Neil Patrick Harris is an American actor, producer, director, magician, comedian and singer. He is best known for playing Barney Stinson in the television comedy series How I Met Your Mother (2005–2014), for which he was nominated for four Emmy Awards. As a child star he played the title character in Doogie Howser, M.D. (1989–1993). He is also known for his role as the title character in Joss Whedon's musical Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (2008) and a fictional version of himself in the Harold & Kumar film series (2004–2011). He has also appeared in the films Starship Troopers (1997), Beastly (2011), The Smurfs (2011), The Smurfs 2 (2013) and Gone Girl (2014). Harris was named as one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in 2010, and was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in September 2011. He has also hosted the Tony Awards on Broadway in 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2013, for which he won several special class Emmy Awards. He also hosted the Primetime Emmy Awards in 2009 and 2013, and will host the 87th Academy Awards in 2015. In 2014, he starred as the title role of Hedwig and the Angry Inch on Broadway, for which he won the 2014 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical.
Both of his parents are lawyers.
Went to the same high school as Freddie Prinze Jr..
Has performed magic tricks on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" , "Late Show with David Letterman" , "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" , "Ellen: The Ellen DeGeneres Show" and "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" .
Has sung since he was a child. His father played the folk guitar and together they entertained.
His favorite movie is Rear Window by Alfred Hitchcock.
His parents own a restaurant called "Perreniels" in Albuquerque. His brother is now running the restaurant.
Based on his Los Angeles stage performance in the musical Rent, he was attached to play Mark Cohen in a television mini series based on the Broadway musical, with Wilson Cruz as Angel, Rikki Lee Travolta as Roger Davis, and singer Shakira as Mimi, but the rights were pulled in order for Chris Columbus to make a film adaptation using much of the original Broadway cast including Anthony Rapp in the role of Mark.
Is an avid Les Miserables fan, and performed the song "The Confrontation" with his co-star Jason Segel (both of "How I Met Your Mother" fame) live on "The Megan Mullally Show" . He performed the role of Javert, to wild cheers from the audience.
He was the "Not My Job" guest on the April 5, 2008, episode of the National Public Radio quiz show "Wait Wait... Dont Tell Me!".
He is an amateur magician, which he once demonstrated on the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon.
Typically, actors playing themselves on film are listed "as Himself" in the films credits. Due to the over-the-top, outlandish nature of his role in Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle and Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay , he requested that his credit read "Neil Patrick Harris" instead of "as Himself". This was to make clear that he was playing a fictional character that was in no way a true representation of himself.
According to an oral history of "Dr. Horribles Sing-Along Blog" published in July 2008 in Entertainment Weekly, he auditioned to play the doctor role on "Firefly" that was eventually filled by Sean Maher.
He is credited using all three names because there was already a different actor named Neil Harris in the Screen Actors Guild by the time he first got his SAG card. Harris joked on NPRs "Fresh Air with Terry Gross" that he uses all three names because its "far more theatrical," and that he and his parents considered using names like "Neil Danger Harris" or "Neil Patrick Rocket".
Has been in a committed relationship with stage and screen actor David Burtka , his partner since 2004.
Harriss closest friends include his companion David Burtka , Amy Acker , Lori and Lex Medlin , Becky Baeling , and Brandon Boyce.
Enjoys Red Bull so much on and off the set of "How I Met Your Mother" that he was given a lifetime supply of it and a mini-refrigerator by the company that makes the drink because of the amount of free advertising he has given it.
In one year, he hosted The 7th Annual TV Land Awards , The 63rd Annual Tony Awards , and The 61st Primetime Emmy Awards . All three ceremonies featured him singing a song about the occasion that had been written for him by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman.
Recipient of the 2009 The Trevor Life Award, which annually honors an "individual who, through his or her example, support, volunteerism and/or occupation, is an inspiration to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, or Questioning youth." The award is presented by The Trevor Project, a national crisis and suicide prevention organization helping LGBTQ young people who are facing familial rejection or considering suicide. The next year, he was elected to the Board of Directors of the Trevor Project.
All in the same award season, he hosted The 61st Primetime Emmy Awards and The 63rd Annual Tony Awards , presented an award at The 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards and had an opening act at The 82nd Annual Academy Awards .
In 2010, Time Magazine named Harris one of their 100 Most Influential People in the World. Joss Whedon wrote the short article on Harris in the issue.
Told Howard Stern that he had plastic surgery to pin his ears back so that they would not stick out as much as they did when he was an adolescent.
On October 12, 2010, his and David Burtka s twins, son Gideon Scott and daughter Harper Grace, were born via surrogate.
Was in a relationship with Christine Taylor (1997-1998).
Was in a relationship with Robyn Lively , when they worked together on the set of "Doogie Howser, M.D." .
Agreed to be the announcer for the CoasterRadio.com podcast after being impressed by the shows year-long "Neil Patrick Harris Project".
Friends with his "How I Met Your Mother" co-star, Alyson Hannigan.
In June 24, 2011, Harris and David Burtka announced their engagement via Twitter, stating that they had proposed to each other five years ago but kept the engagement secret until same-sex marriage became legal.
Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6243 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California [September 2011].
Harris and his partner, David Burtka , have two children, Gideon Scott and Harper Grace, born on October 12, 2010.
Is of Irish descent.
Is a huge fan of the series, "Mystery Science Theater 3000" , and noted that he never missed an episode while making "Doogie Howser, M.D." .
Is a lifelong comic book fan and has provided voices for famous characters such as The Flash, Nightwing and Spider-Man (in both a series and video game).
In June 2013, the New York Times reported that Harris is set to star in the title role in the first Broadway production of John Cameron Mitchells rock musical "Hedwig and the Angry Inch", scheduled for spring 2014.
In 2011, Harris and Burtka told People Magazine that they were each the biological father of one of their twins. Harris said: "We found an egg donor anonymously through a hilarious process of looking at peoples profiles and then an amazing surrogate who had helped a same-sex couple before. And then we inserted two eggs, one with my sperm, one with Davids sperm and they both took." Burtka added: "We dont know whose is whose."
(April 2006) "Chris Keller" in Arthur Miller s "All My Sons" at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles.
(February 2003) Appearing on Broadway as the Emcee in "Cabaret"
(June 2006) Filled in as co-host for Regis Philbin on "Live with Regis and Kelly".
(May 2005) He will be starring in the London production of Jonathan Larson s "Tick, Tick...Boom!" through September 2005
Co-Producing a Los Angeles version of the hit off-off Broadway interactive theatre experience "Accomplice: New York" with Tom Salamon.
(April 2004) Currently appearing on Broadway as Lee Harvey Oswald in a production of Stephen Sondheim s musical "Assassins".
Won Broadways Tony Award as Best Actor in a Musical for his performance in "Hedwig and the Angry Inch.".
He has English, Scottish, and German ancestry.
He was awarded the 1997 Drama Logue Award for Performance for "Rent" in the Center Theatre Group production at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, California.
He was awarded the 1997 Back Stage Garland Award for Outstanding Performance for "Rent" in a Center Theatre Group production at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, California.
Friends with Kal Penn , and Angela Lansbury.
Comedy is way more difficult than drama. What I might find funny, the,editor might not find funny. They might choose the reaction shot from,Take 4 with my line from Take 1 with my next line from Take 7, and then,the timing that I was trying to do does not come across.
[on the Tony Awards] We like to call it 50 Shades of Gay.
I have always been a fan of that immersive theatre idea that there is,some kind of puzzle unfolding, and that things are happening around you,without you knowing it.
