English Actor Hugh Laurie first exploded in the international scene through his critically acclaimed performance as Dr Gregory House in the Fox medical drama ‘House’ (2004-2012). Prior to portraying a very unconventional medical genius in ‘House’, he had gained notoriety working as a comedian in different British films and series. Over the years, Laurie has been involved in multiple projects like The Night Manager, Veep, Roadkill and many more that have been loved by critics and audience alike.
Although Hugh Laurie has been in front of the camera for most of his life, there is significantly less information about his life off camera. Did you know that he has been married for more than 30 years? Yes, he has been married to theater administrator Jo Green since 1989. So, who is Jo Green and what do we know about her? Let’s find out.
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Jo was a Theater Administrator
Since Jo Green enjoyed a much private life, not a lot is known about her. However one thing that is acknowledged publicly is that she used to work as a theater administrator. A theater administrator is usually responsible to oversee administrative and production related aspects of the theater that includes financial, marketing and organizational concerns. As her husband started getting busier with work, she took the role of primary caretaker of their children and decided to focus more on her home.
Green has Stood Beside Hugh before his Fame
Jo met Hugh sometime in the 1980s and the two quickly became smitten with one another. During this period, Hugh was just getting into the entertainment industry and had not quite got a big break. As their relationship started to get serious, Hugh also started to gain prominence for his work as the other half of the comedic duo ‘Fry and Laurie’. And after that, there was only going forward. So, Jo has really seen everything starting from the beginning and stuck with him through thick and thin.
The Couple Married in 1989 at Camden, North London
In 1988, Jo gave birth to her first child with Hugh Laurie. The couple were overjoyed about the news however they were not married at this point.
That quickly changed when on June 12 of the following year, the couple tied the knot in Camden, North London among friends and family. Hugh’s good friend and other half of his comic duo, Stephen Fry stepped up as the best man.
Jo and Hugh have Three Children Together; Charlie, Bill, and Rebecca
The couple was blessed with their first child, Charlie in 1988. They welcomed their second son, Bill in 1991. A year later the couple was blessed again with another bundle of joy, their youngest daughter Rebecca. Stephen Fry is the children’s godfather.
As for the children, the oldest Charlie had once appeared in the role of baby William for the sketch in A Bit of Fry and Laurie. Her daughter Rebecca appeared as a five year old Vivian Bearing in the movie Wit. Their son Bill played a small part in his father’s sitcom ‘Fortysomething’. Despite having opportunities in acting, none of the children followed up their father’s footsteps.
Hugh’s Time in House Strained their marriage
For the portrayal of Dr House in the Fox medical drama ‘House’, Hugh Laurie had to spend a lot of time away from his home in London. In an interview with Ellen, he revealed that for the first year of his filming he stayed at the hotel and didn’t even unpack his suitcase. He was very keen on bringing his family along with him to America however they did not go through it. As the series went by, he started spending more time in the US than in London. He would reportedly be away from his home for about 9 months in a whole year.
Since, their kids were mostly all at the later stage of their teenage years, they had started to be cool with the idea of their father leaving for work. However, the distance ended up straining his marriage with his wife, Jo. In 2010, when asked about his time spent on set being more than his home, Hugh said, “I wouldn’t say that doing the series has made my marriage easier. Better? I don’t know about that either.”
For the entirety of the filming of the series the couple worked back and forth to maintain their marriage. In his interview with Larry King, Hugh revealed the family’s arrangement around his job. He said, “I would be away for long periods of time. But you know, I would go back and they would come here. So, we did the best we could.”
The Couple Worked through Hugh’s Depression and Infidelity
During his appearance on Inside the Actors Studio in 2006, Hugh Laurie talked about his struggles with clinical depression. He was reported to have been going to sessions with a psychotherapist at that time. His depression was really hard for him as well as his family. Talking about it he said, “It affected everything; my family and friends. I was a pain in the arse to have around. I was miserable and self-absorbed. It’s actually selfish to be depressed and not try and do anything about it.”
In an 2002 interview with the Evening Standard (sunday) at the time, Hugh also reluctantly agreed that his depression may have something to do with his extramarital affair with a film director with whom he was working with.
“It possibly was connected. But I don’t remember.” He said.
His marriage with Jo however survived both his struggles with mental health and his infidelity. He said, “It’s terrific and I’m very lucky. I’m so much happier now and more accepting of things. I used to get consumed with things that were in the past. I saw a million different versions of who I could have been and all of them were better. ‘Why didn’t I do this? Why didn’t I do that?’”
It takes a strong woman to look past her husband’s mistakes and even help him through the difficult times he was going through. No wonder Hugh has stuck with his wife, Jo for all these years.
Jo has been Married to Hugh for more than 3 Decades
While the couple had a lot of ups and downs in their relationship, they have been able to find home with each other for a long time. With Hugh returning to London after wrapping up ‘House’ and their kids doing their own thing, the relationship between the couple seems to be on good terms.
With less distance between the couple we hope the love and support between Jo and Hugh would only continue to grow stronger.