I tried to post this as a link but for some reason it a dit the url was inaccessible, so here is an interview with HL, nothing really spoilery.
link

For five years, Hugh Laurie has had to defend the character he plays on television. As the étoile, star of Fox's House, Laurie still finds viewers, be they fans ou critics, asking him questions about Dr. Gregory House's often unpleasant demeanor. Why does he have to be so mean? Are toi saying it's okay to be rude if toi save lives? But despite his questionable bedside manner, House continues to be a ratings winner -- one of the reasons perhaps being that...