House Stephen Fry: Hugh's my wise and astonishing friend

Stephen Fry talks about his long and close relationship with Hugh Laurie as the comedy pair reunite for a show celebrating their 30-year career...

How excited are you about this reunion show with Hugh that gives insights into your friendship, careers and best sketches?
"I’m delighted to retread the 30 years Hugh and I have known each other and worked together. It was a great joy reminiscing about our times together, and watching us grow older."

What were your favourite sketches from A Bit of Fry and Laurie?
"Gosh so many. ‘We’re talking about language’ and ‘Hedge’ were great, so look out for those! I also like the one where Hugh’s drunk and I’m a barman who keeps interrupting and finishing his sentences… ‘Pass the marmalade’ always makes me laugh - Hugh as a woman is always good. Luckily my sense of humour always matched Hugh’s. I can’t remember a disagreement, I know that sounds unlikely, but it really is true."

Has your friendship remained strong?
"We’re in touch all the time. I’m Godfather to his children, see him whenever I’m in LA, where he lives, or he’s in the UK, and we email regularly. Hugh was an inestimable help to me during tough personal times. He is a truly wise and astonishing friend."

What are Hugh's most annoying and endearing habits?
"In the past I used to worry that he beat himself up too much. Goodness knows cockiness and conceit are unattractive, but I used to have to spend so much time telling him how great he was. I won’t go so far as to say that he now knows how great he is, but he’s a lot less prone to tearing into himself than he once was."

Do you have nicknames for each other?
"Oddly enough we both have the same nickname for each other, which doesn’t make sense until you realise that it’s ‘M’coll’, which is short for ‘M’colleague’ which goes back to a style of ghastly businessman that we used to portray in the 1980s."

Does Hugh pass on Hollywood gossip now he’s in House over there? And do you gossip back?
"Hugh’s the least gossipy person you can imagine. And I’m the second least."

*Fry and Laurie Reunited is on Wednesday 24 November, at 9pm, on GOLD