or any of that. For me it's the opposite; my brain thinks everyone's my friend and fails to filter things appropriately for those who are not. My efforts to change this have yielded sporadic results, at best, because controlling the problem involves being terribly self-conscious all the time instead of relaxing into a conversation.

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I guess my thing is, if a person goes into a field that pretty much guarantees they will have to face the public and media at some point, they should make some sort of effort.

Why do you think the president has someone write his speeches for him?

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mer-duff.livejournal.com

I've done some theatre PR in the past. One of my favourite actors here is terrible at interviews. He dreads them and a couple of times begged me to ask if my contact would interview someone else - the only way to get him to an interview, particularly radio or TV, was to tag team with another actor. But he's an absolutely lovely man, gracious and considerate and always professional. My experience is that the ones who are the biggest assholes tend to bitch about not getting enough press.

I think RSL (like most people) is a much better interviewee when he gets to talk about things he's passionate about. I loved him on the Leonard Lopate show a few years back. Typically dorky and distracted in spots, but when he got down to talking about theatre, he was brilliant.

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hilsongirl.livejournal.com

That's exactly how I see RSL's public persona.

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Ooh, I've thought that too! (Sadly minus the 'cleverer than you' part.) I've thought it would be a great premise for the RPS I'm never going to write XD

I speculate that you either 'get' RSL or you don't. He kind of only works on a one-to-one basis and you have to be on his wavelength - he doesn't tune in well to other people. Unless, possibly, it has to do with acting. Whereas I believe Hugh, as you've noted below, has that Princess Di thing where he's been brought up to make polite social conversation with pretty much anyone. I can just see him being utterly astonished that RSL could come out with such random comments - RSL just tends to follow his thoughts wherever they go, and they go some pretty bizarre places.

I just only very recently read that 'bromance' interview (I wanted to wait until I got a real copy... and then I was busy *g*) and I could practically visualise RSL just pitching stuff above the reporter's head, not taking into account that it needs to be published for a wider readership. Whereas Hugh is there dutifully giving the 'right' kind of lightly amusing answers *g*

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He kind of only works on a one-to-one basis and you have to be on his wavelength - he doesn't tune in well to other people.

Of course I don't know him personally, but based on everything I've read and seen, this seems so utterly true. Hugh seems to be, from Hugh's own report, one of the people who clicks with RSL easily, and that's fortunate. : )

RSL told a story about meeting Olivia Wilde. Olivia said, "I'm Thirteen," and he replied, "You don't look a day over nine," and she stared at him and didn't laugh. Hee hee. ♥

PS. Gimme RPS! Or friendship RPF, whichever takes your fancy! :D

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RSL told a story about meeting Olivia Wilde. Olivia said, "I'm Thirteen," and he replied, "You don't look a day over nine," and she stared at him and didn't laugh.

Bwah! Thanks for sharing - where do you get this stuff? I can imagine him doing it with a completely straight face, too. He's just very... dry. I find this more of a British trait than an American one - maybe that's why Hugh likes him XD

(It also reminds me of coming back to Oz and having to retrain my sense of irony all over again. Which can be embarrassing *g*)

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He told that story in one of his interviews. (The banjo teacher was from a girl's blog.)

RSL is very, very dry. I also think, because he's on his own wavelength, he sometimes doesn't understand why other people find funny some things he says in all earnestness. He did a radio interview and started talking about Vienna Fingers and Lipton Tea, and he didn't quite seem to understand why that would be funny. Like he did a little bit, but not entirely.

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I had heard the other stories, but I feel like I've been missing a lot in fandom lately - I only just this second actually watched the interview up there rather than reading people's reactions to it. Hee, he really did just bugger off somewhere while everyone else dutifully lined up for the press. Of course there might be a better explanation, but the thought amuses me.

While I don't know your opinion on that fannish question that came up ages ago as to whether House might be Asperger-y (in my opinion, no way - House has exquisite social radar, without which he could not wreak the havoc he does) but it has struck me that if anyone has traits reminiscent of someone on the spectrum, it's RSL. Note my carefully non-conclusive language there ;)

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Would you please get out of my brain! I agree with you fully about House -- he has trouble understanding himself emotionally but other people are not hard for him to get -- and have similar thoughts to yours about RSL. As I said to another friend, I think RSL is either tanking interviews on purpose for some nefarious purpose of his own, or he's on the autistic spectrum. Seriously. Like, 'I could recommend a few books to him' seriously.

Even his preference for theater over film work could fit with that. Doing a run of a play means the same material, over and over, going deeper and deeper, instead of constant changes in material.

More on your RSL interview watching schedule:

http://www.fox.com/fod/play.php?sh=house

http://deelaundry.livejournal.com/138101.html

Edited Date: 2009-01-14 09:45 pm (UTC)

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Bah, I swear that FOX site hates me (I haven't been able to view vids on there for ages) but thanks for the second one! I'd missed that. The 'identical twins' thing, oh dear. See, he KNOWS he doesn't interview well, I just think he's at a loss as to what to do about it. And then he tries being funny and serious in turns, knowing it's only 50/50 that they'll match up at the end of the day. The interviewer did really well, I thought XD

Oh, I would definitely agree that that might well be one of the reasons theatre is his preferred environment. It does make me kind of wonder how he reacts when things go wrong (on stage), though. The other trait I really noticed about him is the clothing thing, and how he really does not seem to understand what 'presentable' means at his level of celebrity-dom. But it's very endearing. I did see the vid of the walk up the red carpet and also noticed how he looked like he was kind of trying to copy what Hugh did, just in a much more tentative fashion. (Haven't yet seen any of the actual GG presentation though.)

At least the rest of the cast can feel secure he'll probably never try to upstage them, at least not deliberately *g*

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You mean the People's Choice Awards? When House was called to the stage, RSL did this awkward clap the entire way up: http://www.pcavote.com/pca/show/video-highlights/index.jsp?flv=http://hwcdn.net/e9q5w9a4/fms/2009/andthewinneris_house.flv.xml&description=Favorite%20TV%20Drama%20Acceptance%20Speech%20-%20The%20cast%20of%20House%20accepts%20the%20award%20for%20Favorite%20TV%20Drama

The vid cuts off before the last thing Hugh Laurie said, which was, "And Robert Sean Leonard will now sing." Hee!

I found the Fox clip on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjxvtUcSPKE The video quality is poor but you'll enjoy it. Funny! Stick around for his ridiculous grin in the last shot.

I have such great affection for him; I really do.

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THANK YOU SO MUCH! ♥

I've been pretty bad, unless a link is right there in front of my face (and sometimes even then!) I miss it. And yes, I meant the People's Choice. The latest awards thing XD

the last thing Hugh Laurie said, which was, "And Robert Sean Leonard will now sing." Hee!

He didn't really say that! Did he? OMG, that's the second time in terms of "Hugh mentions RSL at awards speeches". It makes me wonder whether there's a bet going on. And where did RSL disappear to in the crowd after that initial walk? Oh, and a man's not a seal. I realise you're applauding the others with you, but look at them. They're not applauding. I think he did notice that eventually *g*

And the FOX clip... I have no words. I did LOL when he said something like 'and this should answer your question - there is no humour on the show'. He is a running catalogue of 80s TV shows and people I've never heard of in my entire life. I almost thought when they asked him what he looked forward to most that he was going to say 'summer hiatus'. I feared it. Lisa does seem like she finds him sekritly adorable as well, though *g*

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chocolate-frapp.livejournal.com

this reminds me of a dream I had where I was on the House set and I slagged off OW behind her back and Hugh started lecturing me about "that's not only rude, we're a team and it's very bad form to say nasty things about one team member to another, it's unprofessional" etc. so I apologized to him but the ENTIRE time he was lecturing me, RSL was winking at me and grinning at me behind Hugh like "I agree with you, she is a crap actress"

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