Neil Patrick Harris filmography and biography
Date of birth: 15 June 1973, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
Neil Patrick Harris biography
Neil Patrick Harris was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on June 15,
1973. He grew up in Ruidoso, New Mexico, a small town 120 miles south
of Albuquerque, where he first took up acting in the fourth grade.
While tagging along with Brian, his older brother by 3 years, Harris
won the part of Toto in a school production of
The Wizard of Oz.
His parents, Ron (a lawyer) and Sheila (a writer), moved the family to
Albuquerque in 1988, the same year that Harris made his film debut in
two movies: Purple People Eater and
Claras Heart, which starred Whoopi Goldberg. A
year later, when Neil was 16, he landed the lead role in
Steven Bochco's television series about a teen prodigy doctor at
a local hospital, Doogie Howser, M.D., which launched
Harris into teen-heartthrob status. The series lasted1989-1993 and
earned him a People's Choice Award for Favorite Male Performer in a New
Series (1990) and a Golden Globe Nomination (1990). Harris attended the
same high school as Freddie Prinze Jr., La Cueva High School in
Albuquerque. Neil acted on stage in a few plays while there, one of
which was his senior play, Fiddler on the Roof, in which
he portrayed Lazar Wolf the butcher (1991).
When "Doogie Howser, M.D." stopped production in 1993, Harris took up
stage acting, which he had always wanted to do. After a string of
made-for-television movies, Harris acted in his first big screen roles
in nine years, Starship Troopers with
Casper Van Dien and then The Proposition. In July
1997, Harris accepted the role of Mark Cohen for the Los Angeles
production of the beloved musical, Rent. His performance
in "Rent" garnered him a Drama-League Award in 1997. He continued in
the musical, to rave reviews, until January 1998. He later reprised the
role for six nights in his hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico, in
December 1998.
In 1999, Harris returned to television in the short-lived sitcom
Stark Raving Mad, with Tony Shalhoub. He was
also in the big-screen projects The Next Best Thing and
Undercover Brother, and he can be heard as the voice of
Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the newest animated
Spider-Man series. Harris has continued his stage work,
making his Broadway debut in 2001 in "Proof." He has also appeared on
stage in "Romeo and Juliet," "Cabaret,"
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street in Concert (2001) (TV),
and, most recently, "Assassins." In 2005, Harris returned to the small
screen in a guest-starring role on Numb3rs and a
starring role in the sitcom How I Met Your Mother. Neil
played the title role in the web-exclusive musical comedy
Dr. Horribles Sing-Along Blog, widely downloaded via
iTunes to become the #1 TV series for five straight weeks, despite not
actually being on television.
Neil Patrick Harris trivia
- Both of his parents are lawyers.
- Went to the same high school as Freddie Prinze Jr..
- Has performed magic tricks on
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson,
Late Show with David Letterman,
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and
Ellen: The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
- Perfomed as Mark in "Rent" at the Ahmanson Theater in Los Angeles and
the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego to rave reviews.
- Has sung since he was a child. His father played the folk guitar and
together they entertained.
- His favorite movie is Rear Window by
Alfred Hitchcock (I).
- His parents own a restaurant called "Perreniel's" in Albuquerque. His
brother is now running the restaurant.
- Based on his Los Angeles stage performance in the musical Rent, he was
attached to play Mark Cohen in a television mini series based on the
Broadway musical, with Wilson Cruz as Angel,
Rikki Lee Travolta as Roger Davis, and singer Shakira (I)
as Mimi, but the rights were pulled in order for Chris Columbus
to make a film adaptation using much of the original Broadway cast
including Anthony Rapp in the role of Mark.
- Is an avid Les Miserables fan, and performed the song "The
Confrontation" with his co-star Jason Segel (both of
How I Met Your Mother fame) live on
The Megan Mullally Show. He performed the role of
Javert, to wild cheers from the audience.
- He was the "Not My Job" guest on the April 5, 2008, episode of the
National Public Radio quiz show "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!".
- He is an amateur magician, which he once demonstrated on the
Jerry Lewis (I) MDA Telethon.
- Typically, actors playing themselves on film are listed "as Himself" in
the film's credits. Due to the over-the-top, outlandish nature of his
role in Harold amp; Kumar Go to White Castle and
Harold amp; Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay, he requested
that his credit read "Neil Patrick Harris" instead of "as Himself".
This was to make clear that he was playing a fictional character that
was in no way a true representation of himself.
- According to an oral history of
Dr. Horribles Sing-Along Blog published in July 2008
in Entertainment Weekly, he auditioned to play the doctor role on
Firefly that was eventually filled by
Sean Maher (I).
- He is credited using all three names because there was already a
different actor named Neil Harris in the Screen Actors Guild by the
time he first got his SAG card. Harris joked on NPR's "Fresh Air with
Terry Gross" that he uses all three names because it's "far more
theatrical," and that he and his parents considered using names like
"Neil Danger Harris" or "Neil Patrick Rocket".
- Has been in a committed relationship with stage and screen actor
David Burtka, his partner since 2004.
- Harris's closest friends include his companion David Burtka,
Amy Acker, Lori and Lex Medlin, Becky Baeling, and
Brandon Boyce.
- Enjoys Red Bull so much on and off the set of
How I Met Your Mother that he was given a lifetime
supply of it and a mini-refrigerator by the company that makes the
drink because of the amount of free advertising he has given it.
- In one year he hosted The 7th Annual TV Land Awards (2009) (TV),
The 63rd Annual Tony Awards (2009) (TV), and
The 61st Primetime Emmy Awards (2009) (TV). All three ceremonies
featured him singing a song about the occasion that had been written
for him by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman.
- Recipient of the 2009 The Trevor Life Award, which annually honors an
"individual who, through his or her example, support, volunteerism
and/or occupation, is an inspiration to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,
Transgender, or Questioning youth." The award is presented by The
Trevor Project, a national crisis and suicide prevention organization
helping LGBTQ young people who are facing familial rejection or
considering suicide. The next year, he was elected to the Board of
Directors of the Trevor Project.
- All in the same award season, he hosted
The 61st Primetime Emmy Awards (2009) (TV) and
The 63rd Annual Tony Awards (2009) (TV), presented an award at
The 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards (2010) (TV) and had an
opening act at The 82nd Annual Academy Awards (2010) (TV).
- In 2010, Time Magazine named Harris one of their 100 Most Influential
People in the World. Joss Whedon wrote the short article on Harris in
the issue.
- Told Howard Stern (I) that he had plastic surgery to pin his ears
back so that they would not stick out as much as they did when he was
an adolescent.
- On October 12, 2010, Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka's
twins, son Gideon Scott and daughter Harper Grace, were born to a
surrogate. They join Burtka's older twin children, son Javin and
daughter Flynn, who were also born to a surrogate in 2000 and whom
Burtka fathered with ex-partner Lane Janger.
Neil Patrick Harris quotes
- People Magazine, November 3, 2006: "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."
- I heard through the grapevine that they'd written this movie and that I
was in it, and that I had to call my attorneys and make it stop -- that
it was a bad thing, and I read it and thought it was hilarious. A
friend was auditioning for a different part in the movie and said, 'do
you know about this movie that you're in?' - on playing "Neil Patrick
Harris" in Harold amp; Kumar Go to White Castle
- Comedy is way more difficult than drama. What I might find funny, the
editor might not find funny. They might choose the reaction shot from
Take 4 with my line from Take 1 with my next line from Take 7, and then
the timing that I was trying to do does not come across.
- She's like the coolest, nicest chick ever. She's an absolute catch, and
I thought if I'm not going to feel the super sparks with her, then it
probably means that I'm gay. [Speaking to Howard Stern about having
dated actress Christine Taylor in his early 20s].