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Neil Patrick Harris
Harris at a ceremony to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. September 2011
Born	(1973-06-15) June 15, 1973 (age 51) Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Actor, writer, producer, director, comedian, magician, singer
Years active	1988–present
Spouse	David Burtka ​(m. 2014)​
Children	2

Neil Patrick Harris (born June 15, 1973) is an American actor, writer, 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 Leading Actor in a Musical.

Early life

Harris was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico and grew up in the town of Ruidoso. His parents, Sheila (Scott) and Ronald Gene Harris, were lawyers and ran a restaurant. He attended La Cueva High School in Albuquerque, graduating with high honors in 1991.

Career

Film

Harris began his career as a child actor and was discovered by playwright Mark Medoff at a drama camp in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Medoff later cast him in the 1988 drama film Clara's Heart, starring Whoopi Goldberg based on the novel of the same name by Joseph Olshan. Clara's Heart earned Harris a Golden Globe nomination. The same year, he starred in Purple People Eater, a children's fantasy.

His first film role as an adult was 1995's Animal Room, although he portrayed a teenager. His subsequent film work has included supporting roles in The Next Best Thing, Undercover Brother, and Starship Troopers. Harris plays a fictionalized version of himself in the Harold and Kumar stoner comedy films Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay and A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas.

In 2010, he provided voice acting for the role of the adult Dick Grayson (Nightwing) in the animated film Batman: Under the Red Hood and the beagle Lou in the film Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore. The same year, he played the lead in the indie comedy The Best and the Brightest. On March 7, 2010, he made a surprise appearance at the 82nd Academy Awards, delivering the opening musical number. He starred in the films The Smurfs (2011) and The Smurfs 2 (2013) and David Fincher's Gone Girl (2014) with Ben Affleck.

On February 22, 2015, Harris will host the 87th Academy Awards; it will be Harris' first time hosting the ceremony.

Stage

Harris has worked on Broadway in both musical and dramatic roles. He played Tobias Ragg in the 2001 concert performances of Sweeney Todd. In 2002, he performed beside Anne Heche in Proof. In 2003, he took the role of the Emcee in Cabaret alongside Deborah Gibson and Tom Bosley. As a result of his critically acclaimed performance in Cabaret, Harris was named the top-drawing headliner in the role of the Emcee by GuestStarCasting.com, topping fellow celebrity stars John Stamos and Alan Cumming. In 2004, he performed a dual role of the Balladeer and Lee Harvey Oswald on Broadway, in the musical revival of Stephen Sondheim's Assassins. He also sang the role of Charles (first played by Anthony Perkins) on the Nonesuch recording of Sondheim's Evening Primrose, and has portrayed Mark Cohen in the touring company of the musical Rent, a role he mockingly reprised on the January 10, 2009, episode of Saturday Night Live, which he hosted.

In 2010, he directed a production of the rock musical Rent at the Hollywood Bowl; he cast his Beastly co-star Vanessa Hudgens as Mimi. In 2011, Harris played the lead role of Bobby in Stephen Sondheim's Company, with the New York Philharmonic in concert opposite Patti LuPone and others. The same year, he directed The Expert at the Card Table at Broad Stage's Edye in Santa Monica, California.

Harris has hosted the Tony Awards four times including: the 63rd Tony Awards on June 7, 2009, 65th Tony Awards on June 12, 2011, the 66th Tony Awards on June 10, 2012, and the 67th Tony Awards on Sunday, June 9, 2013. Only Angela Lansbury, who hosted five ceremonies, has hosted the Tony Awards more times. Hosting the Tony Awards has earned him three Emmy Awards; on 2010, 2012 and 2013 for the 63rd, 65th and 66th respectively.

A week after hosting the Tonys, it was announced that Harris would portray the titular role in the first Broadway production of the rock musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch, which he did from March through August 2014.

Television

In 1989, Harris won the lead role in Doogie Howser, M.D., for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe. After the show's four-season run ended in 1993, Harris played a number of guest roles on television series, including Murder She Wrote. From 1999 to 2000, Harris starred with Tony Shalhoub in the NBC sitcom Stark Raving Mad, which lasted 22 episodes. He has taken lead roles in a number of made-for-television features including Snowbound: The Jim and Jennifer Stolpa Story in 1994, My Ántonia in 1995, The Christmas Wish in 1998, Joan of Arc in 1999, The Wedding Dress in 2001 and The Christmas Blessing in 2005.

From 2005 to 2014, Harris played Barney Stinson, a serial womanizer, in the CBS ensemble sitcom How I Met Your Mother. The role earned him Emmy nominations every year from 2007 to 2010.

In 2008, he guest-starred on Sesame Street as the Sesame Street Fairy Shoe Person. In 2009, Harris hosted the 7th Annual TV Land Awards and appeared as a guest judge on Season 9 of American Idol.

He also hosted the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards on September 20 of the same year. On August 21, 2010, he won two Emmy Awards at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards ceremony, one of which was for his guest performance in the television series Glee. Harris hosted the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards on September 22, 2013, marking the second time he hosted the event.

After a preview at the San Diego Comic-Con, a musical episode of Batman: The Brave and the Bold, featuring Harris as the villainous Music Meister, premiered on October 23, 2009 on Cartoon Network. As a character who could make anyone do his bidding by singing, he spent most of the episode singing several original songs.

In 2014, Harris turned down the chance to replace David Letterman as host of the Late Show on CBS, stating that he feared he would get bored of the repetition hosting the show entails. He also rejected the suggestion of replacing Craig Ferguson as host of The Late Late Show on the same grounds.

Magic

Harris is a fan of magic, like his character on How I Met Your Mother. He serves as the President of the Board of Directors of Hollywood's Magic Castle. Harris won the Tannen's Magic Louis Award in 2006 and hosted the 2008 World Magic Awards on October 11, 2008. Additionally, Harris and partner David Burtka were guests of honor for a Top Chef Masters episode which took place at the Magic Castle. Harris also performed magic in his Emmy-winning performance on Glee.

Other media

In 2007, Harris worked with Mike Nelson on an audio commentary for RiffTrax. The two "riffed" on the film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. Harris is a big fan of the cult TV series Nelson worked on, Mystery Science Theater 3000. He was interviewed for a 1992 Comedy Central special This Is MST3K hosted by Penn Jillette about the series and its fans. In 2008, Harris played the title role in Joss Whedon's musical web series Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog alongside Nathan Fillion and Felicia Day. The first episode of the series debuted July 15, 2008. He has also provided his voice for the Disney California Adventure Park attraction California Screamin'.

On December 11, 2010, Harris hosted the Spike Video Game Awards.

Personal life

Harris confirmed that he is gay in November 2006 by saying, "I am happy to dispel any rumors or misconceptions and am quite proud to say that I am a very content gay man living my life to the fullest and feel most fortunate to be working with wonderful people in the business I love."

Harris attended the Emmy Awards in September 2007 with his fiancé David Burtka, later confirming the relationship. In an interview on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Harris said his relationship with Burtka began in 2004. On August 14, 2010, Harris announced that he and Burtka were expecting twins via a surrogate mother. The children—Gideon Scott, a boy, and Harper Grace, a girl, were born on October 12, 2010.

Following the passage of the Marriage Equality Act in New York on June 24, 2011, Harris and Burtka announced their engagement via Twitter, stating that they had proposed to each other five years earlier but kept the engagement secret until same-sex marriage became legal. On September 8, 2014, Harris announced on his Twitter page that David Burtka and he were married over the weekend in Italy. Pam Fryman, the long-time director of How I Met Your Mother, officiated the wedding while Elton John performed at the reception.

Harris and Burtka bought a townhouse on Fifth Avenue in Harlem in 2013, the neighborhood where they had been living for many years previously.

Controversy

In January 2013, a WorldNetDaily article criticized a Super Bowl XLVII advert where Harris had eye black with "Feb 3 2013" written on it. The conservative website accused Harris of "mocking Christianity", as quarterback Tim Tebow was known for inscribing Bible verses with eye black during NFL games. However, a similar Beyoncé advert for the Super Bowl had not been criticized. In a Twitter post later made by Harris about the Super Bowl, he used the hashtag "#noagenda".

Discography

Cast recordings

Singles

Filmography

Film

Television

Theater

Web

Video games

Bibliography

• Harris, Neil Patrick (2014). Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography. Crown Archetype. ISBN 978-0385346993.

Awards and nominations

References

1. Gates, Anita. "Neil Patrick Harris News". The New York Times.
2. "Neil Patrick Harris: A Man of Mystery, Magic & Marriage (INTERVIEW)". Biography. Retrieved October 20, 2014.
3. "The 2010 Time 100". Time. Retrieved October 2, 2010.
4. Schneieder, Michael (June 17, 2010). "Oprah, Neil Patrick Harris, Tina Fey to get Hollywood Walk of Fame stars". Variety. Retrieved March 4, 2012.
5. Mark Kennedy, AP Drama Writer (June 10, 2013). "Neil Patrick Harris once again proves a Tony Awards host with 'fantastic instincts'". Minneapolis Star Tribune. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
6. "Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography by Neil Patrick Harris - Excerpt". Retrieved November 13, 2014.
7. Keveney, Bill (September 13, 2009). "Host Neil Patrick Harris gives Emmys a bit of awesomeness". USA Today. Retrieved September 21, 2009.
8. Alpha Chi Omega | Greek Life | University of Arkansas
9. "How Neil Patrick Harris Met Himself". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 13, 2014.
10. Belcher, David (April 18, 2004). "Killer parts: Albuquerque's Neil Patrick Harris is back on Broadway with two roles in controversial 'Assassins'", Albuquerque Journal. p. F1.
11. "Anytime with Bob Kushell feat. Neil Patrick Harris". Anytime with Bob Kushell. Season 1. Episode 3. January 1, 2009.
12. "Neil Patrick Harris Lands Two Film Roles". TV Guide. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
13. Gray, Tim (October 15, 2014). "Neil Patrick Harris to Host the Oscars". Variety. Retrieved October 15, 2014.
14. Preston Scott Reed (September 2, 2005). "Neil Patrick Harris and John Stamos Lead Emcee Rankings". Dime-Co. Retrieved September 5, 2007.
15. Wada, Karen (April 9, 2010). "Vanessa Hudgens to star in Rent at the Hollywood Bowl this summer". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
16. "Rialto Chatter: Patti LuPone to Join Neil Patrick Harris in NY Philharmonic's Company in April?". January 13, 2011.
17. McNulty, Charles (July 17, 2011). "Theater review: The Expert at the Card Table at the Broad Stage's Edye". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 9, 2011.
18. Littleton, Cynthia (July 1, 2009). "Neil Patrick Harris Lands Hopping to Emmys". Variety. Retrieved July 4, 2009. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
19. "Neil Patrick Harris Returning As Tony Awards Host". NY1. Retrieved May 9, 2013.
20. ^ Keveney, Bill (September 20, 2013). "Neil Patrick Harris is happy to host the Emmys". USA TODAY.
21. "Neil Patrick Harris to Star in 'Hedwig and the Angry Inch' on Broadway". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. June 17, 2013. Retrieved August 31, 2013.
22. The Broadway League. "Hedwig and the Angry Inch - IBDB: The official source for Broadway Information". Retrieved November 13, 2014.
23. Jensen, Michael (July 21, 2008). "TCA Weekend Update: Neil Patrick Harris, "The Starter Wife" and more!". Retrieved November 28, 2009.
24. "Sesame Street Enters 39th Season". Sesame Workshop. Retrieved October 31, 2009.
25. Graham, Mark (July 23, 2008). "NPH Sweeps The Clouds Away As The Shoe Fairy On Sesame Street". Defamer. Retrieved September 5, 2007.
26. Martin, Denise (August 25, 2009). "Neil Patrick Harris signs on to guest judge American Idol". Los Angeles Times blogs. Retrieved September 19, 2009.
27. "Dream On". Glee. Episode 19. May 18, 2010. Fox. Retrieved May 19, 2010. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |seriesno= ignored (|series-number= suggested) (help)
28. "Emmy Awards, The: 65th Primetime (2013)". Archive of American Television.
29. "Emmys: Neil Patrick Harris Explains In Memoriam Changes". Access Hollywood. September 20, 2013.
30. Christopher said... (October 23, 2009). "Neil Patrick Harris is on Batman tonight (and he sings!)". TV Squad. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
31. Randee Dawn (May 15, 2014). "Neil Patrick Harris turned down 'Late Show' job, fearing boredom". Today Show. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
32. "The Academy of Magical Arts Board of Directors and Board of Trustees". Retrieved April 7, 2012.
33. "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory". RiffTrax. Retrieved July 30, 2008.
34. "Joss Whedon Interview: The Web Has Been Wonderful For "Horrible"". Tubefilter. July 15, 2008. Retrieved July 15, 2008.
35. "Hey, That Sounds Like Neil Patrick Harris". Disney Parks Blog.
36. "Neil Patrick Harris To Host Spike TV's 2010 "Video Game Awards"". Spike Press Center. December 20, 2010.
37. "Exclusive: Neil Patrick Harris tells People He is Gay". People. November 3, 2006. Retrieved March 24, 2008.
38. Thomson, Katherine (September 13, 2007). "Watch: Neil Patrick Harris Tells Ellen About Going To The Emmys Since Coming Out". The Huffington Post. Retrieved March 24, 2008.
39. Template:Twitter status
40. Hartenstein, Meena (August 15, 2010). "Neil Patrick Harris to be dad to twins with fiancé David Burtka, actor announces on Twitter". New York Daily News. Retrieved August 16, 2010.
41. Template:Twitter status
42. "Neil Patrick Harris Welcomes 'Happy, Healthy' Twins". People. October 15, 2010. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
43. Template:Twitter status
44. "Neil Patrick Harris announces secret engagement". Digital Spy. June 25, 2011. Retrieved March 4, 2012.
45. Template:Twitter status
46. "They're married! Neil Patrick Harris weds partner of 10 years David Burtka during intimate ceremony in Italy". Dailymail.
47. "Neil Patrick Harris dishes about his wedding day". CBS News.
48. "Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka say 'I do'". New Love Times.
49. "Neil Patrick Harris Marries David Burtka". People.
50. Leonard, Elizabeth (September 8, 2014). "Neil Patrick Harris Marries David Burtka". People. Retrieved September 8, 2014.
51. Spero, Jesse (September 8, 2014). "Neil Patrick Harris & David Burtka Wed In Italy". Access Hollywood. Retrieved September 8, 2014.
52. Bueno, Antoinette (September 8, 2014). "Neil Patrick Harris Marries David Burtka". ET Online. Retrieved September 8, 2014.
53. Jennifer Gould Keil. "Neil Patrick Harris and fiancé purchase stunning Fifth Ave. townhouse". New York Post.
54. Zara, Christopher (January 7, 2013). "Neil Patrick Harris Super Bowl XLVII Ad 'Mocks Christians,' Pushes 'Gay Agenda,' Say Critics". International Business Times. IBT Media. Retrieved January 10, 2015.
55. "Does Neil Patrick Harris' Super Bowl ad mock Christianity and Tim Tebow?". United Press International. January 8, 2013. Retrieved January 10, 2015.
56. Larkin, Mike (January 8, 2013). "Neil Patrick Harris accused of pushing pro gay agenda after wearing Tim Tebow-style face paint in Super Bowl ad". Daily Mail. DMG Media. Retrieved January 10, 2015.
57. "Neil Patrick Harris' Super Bowl Ad Slammed For 'Pushing Gay Agenda' On CBS". The Huffington Post. January 7, 2013. Retrieved January 10, 2015.
58. Caulfield, Keith (May 26, 2010). "'Glee' Stops the Show at No. 1, Stones Come in Second On Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved May 26, 2010.
59. A Matter of Time: The Unauthorized Back to the Future Lexicon Page 125
60. "New Batman DVD to peek out from 'Under the Red Hood'". Latimes. February 9, 2010. Retrieved May 19, 2010.
61. Champion, Lindsay. "Magic Extravaganza Nothing to Hide Headed Off-Broadway, Directed by Neil Patrick Harris". Broadway.com. Retrieved September 24, 2013.
62. "Saints Row". Retrieved November 13, 2014.

External links

• Neil Patrick Harris at IMDb
• Neil Patrick Harris at the Internet Broadway Database
• Neil Patrick Harris at Internet Off-Broadway Database
• Neil Patrick Harris on Twitter
• Template:ODP
• 2011 interview with The Sondheim Review

Template:Academy Awards hosts Template:Primetime Emmy hosts Template:Tony hosts

Template:Persondata

• 1973 births
• Living people
• Male actors from New Mexico
• American male comedians
• American male child actors
• American male film actors
• American magicians
• American male musical theatre actors
• American male singers
• American male television actors
• American male voice actors
• Primetime Emmy Award winners
• Gay actors
• La Cueva High School alumni
• LGBT magicians
• People from Albuquerque, New Mexico
• People from Lincoln County, New Mexico
• American male stage actors
• 20th-century American male actors
• 21st-century American male actors
• American theatre directors
• LGBT entertainers from the United States
• LGBT people from New Mexico
• Tony Award winners
• Drama Desk Award winners
• Writers from New Mexico
• American autobiographers
• Gay writers
• LGBT writers from the United States
• LGBT memoirists
• 21st-century American writers
• LGBT directors
• American television directors
• American television hosts
• Project Runway (U.S. series) judges
• Male Shakespearean actors
• American male Shakespearean actors