Neil Patrick Harris facts for kids

"Neil Patrick" redirects here. Not to be confused with Neal Patrick of The 414s.

Quick facts for kids Neil Patrick Harris
Harris at BookCon in 2019
Born	(1973-06-15) June 15, 1973 (age 52) Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.
Education	La Cueva High School
Occupation	Actor singer writer producer television host
Years active	1988–present
Spouse(s)	David Burtka (m. 2014)
Children	2
Awards	Full list

Neil Patrick Harris (born June 15, 1973) is a famous American actor, singer, writer, producer, and television host. He is well-known for his funny roles on TV and his serious and musical parts on stage. Throughout his career, he has won many awards. These include a Tony Award and five Primetime Emmy Awards. He was also nominated for a Grammy Award.

On television, he played the main character in Doogie Howser, M.D. from 1989 to 1993. He was also famous as Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Mother (2005–2014). Later, he played Count Olaf in the Netflix series A Series of Unfortunate Events (2017–2019). He won an Emmy for his role in Glee (2010). Harris also starred in the musical Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (2008). He played a funny version of himself in the Harold & Kumar movies (2004–2011). His other movies include Starship Troopers (1997) and Gone Girl (2014).

On stage, he first appeared on Broadway in the play Proof in 2002. He won a Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for his role in the musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2014). Neil Patrick Harris has hosted many award shows. These include the Tony Awards four times and the Primetime Emmy Awards twice. He also hosted the Academy Awards in 2015. In 2010, Time magazine named him one of the 100 Most Influential People.

Early Life and Education
Career Highlights
Personal Life and Family
Charity Work
Discography
- Cast Recordings
Acting Roles
Audiobooks
Awards and Nominations
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and Education

Harris was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He grew up in Ruidoso, New Mexico, with his older brother. His parents, Sheila Gail and Ronald Gene Harris, were lawyers. They also ran a restaurant.

He went to La Cueva High School in Albuquerque. He graduated with high honors in 1991. He said he did well because he had private tutoring for half the school year while working on sets.

Career Highlights

Starting as a Young Actor (1988–2003)

Harris started acting when he was a child. Playwright Mark Medoff discovered him at a drama camp. Medoff later cast him in the 1988 film Clara's Heart. This movie also starred Whoopi Goldberg. Clara's Heart earned Harris a Golden Globe nomination. The same year, he was in Purple People Eater, a children's fantasy movie.

In 1989, Harris began playing a child doctor in Doogie Howser, M.D.. This role earned him another Golden Globe nomination. After the show ended in 1993, Harris had many guest roles on TV shows. These included Murder, She Wrote. From 1999 to 2000, he starred in the sitcom Stark Raving Mad.

His first movie role as an adult was in 1995's Animal Room. He also played lead roles in TV movies. These included Snowbound: The Jim and Jennifer Stolpa Story (1994) and Joan of Arc (1999). He also had supporting roles in movies like Starship Troopers (1997).

Harris also performed on Broadway. He was in the musical Sweeney Todd in 2001. In 2002, he acted with Anne Heche in Proof. In 2003, he played the Emcee in Cabaret. His performance in Cabaret was highly praised.

Becoming a Star (2004–2014)

In 2004, Harris played two roles in the Broadway musical Assassins. He also sang in a recording of Evening Primrose. He played Mark Cohen in the touring show of Rent in 1997. He even made fun of this role when he hosted Saturday Night Live in 2009.

He became very famous for playing Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Mother. This role earned him many Emmy nominations. In 2008, he appeared on Sesame Street. In 2009, he hosted the 7th Annual TV Land Awards. He was also a guest judge on American Idol.

Cobie Smulders and Harris at ComicCon for How I Met Your Mother in 2013

In 2008, Harris starred in Joss Whedon's musical web series Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. He also voiced a character for the Disney California Adventure Park ride California Screamin. He voiced the villain Music Meister in a musical episode of Batman: The Brave and the Bold in 2009.

Harris hosted the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards in 2009. In 2010, he won two Emmy Awards. One was for his guest role in Glee. He hosted the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards again in 2013. Harris has hosted the Tony Awards four times. Only Angela Lansbury has hosted more. Hosting the Tony Awards won him four more Primetime Emmy Awards.

Harris at The Smurfs 2 premiere in 2013

In 2010, Harris directed a show of Rent at the Hollywood Bowl. In 2011, he played the lead role of Bobby in Company with the New York Philharmonic. He also directed The Expert at the Card Table. In 2010, Harris voiced Dick Grayson (Nightwing) in Batman: Under the Red Hood. He also voiced Lou the beagle in Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore. He starred in the comedy The Best and the Brightest. He made a surprise appearance at the 82nd Academy Awards in 2010. He starred in The Smurfs (2011) and The Smurfs 2 (2013). He voiced Steve the Monkey in the Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs movies.

From March to August 2014, Harris played the main role in the Broadway musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Critics loved his performance. Variety said he gave an "astonishing" physical performance. Harris won the 2014 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for this role. Later in 2014, he played Desi Collings in Gone Girl.

In 2014, Harris decided not to become a host of a late-night talk show. He felt he might get bored doing the same thing every night. In October 2014, he released his memoir called Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography. It was written like a Choose Your Own Adventure book. This book was on The New York Times Best Seller List for two weeks. His first young adult novel, The Magic Misfits, came out in 2017. It is the first book in a four-book series.

Recent Work (2015–Present)

Harris at the National Book Festival in 2019

On September 15, 2015, Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris, a live variety show, started on NBC. It ran for eight episodes. On February 22, 2015, Harris hosted the 87th Academy Awards. In 2016, Netflix cast Harris as Count Olaf in A Series of Unfortunate Events. The show ran for three seasons.

In 2017, NBC ordered Harris's game show Genius Junior. This show tested the smartest children in the country. Harris was the host and executive producer. The series started in March 2018. Harris also appeared in the fourth Matrix movie, The Matrix Resurrections, in 2021.

In October 2020, Harris released a board game called Box One. It is a single-player game. Harris has often been a guest narrator at Disney's Candlelight Processional at Walt Disney World.

In January 2021, Harris starred in the British drama series It's a Sin. This show was about the 1980s HIV/AIDS epidemic in the UK. In June 2021, Harris was announced as a judge on Australia's Got Talent: Challengers & Champions.

In July 2022, Harris starred in the Netflix series Uncoupled. He played Michael Lawson, a gay man from Manhattan who is dating again after 17 years. In 2022, he joined the New York City Center Encores! show of Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods. He played The Baker.

In 2023, he joined the cast of Peter Pan Goes Wrong for a short time. In December 2023, Harris was a guest star in Doctor Who. He played the Toymaker in the 60th anniversary special, "The Giggle".

Personal Life and Family

Harris with husband David Burtka at the 38th People's Choice Awards in 2012

Neil Patrick Harris publicly shared that he is gay in November 2006. He said he was proud to be a "very content gay man."

Harris has been in a relationship with actor and chef David Burtka since April 2004. In October 2010, they became parents to twins, a son named Gideon and a daughter named Harper, with the help of a surrogate.

After same-sex marriage became legal in New York in 2011, Harris and Burtka announced their engagement. They had proposed to each other five years earlier but kept it a secret. Harris and Burtka got married in Italy in September 2014. Pamela Fryman, who directed How I Met Your Mother, led the wedding. Elton John performed at their reception. The family now lives in East Hampton, New York.

Harris loves magic. This hobby was even included in some of his characters on How I Met Your Mother and Glee. He won the Tannen's Magic Louis Award in 2006. He also hosted the 2008 World Magic Awards. He used to be the president of the board of directors for Hollywood's Magic Castle.

Harris identifies as an agnostic. This means he believes it's not possible to know if God exists.

Charity Work

Neil Patrick Harris supports many charities and foundations. He has helped organizations like:

AIDS Healthcare Foundation
Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation
American Cancer Society
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
Children International
Clothes Off Our Back Foundation
Elton John AIDS Foundation
Entertainment Industry Foundation
Feeding America
First Book
Food on Foot charity
Global Green
Hope North
International Myeloma Foundation
LeBron James Family Foundation
Live Out Loud
Los Angeles Mission
Motion Picture and Television Fund Foundation
Noreen Fraser Foundation
Project Angel Food
Real Medicine Foundation
Stand Up To Cancer
Susan G. Komen for the Cure
The Trevor Project

In October 2014, Harris went to a dinner for the Elton John AIDS Foundation. In September 2016, he and his husband hosted a cooking event. This event raised money for the Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation. In April 2019, Harris hosted WE Day California. This event celebrates students who have made a positive change in their communities.

Discography

Cast Recordings

Year	Album Title	Notes
2001	Evening Primrose	Studio Cast
2004	Assassins	Revival Cast Recording
2008	Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog	Original Cast Recording
2014	Hedwig and the Angry Inch	Original Broadway Cast Recording

Acting Roles

Neil Patrick Harris has had many roles in movies, TV shows, and theater. Here are some of his notable works.

Film Roles

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1988	Clara's Heart	David Hart
1997	Starship Troopers	Carl Jenkins
2004	Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle	Neil Patrick Harris
2009	Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs	Steve the Monkey	Voice role
2011	Smurfs, TheThe Smurfs	Patrick Winslow
2014	Gone Girl	Desi Collings
2021	The Matrix Resurrections	The Analyst

Television Roles

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1989–1993	Doogie Howser, M.D.	Douglas "Doogie" Howser	Main role, 97 episodes
2005–2014	How I Met Your Mother	Barney Stinson	Main role, 208 episodes
2010	Glee	Bryan Ryan	Episode: "Dream On"
2017–2019	A Series of Unfortunate Events	Count Olaf	Main role, 25 episodes
2021	It's a Sin	Henry Coltrane	Episode #1.1
2022	Uncoupled	Michael Lawson	Main role, 8 episodes
2023	Doctor Who	The Toymaker	Episode: "The Giggle"

Theater Roles

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2002	Proof	Hal	Walter Kerr Theatre, Broadway
2004	Assassins	The Balladeer / Lee Harvey Oswald	Studio 54, Broadway
2014	Hedwig and the Angry Inch	Hedwig	Belasco Theatre, Broadway
2022	Into the Woods	The Baker	New York City Center, Encores!