At the time of the casting session, actor Hugh Laurie was in Namibia filming the film Flight of the Phoenix. He assembled an audition tape in a lodge bathroom, the one place with enough light, and apologized for its look (which Singer compared to a “bin Laden video”). Singer was very impressed by his efficiency and commented on how properly the “American actor” was capable of grasp the character. Singer was not aware that Laurie was English, due to his American accent. Laurie credit the accent to “a misspent youth too much TV and too many films”.
In the United …