Despite being one of television’s hottest stars, House star Hugh Laurie is a sad man. He's has had difficulty coping with his fame because his wife and three children are back home thousands of miles away in his native London. Though he misses his family, he doesn't want them to uproot their lives and move to Los Angeles. He told the UK's Daily Mail:

"It's tragic - I'm an absentee father. But now they're teenagers and they've got their own life and it's tough to drag them out. We continue to look for signs that would allow us to be together."

Laurie has been photographed looking thoroughly miserable in LA--[he] was seen renting a small boat in LA and sitting glumly on his own. (Source)

Jesus Christ, how depressing. Pretty much the only way this little boat scene could be more depressing is if Hugh was wearing clown makeup but not the happy-face clown--the one that brings cotton candy and smiles to little children, but rather the sad-face clown--the one that used to look up Mommy's skirt. He gave me candy so I wouldn't tell. It was our little secret.

Source)

Jesus Christ, how depressing. Pretty much the only way this little boat scene could be more depressing is if Hugh was wearing clown makeup but not the happy-face clown--the one that brings cotton candy and smiles to little children, but rather the sad-face clown--the one that used to look up Mommy's skirt. He gave me candy so I wouldn't tell. It was our little secret.

Source)

Jesus Christ, how depressing. Pretty much the only way this little boat scene could be more depressing is if Hugh was wearing clown makeup but not the happy-face clown--the one that brings cotton candy and smiles to little children, but rather the sad-face clown--the one that used to look up Mommy's skirt. He gave me candy so I wouldn't tell. It was our little secret.