101 Dalmatians
Hugh played Jasper, the tall, skinny henchman of Cruella De
Vil, in
this live-action remake
of the animated classic. Glenn Close starred as Cruella, with Joely
Richardson and Jeff Daniels as Anita and Roger, and Mark Williams as
Cruella's other henchman, Horace. Premiering in November 1996, the film
set a record for a Thanksgiving weekend opening with a 45
million-dollar box office.
Some reviews:
"The best turns belong to Hugh Laurie and Mark Williams, who manage to put a bit of spark into their duet as Cruella's incompetent thugs....they play amusingly off each other: Laurie the sharp-witted top dog with a classy line in vocabulary... and Williams the slack-jawed underdog, chock-ful of slowly-mounting resentment." - Kevin Jackson, Independent on Sunday
"And there's Hugh Laurie as one of her bumbling lackeys. This guy's the thinking person's Jim Carrey, with a face nearly as rubbery but not without a capacity for subtlety." - Doug Wagner, Scripps Howard News Service
"For more traditional slapstick relief, we get English character clowns Hugh Laurie and Mark Williams....these guys exist mainly to botch crimes and suffer abuse. They excel in both endeavors." - Bob Ross, Tampa Tribune
"The movie may fall short of weaving a perfect spell, but it has its strengths. High on the list:....Hugh Laurie, the delightful British comedian best known to Americans as Bertie Wooster on PBS (Jeeves and Wooster), can be funny just standing around." - Margaret A. McGurk, Cincinnati Enquirer
"Even with the marvelous Hugh Laurie and Mark Williams as Jasper and Horace,Cruella's stupid hirelings, the movie never quite catches its breath. The henchmen have thankless roles....Still, they provide more comic relief than anyone else in the film." - Paula Nechak, Seattle Gay News
"In addition, there is no discounting the considerable benefits to be gained when one fine performance is complemented (and complimented) with the addition of excellent comic support. Laurie and Williams make a masterful pair of bumbling fools...." - Carrie Gorringe, Nitrate Online
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