British actor Hugh Laurie will be starring in science fiction comedy Avenue 5, due to premiere on HBO on January 19, 2020.  He will be playing Captain Ryan Clark, captain of the space-going cruise ship Avenue 5.

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Laurie has been a favorite of American and British audiences since the ’80s.  He appeared in all four Blackadder series.  He was Bertie Wooster in Jeeves and Wooster.  He voiced Dr. Cockroach in Monsters vs. Aliens and played Nix in Disney’s Tomorrowland.  He will be voicing the Grim Reaper in the new animated version of The Canterville Ghost, in which his longtime comedy partner, Stephen Fry, will be Sir Simon de Canterville.  Laurie was also one of Cruella de Vil’s henchmen in the live action version of 101 Dalmations, with Mark Williams (Arthur Weasley in the Harry Potter movies, Rory’s father Brian Williams in Dr. Who) as his brother Horace, and voiced Steven Christmas, Santa’s son and heir presumptive in Arthur Christmas. Hugh Laurie also famously starred as Dr. Gregory House in the medical drama House.

In this new film, Hugh Laurie will portray ship’s captain Ryan Clark “who is trying to keep the ship together despite all the hijinks that we should expect,” according to Epicstream.  Hi castmates and shipmates will include Josh Gad (Olaf in Frozen) who is the ship’s wealthy benefactor Herman Judd, Suzy Nakamura (Cathy in The West Wing), Rebecca Front (Aunt Marie in Transformers: The Last Knight), Zach Woods (tour guide Garrett in the 2016 Ghostbusters), and Nikki Amuka-Bird (Diomika Tsing in Jupiter Rising, Dr. Becker in The Omen).

Hugh Laurie as HRH the Prince Regent in Blackadder the Third {image via the BBC}

Are you looking forward to seeing Hugh Laurie as a starship captain? Sound off in the comments section below. We’re always interested in your opinion, here at SCIFI.radio, your Whamaggedon-free station. We’re also interested in your wallet. We run mostly on donations from listeners and readers. If you donate to our Patreon account, my boss could afford to give me a raise. That would make me deliriously happy and give you a nice, warm feeling.

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Susan Macdonald
Susan Macdonald

Susan Macdonald is the author of the children’s book “R is for Renaissance Faire”, as well as 26 short stories, mostly fantasy in “Alternative Truths”, “Swords and Sorceress ”, Swords &Sorceries Vols. 1, 2, & 5, “Cat Tails” “Under Western Stars”, and “Knee-High Drummond and the Durango Kid”. Her articles have appeared on SCIFI.radio’s web site, in The Inquisitr, and in The Millington Star. She enjoys Renaissance Faires (see book above), science fiction conventions,  Highland Games, and Native American pow-wows.