What is Hugh Laurie’s IQ?
Documented: two Golden Globes for House, a 1996 thriller, a 2011 blues album. Not documented: any IQ test.
No IQ score has been published for Hugh Laurie as of November 2026, so Hugh Laurie’s IQ is unknown. This site’s estimate is 120–140 (mean 100, standard deviation 15), inferred from his record, not from a test. That record runs from Eton to Selwyn College, Cambridge in 1978, a seat in Cambridge’s 1980 Boat Race crew and the Footlights presidency in 1981.
Hugh Laurie’s estimated IQ
- Education at Eton College, which Wikipedia’s list of Old Etonians records, and at Selwyn College, Cambridge, where he matriculated in 1978. Selwyn College says he studied archaeology and anthropology.
- A place in the Cambridge crew in the 1980 Boat Race, which Oxford won in what Wikipedia describes as the closest finish for a century. Selwyn College also records that he was in the 1980 Boat Race.
- President of the Cambridge Footlights in 1981, according to Varsity, the Cambridge student newspaper.
- Two Golden Globe Awards for Best Actor in a Television Series – Drama for House (2006 and 2007) and a third, for Best Supporting Actor, for The Night Manager (2017), according to the Golden Globes awards database.
- The thriller The Gun Seller, first published in 1996 according to Open Library, and the blues album Let Them Talk, first released in 2011 according to MusicBrainz.
This is an inference from schooling, sport, comedy and acting, not a test result. Awards and a Boat Race place measure craft and athletic ability, not a score. The sources differ on his Cambridge degree class, so none is used and the top of the range is held down for that reason. The range is wide for those reasons.
- Born
- June 11, 1959, Oxford, England
- Education
- Eton College; Selwyn College, Cambridge (matriculated 1978; archaeology and anthropology)
- Sport
- Rowed for Cambridge in the 1980 Boat Race
- Comedy
- President of the Cambridge Footlights, 1981; double act Fry and Laurie with Stephen Fry
- Television
- A Bit of Fry & Laurie, Blackadder, Jeeves and Wooster; House (2004–2012); The Night Manager (2016)
- Awards
- Golden Globe Awards for House (2006, 2007) and The Night Manager (2017)
- Books and music
- Novel The Gun Seller (1996); album Let Them Talk (2011)
- Circulating figure
- None found; no published IQ test result
What an IQ of 120–140 actually means
Set the claim aside for a moment. If someone genuinely scored in this range, here is what that would represent.
| Score range | Classification | Share of people | What it indicates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 85 – 114 | Average | ~68% | The range most people fall into. |
| 115 – 129 | Above average | ~13.6% | Roughly one person in seven. |
| 130 – 144 | Gifted | ~2% | The threshold most high-IQ societies use. |
| Above 144 | Highly gifted | ~0.1% | Figures above this range are extrapolated from the curve rather than measured. |
Percentages are approximate and describe a normal distribution. The same number means different things on tests with different standard deviations.
Thirty questions gives you a measured position on this exact scale — your score, your percentile and the ability breakdown behind it.
Find out in 30 minutes →Who Hugh Laurie is
Hugh Laurie was born on June 11, 1959 in Oxford, England, according to the Golden Globes biography, and Wikidata describes him as an English actor, comedian, director, musician and writer. Wikipedia’s list of Old Etonians records his schooling at Eton College. The Golden Globes biography says he was on his way to becoming an Olympic-standard rower in college when he joined the Cambridge University Footlights Dramatic Club.
Hugh Laurie’s Cambridge years began at Selwyn College, where he matriculated in 1978 and, according to the college, studied archaeology and anthropology; Varsity says he read social anthropology. He rowed for Cambridge in the 1980 Boat Race, and Varsity says he was president of the Footlights in 1981. Sources differ on his degree class, so this page draws no conclusion from one.
Is Hugh Laurie intelligent? His record shows sustained skilled work in several fields rather than a score. He and Stephen Fry formed the comedy double act Fry and Laurie. The Golden Globes biography places his work in A Bit of Fry & Laurie, Blackadder and Jeeves and Wooster in the 1980s and 1990s, and Wikipedia says he appeared in three series of Blackadder between 1986 and 1989.
His novel The Gun Seller was first published in 1996, according to Open Library. Skill in comedy, acting and writing is evidence of ability, but “intelligent” has no fixed IQ cut-off, and no score backs the word. For where the line for “genius” is usually drawn, see what genius-level IQ means.
From 2004 to 2012 Laurie played Dr. Gregory House in the Fox drama House. The Golden Globes database lists him as winner of Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama for House in 2006 and 2007, with nominations in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011, and as winner of the Best Supporting Actor award for The Night Manager in 2017.
He released the blues album Let Them Talk in 2011, according to MusicBrainz, and Wikipedia says Selwyn College made him an honorary fellow in 2012.
By Elora Mercer, Celebrity Research WriterFigures checked by Leon Falkner, Data & Research AnalystReviewed by Aarav Vardhan, Editor-in-Chief · Last reviewed November 2026
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Hugh Laurie: the documented record
The estimate above rests on this record. Every entry here is a matter of public fact, which is more than can be said for the number itself.
- 1959Born June 11 in Oxford, England.
- 1978Matriculates at Selwyn College, Cambridge, to study archaeology and anthropology.
- 1980Rows for Cambridge in the Boat Race, which Oxford wins.
- 1981President of the Cambridge Footlights; the Footlights, with Laurie in the cast, are listed as winners of the first Perrier Comedy Award at the Edinburgh Fringe.
- 1996His novel The Gun Seller is first published.
- 2004Begins playing Dr. Gregory House in House, which runs until 2012.
- 2006Wins the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television Series – Drama for House, and wins it again in 2007.
- 2011Releases the blues album Let Them Talk.
- 2012House ends; Selwyn College makes him an honorary fellow.
- 2017Wins the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor for The Night Manager.
Why no figure circulates
Following a claim back to its first appearance is the part almost nobody does — and it is what most people are actually asking.
No IQ test result has been published for Hugh Laurie, so Hugh Laurie’s IQ score is unknown. A number attached to his name without a named test, a date and an examiner is a guess. For how such figures spread, and what to check first, see where celebrity IQ numbers come from. The Golden Globes biography, Selwyn College’s news page and Varsity’s 2012 report on his honorary fellowship all describe his education, rowing and career, and none mentions a test score.
How smart is Hugh Laurie? The documented answer is a record, not a number. He went from Eton College to Selwyn College, Cambridge in 1978, rowed for Cambridge in the 1980 Boat Race and was president of the Footlights in 1981. Wikipedia’s list of Old Etonians records the school; Selwyn College and Varsity record the rest. Admission to a selective university, a Boat Race place and a comedy presidency show ability and drive, but none of them is an intelligence quotient.
Is there a Hugh Laurie House IQ? Not for the actor. Any figure attached to Dr. Gregory House describes a fictional character, whom Laurie played in the Fox drama House from 2004 to 2012. The two Golden Globes he won for the role are awards for acting, not for a test. The site’s separate profile of Gregory House covers the character.
Hugh Laurie’s estimated IQ, 120–140, sits below Stephen Fry (130–145), the Footlights colleague who became his comedy partner, and overlaps Rowan Atkinson (125–140), who studied electrical engineering at Oxford, and Benedict Cumberbatch (125–140).
Its floor is lower than theirs because no Cambridge degree class is firmly documented. On the usual scale (SD 15), 120 is about 1 in 11 people and 140 is about 1 in 261. Use the percentile calculator to see any score in between, and see other actors we have checked.
How we read a number →No school, university or clinical test result for Laurie is public. The Golden Globes biography, Selwyn College’s news page, Varsity’s 2012 report and the Wikipedia biography describe his education, rowing and career, and none gives an IQ.
Gives his birth as June 11, 1959 in Oxford, England; his time in the Cambridge University Footlights Dramatic Club; his work with Stephen Fry in A Bit of Fry & Laurie, Blackadder and Jeeves and Wooster; House (2004–2012) with two Golden Globe Awards; wins in 2006, 2007 and 2017; 8 nominations and 3 wins in total.
Says he is a Selwyn alumnus (SE 1978) who studied archaeology and anthropology, that he is an honorary fellow of the college, and that he was in the 1980 Boat Race.
Reports that Selwyn is to make him an honorary fellow; says he read Social Anthropology, matriculating in 1978, was President of Footlights in 1981 and rowed in the Blues boat the previous year.
Used for Eton College, the Selwyn years, the Boat Race Blue, three Blackadder series from 1986 to 1989, House on Fox, the 2012 honorary fellowship and the Fry and Laurie double act. Wikidata describes him as an English actor, comedian, director, musician and writer (born 1959) and lists no date of death.
Lists J. H. C. Laurie of Selwyn in the Cambridge crew and says Oxford won in the closest finish for a century.
Lists Hugh Laurie (born 1959), actor and comedian.
Says the awards were created by Perrier in 1981; the Hugh Laurie article’s award list names the Cambridge Footlights, with Laurie in the cast, as the 1981 winner.
Gives the first publication year of The Gun Seller as 1996, with Heinemann, Soho Press and Arrow among its publishers.
Lists the album with a first release date of April 29, 2011.
The sources behind our estimate
The figures that circulate for Hugh Laurie, what we were able to confirm, and where the two diverge.
No IQ figure is attached to Hugh Laurie in the biographies, award databases and college pages cited here, although people do search for “Hugh Laurie IQ,” “Hugh Laurie IQ score” and “Hugh Laurie House IQ.”
The Golden Globes biography, Selwyn College’s news page, Varsity’s 2012 report on his honorary fellowship and the Wikipedia biography describe his schooling, rowing, comedy, acting and music. None gives an IQ. A number attached to Dr. Gregory House would describe the fictional character he played, not the actor.
With nothing circulating, there is no spread to audit. 120–140 is this site’s estimated range for Hugh Laurie and the only figure on the page. It rests on a record, not a test, so its floor, its top and its twenty-point width are judgments.
Want a number that does hold up? Every figure on this page is somebody’s claim. Take the 30-question test and get a percentile you can check rather than a figure you have to trust.
Hugh Laurie — frequently asked
What is Hugh Laurie’s IQ?
No IQ test result has been published for Hugh Laurie, so Hugh Laurie’s IQ is unknown as of November 2026. This site’s estimated range is 120–140 on a scale with a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15. It is inferred from his Eton and Cambridge record, his Boat Race place and his career, not from a test.
What is Hugh Laurie’s IQ score?
No Hugh Laurie IQ score is on record: no school, university or clinical result has been published, and the Golden Globes biography, Selwyn College and Varsity give none. This site’s 120–140 is an estimate from public achievement. A figure without a named test, a date and an examiner is a guess.
How smart is Hugh Laurie?
The documented record is an education at Eton and Selwyn College, Cambridge, a place in the 1980 Boat Race crew and a career in comedy, acting, writing and music, including Golden Globes for House in 2006 and 2007. None of that is a test score, and sources differ on his degree class.
Did Hugh Laurie take an IQ test?
No published source says so. No school, university or clinical IQ result for Hugh Laurie is public, and the Golden Globes biography, Selwyn College and Varsity do not mention one. Any claim that he scored a specific number needs a named test, a date and an examiner.
Is Hugh Laurie a genius?
The record shows an accomplished actor, writer and musician, not a measured genius. “Genius” has no fixed IQ cut-off, and no test score backs the word for Hugh Laurie. This site’s estimated range for him is 120–140 on a scale with a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15.
How does Hugh Laurie’s estimated IQ compare with Stephen Fry’s?
This site estimates 120–140 for Hugh Laurie and 130–145 for Stephen Fry, his Fry and Laurie comedy partner. Both ranges rest on records, not tests, and they overlap from 130 to 140, so neither man can be called higher.
What did Hugh Laurie study at Cambridge?
Hugh Laurie studied archaeology and anthropology at Selwyn College, Cambridge, matriculating in 1978, according to the college. Varsity says he read social anthropology. Sources differ on his degree class, so this page uses none.
How does my IQ compare with Hugh Laurie?
You can find out in about fifteen minutes. The IQ Metrics assessment is 30 questions, scored on the same 100-mean scale used throughout this page, so your result and the estimate above are at least expressed in the same units — one measured, one inferred. Once you have a number, the leaderboard shows where it would sit, and how we score and norm it explains the benchmarking.
Where does this estimate come from?
From the documented record rather than a test — the method is named above and set out in full under how we read a number. Compare it against the other actors profiles, starting with Natalie Portman.
- Take the 30-question IQ test — get a measured score and percentile of your own
- Average IQ by country — how the scale behaves across populations
- How IQ Metrics scores its assessment — the method behind our own number
- More on how IQ testing works — reliability, error and what a score can and cannot say
- More actors profiles — same field, same method
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Photograph by Elena Ternovaja (Berlinale, February 17, 2024), CC BY-SA 3.0. Background removed for the portrait above. · Photograph by Harald Krichel, CC BY-SA 4.0. Background removed for the portrait above. · Photograph by Eva Rinaldi, CC BY-SA 2.0. Background removed for the portrait above.
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