Neil Patrick Harris

Neil Patrick Harris has successfully made the transition from child actor to adult roles on film and on stage. He will probably always be best known for his starring role on the show, Doogie Howser, M.D.

Harris was born on June 15, 1973, in Albuquerque, New Mexico . His parents, Ron and Sheila Harris, were both lawyers. He quickly began his career as a child actor auditioning for a school production of The Wizard of Oz when he was in the fourth grade. On the side, Harris also developed an interest in becoming a magician.

Harris began including his middle name, ‘Patrick,’ in his professional name because there was another actor at the time who had the same first and last name. Harris won his first significant role in 1988 in the film, Clara’s Heart, which co-starred Whoopi Goldberg. The role earned Harris a Golden Globe nomination. Soon after, Harris came out with his second film, Purple People Eater (1988), which co-starred Shelly Winter and Thora Birch.

One year later, Harris was offered the role that would make him a household name on Doogie Howser, M.D. This led to him once again being nominated for a Golden Globe nomination. The show lasted for four seasons, ending in 1993.

Following his work on Doogie Howser, M.D. Harris jumped around in a variety of guest spots until his first adult role came around in the 1995 film, Animal Room. Since then, Harris has continued to star in films like Starship Troopers; The Next Best Thing, with stars Madonna, Rupert Everett, Benjamin Bratt, Lynn Redgrave, and Michael Vartan; and Undercover Brother, with Eddie Griffin, Chris Kattan, Denise Richards, and Dave Chappelle.  Currently Harris stars on the sitcom, How I Met Your Mother, which airs on CBS. The show debuted in 2005 and has been picked up for a second season. Also starring in How I Met Your Mother are Alyson Hannigan, Josh Radnor, Josh Segel, and Bob Saget.

Other than films, Harris has also maintains a successful career on Broadway starring in a variety of roles from musicals to dramas.  In 2002, he starred alongside Anne Heche in Proof. The following year he worked alongside Deborah Gibson and Tom Bosley in Cabaret. Some of the musicals he has starred in include Assassins and Evening Primrose.

While Harris has managed to keep his private life private without too many questions until now, he was recently ousted in the media as being gay. The first report of Harris being gay surfaced on the Internet on November 2, 2006. Although his publicist initially denied the truth in the matter, the following day Harris let the news break to People magazine that he is in fact a gay man. He is currently in a relationship with actor David Burtka.