Hugh Laurie - Hugh Laurie Takes Over From Charlie Sheen As Highest Paid Actor?

Hugh Laurie, the British actor and star of the medical drama 'House', has reportedly become the highest paid television actor by default.Bosses at CBS put production on 'Two and Half Men' on hold after a series of outbursts from the show's leading man, Charlie Sheen. The 45-year-old refers to himself as 'unemployed' on his new Twitter page biography and according to a report by Robot Celeb, that now makes Laurie the highest earning actor in television. Sheen was reportedly making $1.25 million per episode at 'Two and a Half Men' and has for several years been regarded as the biggest earner in the business. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Laurie earns around $400,000 per episode or $9 million a year for his work on 'House'. Csi's William Petersen is reported to be on a similar salary but also acts as the show's executive producer.

Hugh Laurie hit the headlines earlier this week when he appeared on 'The Ellen Degeneres Show' claiming to have contracted his first ever 'common cold'. The 51-year-old said, "It's the first cold of my whole life ... I'm excited about it because for so many years I believed that I didn't get colds because, basically, nothing could live in this body. I was so addled with booze and cigarettes... but it appears I have curb appeal after all".