Laurie joins top-paid TV actors club

Hugh Laurie won’t need to work behind a retail counter hawking auto parts any time soon, thanks to a new deal that will make him one of the highest-paid actors on television. Laurie is the star of the second-highest rated scripted drama on network TV, Fox’s House M.D.

When the medical drama began in 2004, Laurie wasn’t even making six figures per episode; he received his first bump two seasons ago, and has been hauling in $250,00 to $300,000 per episode over the past two seasons. The new deal will net Laurie around $400,00 per episode, or about $9 million a year.

Only William Peterson of CSI ($600,000 per epi) and Keifer Sutherland of 24 ($500,000 per epi) make significantly more than Laurie, and their shows don’t match the ratings performance of House MD, so the remuneration is well-earned. The contract extension guarantees Laurie will stick with the role of grumpy doc Gregory House for four more seasons, through 2011-2012.