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Quick Facts
- NAME: Neil Patrick Harris
- OCCUPATION: Actor
- BIRTH DATE: June 15, 1973 (Age: 39)
- EDUCATION: La Cueva High School
- PLACE OF BIRTH: Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Full Name: Neil Patrick Harris
- AKA: NPH
- ZODIAC SIGN: Gemini
Best Known For
Actor Neil Patrick Harris starred in TV sitcom Doogie Howser, M.D., and performed on stage in Rent and Cabaret.
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Play NowNeil Patrick Harris. (2013). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 05:02, May 23, 2013, from http://www.biography.com/people/neil-patrick-harris-224896.
Neil Patrick Harris. [Internet]. 2013. The Biography Channel website. Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/neil-patrick-harris-224896 [Accessed 23 May 2013].
"Neil Patrick Harris." 2013. The Biography Channel website. May 23 2013, 05:02 http://www.biography.com/people/neil-patrick-harris-224896.
"Neil Patrick Harris," The Biography Channel website, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/neil-patrick-harris-224896 [accessed May 23, 2013].
"Neil Patrick Harris," The Biography Channel website, http://www.biography.com/people/neil-patrick-harris-224896 (accessed May 23, 2013).
Neil Patrick Harris [Internet]. The Biography Channel website; 2013 [cited 2013 May 23] Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/neil-patrick-harris-224896.
Neil Patrick Harris, http://www.biography.com/people/neil-patrick-harris-224896 (last visited May 23, 2013).
Neil Patrick Harris. The Biography Channel website. 2013. Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/neil-patrick-harris-224896. Accessed May 23, 2013.
Synopsis
Born June 15, 1973, Neil Patrick Harris was 15 when he starred opposite Whoopi Goldberg in Clara's Heart. The next year, he began four seasons playing the title role in the TV sitcom Doogie Howser, M.D. Harris then appeared in films and TV movies, as well as on stage, in Rent and Cabaret. In 2005, he landed the role of Barney Stinson on How I Met Your Mother. Harris is openly gay and the father of twins.
Contents
Quotes
"I am quite proud to say that I am a very content gay man, living my life to the fullest."
On being a parent with partner David Burtka: "We're super excited/nervous/thrilled."
Early Life
Born on June 15, 1973 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Neil Patrick Harris is the son of attorneys. Harris grew up in Ruidoso, New Mexico, where he got his start in acting as Toto in a grade school production of The Wizard of Oz. He appeared in several plays and musicals while attending La Cueva High School.
Acting Career
In 1988, at the age of 15, Neil Patrick Harris won a Golden Globe nomination for his performance opposite Whoopi Goldberg in the drama Clara's Heart. The following year, he landed the leading role as a teenage surgeon on ABC's Doogie Howser, M.D. The show was a hit, and for several years Harris was synonymous with his small-screen persona. He was nominated again for a Golden Globe for his work on the show, which ran for four seasons.
For the next several years, Neil Patrick Harris continued to stay busy, though his projects failed to reach the same success as Doogie Howser, M.D. He appeared in supporting roles on the big screen in such films as Starship Troopers, The Next Best Thing and Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle. He also starred as a neurotic editor opposite Tony Shalhoub in the NBC sitcom Stark Raving Mad. Harris also appeared on Broadway in Proof, Assassins and Rent, as well as a critically acclaimed performance as the host in Cabaret.
Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Harris earned acclaim for several made-for-TV movies, including My Antonia, Joan of Arc and The Christmas Blessing. He landed another sitcom success in 2005 with his role as the womanizing Barney Stinson in CBS's How I Met Your Mother. In addition to his work on How I Met Your Mother, Harris has enjoyed great success as the host of Broadway's biggest award show, the Tonys. He has served as the event's master of ceremonies three times—in 2009, 2011 and 2012.
Personal Life
Harris is engaged to actor David Burtka. He publicly announced his sexual orientation in 2006, making a statement in People magazine: "I am quite proud to say that I am a very content gay man, living my life to the fullest."
The couple announced in August 2010 that they were expecting twins via a surrogate mother. Harris and Burtka became parents in October of 2006, with the arrival of son Gideon Scotr and daughter Harper Grace.
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