Neil Patrick Harris is an actor, singer, dancer and...magician?
That's right.
Turns out there might be a lot of things you don't know about this multi-talented performer
who's been on our TV screens since his childhood.
In 1973, Neil Patrick Harris was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
But he grew up in the much more rural town of Ruidoso, raised by his parents Ron and
Sheila.
Harris told Rolling Stone,
"It was very small-town.
Almost Native American, to be honest.
Fishing in duck ponds, running through pine forests.
We would create our own little world.
I remember running through major woods, where there was no trail, but knowing exactly how
to get home.
You knew, in a sort of tribal way, which pine tree meant ‘make a left turn here.'"
Around the age of 10, Neil Patrick Harris landed his first role in theater.
Although he grew up listening to Broadway soundtracks, this was his first experience
on stage as Toto the dog in "The Wizard of Oz." Harris explained in his memoir "Choose
Your Own Autobiography" that his older brother Brian and friends auditioned to be Munchkins
in the play at Tularosa High School - and they asked him to play the dog.
The role started the young boy's love of performing, and by the time he was around 13 years old,
he went to a drama camp at New Mexico State University.
Brian told Rolling Stone that the primary reason Harris was sent to the camp was to
give him a dose of harsh reality.
"Mostly the idea was to let him see that he's not the only actor out there."
Instead, Harris impressed people at the acting camp so much that he ended up landing a co-leading
role in the feature film "Clara's Heart" opposite Whoopi Goldberg.
It led to a slew of acting opportunities and a sudden, unexpected career.
Harris said,
"It happened for me from such an early age that it all seemed like a lark."
As a 15-year-old, Neil Patrick Harris landed a lead role in "Doogie Howser, M.D.," which
famously was about a precocious teen who was so good at his craft that even adults were
impressed.
Sound Familiar?
Harris remembered the show's creator Steven Bochco talking to him about the high-profile
part.
Bochco reportedly said,
"This is a lot of work, and a big deal.
And with the good will come a lot of the bad, and you need to brace yourselves for what
it means.
[...] This is going to be a great wave.
It will inevitably crash, and the question will be whether you have the desire to paddle
back out, get knocked over by a bunch of waves on your way, and wait for the next set."
His prediction proved uncanny.
The show was a hit and lasted four years, but when it ended in 1993, Harris seemed washed
up before he was really even an adult.
Reflecting back on the series, Harris told Entertainment Weekly that despite Bochco's
warning, he couldn't have predicted the lasting effect of the show on his career, both good
and bad.
After ending his run on "Doogie Howser, M.D.," Neil Patrick Harris was in a tough spot.
Though he was well-recognized for the starring role, he admitted to Glamour, quote, "That
transition was a challenge, from my late teens into my early 20s."
As the actor revealed to The New York Times,
"I was only getting jobs I was offered, not the ones I was auditioning for, because I
had previous baggage."
That career wasteland lasted for nearly an entire decade.
But then an opportunity came from screenwriters Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg.
The two men dreamed up, quote, "an alternate-universe version" of Harris to cameo in their film
"Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle."
Though they had a backup plan in the form of Ralph Macchio, Hurwitz really hoped Harris
would sign on.
"When we were writing it, we were hopeful he'd understand [...] that the joke wasn't
at his expense."
In an interview for Cinema Blend, Harris said he received a call from his friend who auditioned
for the comedy.
The friend said,
"You're written in this movie.
Neil Patrick Harris is a character in this movie."
Harris ended up taking the part, and it changed the trajectory of his career, opening new
doors for him in comedy.
He later returned alongside his husband for the 2011 sequel "A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas."
In an interview for Rolling Stone, Neil Patrick Harris talked about his experience as a young
boy growing up in the Southwestern U.S.
He remembered in elementary school,
"I had crushes on boys that were a little bit older than me.
[...] playing footsie with a friend under the table at school was very charged, to me,
but I didn't know then what to do about it."
Looking back about how society changed as he grew older, Harris admitted,
"I think it would be easier to make that leap at that age now [...] But not back then, in
a tiny town in the middle of the mountains of New Mexico."
Once he began to make a name for himself in Hollywood, Harris held off telling the world
about a major part of his life.
Then, in 2006, he came out as gay.
He said that talk show host Ellen DeGeneres helped pave the way for him, adding that since
his character Barney on "How I Met Your Mother" was such a total bro, fans had no problems
separating Harris from his work.
"Barney was so overtly 'dude,' coming out didn't make that falter at all."
Neil Patrick Harris remembered traveling with his parents as a young boy to visit his grandparents
in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
For every visit, Harris told ABC,
"I'd save up my allowance and I'd go to the mall to the magic store called Fool's Paradise
— great title — and buy whatever I could: little packet tricks, and you don't know the
secret until you buy it [...] on the drive home I would get to sit there and learn how
it was done and I'd get the inside information."
He then incorporated magic throughout his career.
For example, Barney Stinson on "How I Met Your Mother" was known to show off a trick
or two.
Harris also once directed a magic show in New York, The Guardian reported.
When appearing on talk shows, Harris loved to impress the hosts.
He told James Corden,
"I just love promoting it.
I love seeing magic.
I love promoting people's shows.
I was the president of the Magic Castle for three years."
As far as his favorite magic trick, Harris told Vanity Fair that "The Great Flydini"
is one of the best.
The bit performed by Steve Martin on "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson showed the
comedian pulling out objects like, quote, "eggs, a lit cigarette, a ringing telephone,
a Luciano Pavarotti puppet — out of the fly of his pants."
This is the story of how Neil Patrick Harris met his husband.
He first spotted actor David Burtka while in the audience for the musical "Gypsy" on
Broadway.
Harris told Rolling Stone about watching Burtka on stage,
"You couldn't stop looking at him even though Bernadette Peters was singing her face off
10 feet over."
Thanks to a mutual friend who played cupid, the two men met for the first time.
Burtka admitted that with Harris always magically appearing at the same spots, he first thought,
"This is weird.
He keeps showing up places, I think he might be a stalker!"
In 2021, Harris posted a photo on his Instagram commemorating the 17-year anniversary of his
first date with Burtka, writing, "Best.
Decision.
Ever."
The couple tied the knot in Italy in 2014.
Part of what makes the pair so special are their similarities — like sharing clothes
— but also complementary differences.
Harris told Rolling Stone,
"David is a heart-driven person, and I am a head-driven person.
So we balance each other out, in that way, and challenge each other.
Because he demands that I feel more than I want to, and I demand that he think more than
he wants to."
Thrust into the spotlight at such a young age meant that Neil Patrick Harris grew up
with fame — and the pressure that comes along with it.
So he uses a number of self-improvement techniques to help manage the pressure.
He told Glamour he's tried group therapy and, like Orpah, even walked on burning hot coals
at a Tony Robbins motivational seminar.
He said,
"I'm a therapy guy.
I have weekly therapy sessions, even to this day."
Harris further explained his self work in an interview with ABC.
He detailed that his twice-a-week therapy sessions were, quote, "to work on himself
and on being a good parent."
"It's not like I have this big gaping hole I need to work on.
[...] As a parent, I want to be better than my parents were at raising me, and they did
a great job [...] I think it's important to work on yourself, whether it be through podcasts
or through therapy or through conversation."
More than just therapy, Harris also likes to create peaceful spaces to reset from any
stress.
Vanity Fair reported that Harris even has a specific part of his house for meditation.
To grow their family, Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka decided to have children.
Burtka explained on "The Wendy Williams Show" that the couple used an anonymous donor for
eggs, which were then given to a surrogate, who gave birth to twins.
One of the children is biologically Harris' and the other Burtka's — though the two
men don't know which is which.
Their two kids, daughter Harper and son Gideon, are adorable and total fashionistas.
For example, Harris often posts their first day of school outfits on Instagram.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Harris explained the difference in parenting styles
compared to his husband.
"I talk to them like they're adults, which drives David mental.
I try to teach them large-picture, complex thought.
He's like, 'Dude, they're three!'"
Burtka admitted,
"I have very maternal instincts when it comes to kids.
Neil is better at doing tasks, sometimes.
But, you know, it's a good balance.
Neil is ready for them to start thinking on their own and making good decisions."
Combining his love of magic and being a dad, Neil Patrick Harris became a children's book
author.
"The Magical Misfits" children's book series encourages kids to read through inclusive
storytelling, and in 2020, he released the fourth and final book in the series called
"The Fourth Suit."
Harris explained of the conclusive story,
"My real goal with the book was to make it as much of a diversion and a kind of escape
as possible, while still maintaining a sense of values and of character and moral codes."
He also noted that his two children love the books, especially when the author reads them
aloud.
Harris was thrilled because he revealed,
"I grew up working in a bookshop and I just really have an affinity for authors and the
stories that they can tell."
For slightly more adult reading, Harris penned an autobiography.
But instead of the typical life story in book form, Harris created his memoir in the "Choose
Your Own Adventure" series format called "Choose Your Own Autobiography."
Harris told the Los Angeles Times about his specific choice of storytelling:
"I found that in thinking back on my life, thus far, that it was markedly random.
There were all kinds of weird stories that included things I learned, things that changed
me — but, also, weird, once-in-a-lifetime things to recount."
Every year, Neil Patrick Harris, his husband David Burtka, and their children Harper and
Gideon go all out for Halloween.
Some of the best years were 2016, when the family dressed up as "Star Wars" characters,
and 2014 as characters from the "Batman" universe.
Even with fans wondering every year what the family will dream up next, Harris told USA
Today he didn't feel any pressure in deciding on costumes.
As for the reason he loves to go all out, Harris explained,
"I make it a point in my daily life to encourage people to go do fun things, whether it be
theater or magic or adventures.
[...] I think Halloween is one of the great adventures every year, so I'm a big proponent
of haunted houses and dressing up, and if we can take a picture and encourage people
to want to go out and get in the Halloween spirit, then I'm all for it."
At first, Harris and Burtka were the main creative forces behind the impressive group
costumes.
But as Harper and Gideon grew older, Harris admitted, quote, "We have to get approval
now from four individuals."
When it comes to vacations, Neil Patrick Harris often has one place in mind — The Walt Disney
World Resort in Florida.
He and the rest of his family visit the theme park every year around the Christmas holidays.
"Our kids have grown up appreciating and valuing not only the amusement rides, but the architecture
and the Imagineering that goes on, both in front and behind the scenes."
"I love stuff from the Haunted Mansion.
The Haunted Mansion in Disney is like my favorite."
Even when Harris and his family aren't in Florida surrounded by the Disney characters,
the experience continues.
He revealed to Vanity Fair that he and husband David Burtka constantly played Reedy Creek
Radio at their home when their kids were in preschool - a radio channel that was dedicated
to the music of Disney theme parks.
As a result , Harris said their home often feels like the queue area for a Disney ride.
When Harris learned that the show that made him famous, "Doogie Howser, M.D.," was getting
a reboot on the streaming service Disney Plus, he was joyful.
He told Today,
"Anything that can promote Imagineers and Disney theme parks I'm all about, because
I love that stuff."
Writer John Cameron Mitchell co-created and starred in the off-Broadway musical "Hedwig
and the Angry Inch" in 1998.
The show, which The Guardian described as a "bittersweet story of an East German singer
who seeks rock stardom in the U.S. after botched gender reassignment surgery," was a huge hit.
Mitchell turned the story into a film and years later, revived the musical with Harris
in the lead.
Mitchell said,
"We knew eventually Broadway would come around to it.
[The revival] was an opportunity to bring the story to a wider audience and Neil Patrick
Harris was the perfect person to do that: he appeals to so many people and he was keen
to go a bit grittier and he triumphed."
More than just rehearsing lines, Harris went all in physically for the performance.
According to Rolling Stone, the actor lost 21 pounds to play Hedwig.
While the extreme transformation gave him "eight-pack abs," it came at a price.
He said,
"I'm so intent on looking feminine, on changing my silhouette.
But I'm running out of energy, and it's affecting my mood.
[...] I need to eat more."
Looking back at his run on Broadway after the fact, and after his Tony win for Best
Actor in a Musical, Harris told The Guardian,
"It was probably the most I've ever grown or learned or been at peace while rehearsing,
while performing and post-experience.
It certainly has changed my views about things."
Given his charming smile and welcoming personality, it's not surprising that Neil Patrick Harris
is extremely generous in his personal life.
He and his husband, David Burtka, often donate their time to various charities.
Even more, both men have taught their children about giving back, and the entire family helps
others.
Harris told Yahoo,
"We are involved with a couple of organizations that help deliver meals to those less fortunate,
so we make it a point to do it right before Thanksgiving with the kids, and we will do
it again during the holidays.
We live in Harlem, so there's a lot of people in the area nearby that could certainly use
the help, and it gives the kids a valuable and much-needed perspective on life."
Another way that Harris helped out was for an event with Bono's RED charity to support
its Project Last Mile initiative.
As a reward to help support the initiative to deliver medicine to the most remote regions
of Africa, Harris and Burtka raffled off a night on the town with themselves.
After Harris suggested the prize, he said Burtka fully supported it because, quote,
"he does way more charitable work than I do, so he understands."
"We'll go eat at one of my favorite restaurants, you and a friend, me and my husband.
Our time together will be delicious!"
According to Look to the Stars, Harris has been involved in dozens of other charities
and causes, from New York to Los Angeles.
As a veteran actor in TV, theater, and film, Neil Patrick Harris has built up an impressive
resume.
His longest role was as Barney Stinson on the buddy sitcom "How I Met Your Mother" for
nine seasons.
The show was a huge hit, thanks in part to Harris' character.
As a result, the actor earned an impressive paycheck for his time there.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, at the height of the series, Neil earned $225,000 per episode
of the show.
It adds up to an estimated $5.4 million just for a single season, and that's not counting
royalties and syndication revenue.
Adding to his bank account was Harris' Tony-winning performances on the Broadway production of
"Hedwig and the Angry Inch."
Plus, as an author, Harris has created multiple streams of income.
All of which adds up to a lot, and as of 2021, he was worth an estimated $50 million.
With some of his earnings, Harris invested in a gorgeous Harlem townhouse, which he showed
off in Vogue's "73 Questions" video series.
The five-story brownstone was once a bed-and-breakfast until Harris and David Burtka bought it in
2013 for $3.6 million.
After renovations added a library, theater, gym, wine cellar, and playroom, Harris and
his family finally moved into the dream home in 2015.
In 2021, though, Harris and Burtka put their four-bedroom, 8,000-square-foot home up for
sale for a reported $7.325 million.
So what does the next chapter of Harris's eventful life hold?
We can't wait to find out!
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