Neil Patrick Harris

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Neil Patrick Harris

Neil Patrick Harris
Neil Patrick Harris, 2008
Born	Neil Patrick Harris June 15, 1973 (1973-06-15) (age 35) Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1979 — present
Domestic partner(s)	David Burtka[1]

Neil Patrick Harris (born June 15, 1973) is an American Golden Globe- and Emmy-nominated actor. Prominent roles in his career include the title character of Doogie Howser, M.D., the womanizing Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Mother, Col. Carl Jenkins in Starship Troopers, Dr. Horrible of the web series Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, and as a fictionalized version of himself in Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle and its sequel Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay.

Biography

Early life

Harris was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S., and grew up in Ruidoso, New Mexico. His parents, Sheila H. and Ron Harris, were lawyers. He has an older brother, and it was by following his brother to an audition in fourth grade that he first began acting—as Toto in a school production of The Wizard of Oz. He attended La Cueva High School in Albuquerque and was active in school plays and musicals there. Harris was an honors student and graduated with honors in 1991. He was three years ahead of fellow La Cueva student Freddie Prinze, Jr.^[2]

Career

Harris at the 2008 Comic Con in San Diego, California.

Harris began his career as a child actor. His first significant roles came in 1988, when he starred in two movies: the film Clara's Heart, a drama with Whoopi Goldberg that won him a Golden Globe nomination; and Purple People Eater, a children's fantasy. The following year, he won the lead in Doogie Howser, M.D., for which he was again nominated for a Golden Globe. After Doogie Howser's four-season run ended in 1993, Harris played a number of guest roles on television series, before taking his first film role as an adult in 1995 in the little-seen shocker Animal Room. Since then, his film work has included supporting roles in The Next Best Thing, Undercover Brother, Starship Troopers, as well as Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle and Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay, both in which he played a drug-crazed, lecherous parody of himself.

From 1999 to 2000, Harris starred with Tony Shalhoub in the sitcom Stark Raving Mad, which lasted twenty-two 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, A Christmas Wish in 1998, Joan of Arc in 1999, The Wedding Dress in 2001, and The Christmas Blessing in 2005, as well as series guest roles.

Harris has worked on Broadway in both musical and dramatic roles. He played Tobias Ragg in 2001 concert performances of Sweeney Todd. In 2002, he performed on Broadway 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 celeb stars John Stamos and Alan Cumming.^[3]

In 2004, he performed a dual role of the Balladeer and Lee Harvey Oswald on Broadway in the controversial 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. He has also portrayed Mark Cohen in the musical RENT. Harris' current role is in the CBS ensemble sitcom How I Met Your Mother, playing a serial womanizer in a performance that earned him a 2007 and a 2008 Emmy nomination. The show debuted in the fall of 2005 and wrapped up its third season on May 19, 2008. In 2004 and 2008 respectively, Harris portrayed a comic fictionalized version of himself in the films Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle and Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay.

In 2007, Harris worked with Mike Nelson on an audio commentary for RiffTrax. The two riffed on the film, Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory. Harris is a big fan of the cult TV series Nelson worked on, Mystery Science Theater 3000, and was interviewed for a 1992 Comedy Central special hosted by Penn Jillette, who did voiceovers for Comedy Central's programming at that time, about the series and its fans, This Is MST3K.^[4] In 2008, Harris starred alongside Nathan Fillion and Felicia Day in Joss Whedon's musical web series, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. The first episode of the series debuted July 14, 2008.^[5] Neil has also appeared on Sesame Street as the Sesame Street Shoe Fairy.^[6][7]

Personal life

In November 2006, after a report about Harris' romantic relationship with actor David Burtka surfaced on www.Canada.com, Harris came out publicly in People.^[8][9] He had been openly gay in his personal life and in the theater community, but stated, "[T]he public eye has always been kind to me, and until recently I have been able to live a pretty normal life. Now it seems there is speculation and interest in my private life and relationships. So, rather than ignore those who choose to publish their opinions without actually talking to me, 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."^[9] Harris and Burtka attended the Emmy awards in September 2007 as an openly acknowledged gay couple for the first time, an appearance which Harris discussed on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and which was reported in various media outlets.^[10][11] Neil and David have been together since 2004. Harris refers to Burtka as "My better half" and an "amazing chef."^[12]

On April 5, 2008, Harris played 'Not My Job' on the NPR news quiz show Wait Wait… Don't Tell Me!. He lost the game by answering only one of three questions correctly about famous British April Fool's Day pranks.^[13]

Harris is a fan of magic and is on the Board of Directors of Hollywood's Magic Castle.^[14]

Credits

• Spider-Man: The New Animated Series (2003) Peter Parker/Spider-Man
• Capitol Critters (1992) Max
• The Simpsons (1991 episode "Bart the Murderer"), as himself playing the title role in the made-for-TV movie Blood on the Blackboard: The Bart Simpson Story

Video games

• Saints Row 2 (2008) as DJ Veteran Child
• Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard as Wally Wellesly

Internet

• Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (2008) as Billy/Dr. Horrible

Audio Books

• Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary
• Henry and the Clubhouse by Beverly Cleary
• Henry and the Paper Route by Beverly Cleary
• Socks by Beverly Cleary

Awards and nominations

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Neil Patrick Harris

• Neil Patrick Harris Biography
• Neil Patrick Harris at the Internet Broadway Database
• Neil Patrick Harris at the Internet Movie Database
• Neil Patrick Harris interview at AOL Television
• A question and answer session with Harris at Broadway.com
• Neil Patrick Harris and Marc Kudisch - Downstage Center audio interview at American Theatre Wing.org
• Video: 9/06 Interview on myfoxla.com.
• Neil Patrick Harris Comes Out as "Content Gay Man"

Categories:

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Template computed age

1973 births

American child actors

American film actors

American musical theatre actors

American television actors

American voice actors

Gay actors from the United States

La Cueva High School alumni

Living people

New Mexico actors

People from Albuquerque, New Mexico