Neil Patrick Harris (born June 15, 1973) is an American actor, singer, writer, producer, and television host. Primarily known for his comedic television roles and dramatic and musical stage roles, he has received multiple accolades throughout his career, including a Tony Award, five Primetime Emmy Awards, and nominations for a Grammy Award and three Screen Actors Guild Awards. On television, he is known for playing the title character on the ABC series Doogie Howser, M.D. (1989–1993), for which he was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy, as well as Barney Stinson on the CBS series How I Met Your Mother (2005–2014, for which he was nominated for four Emmy Awards), and Count Olaf on the Netflix series A Series of Unfortunate Events (2017–2019). Harris is also known for his role as the title character in Joss Whedon's musical Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (2008) and a fictional version of himself in the Harold & Kumar film series (2004–2011). His other films include Starship Troopers (1997), Beastly (2011), The Smurfs (2011), The Smurfs 2 (2013), A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014), and Gone Girl (2014). In 2010, Harris won two awards at the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards, winning for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his guest appearance on Glee, and Outstanding Special Class Program for hosting the Tony Awards in 2009; he has won the latter award three additional times for hosting the show in 2011, 2012, and 2013. He also hosted the Primetime Emmy Awards in 2009 and 2013, and hosted the 87th Academy Awards in 2015, thus making him the first openly gay man to host the Academy Awards. In 2014, he starred in the title role in Hedwig and the Angry Inch on Broadway, for which he won the 2014 Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. Harris was named one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People in 2010. He is married to David Burtka. In 2010, they had twins via surrogacy.

Filmography

• 2026Jack Tucker: Comedy Standup Hour — The Boss, Executive Producer
• 2026Sunny Dancer — Patrick
• 2026The Last Temptation of Becky — General Wilhelm Reuss, Executive Producer
• Dexter: Resurrection — Lowell / The Tattoo Collector
• 2024A House Is Not a Disco — Executive Producer
• 2024Doctor Who at the Proms — The Toymaker (archive footage)
• 2024Dolly Parton's Pet Gala
• 2023Billion Dollar Babies: The True Story of the Cabbage Patch Kids — Narrator (voice), Executive Producer
• 2023Doctor Who: 60th Anniversary Specials — The Toymaker (archive footage)
• Drag Me to Dinner — Self - Judge, Executive Producer, Creator
• How I Met Your Father — Barney Stinson
• 2022The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent — Richard Fink
• Uncoupled — Michael Lawson, Executive Producer
• 20218-Bit Christmas — Adult Jake Doyle / Narrator
• 2021Coded: The Hidden Love of J.C. Leyendecker — J.C. Leyendecker (voice)
• It's a Sin — Henry Coltrane
• 2021The Matrix Resurrections — The Analyst
• Get Organized with The Home Edit
• Home Movie: The Princess Bride — Westley
• 2019Epcot International Festival of the Holidays – Candlelight Processional — Narrator
• 2019Revolution Rent — Executive Producer
• 2019Wig — Self, Producer
• Genius Junior — Host
• A Series of Unfortunate Events — Count Olaf
• At Home with Amy Sedaris — Neil Patrick Harris
• 2017Downsizing — Jeff Lonowski
• Mystery Science Theater 3000 — Neville LaRoy
• 2016Neil Patrick Harris: Circus Awesomeus — Host / Himself
• 2015The Power — Executive Producer
• 2014A Million Ways to Die in the West — Foy
• 2014Attack of the 50-foot Gummi Bear — Steve the Monkey (voice)
• 2014Gone Girl — Desi Collings
• 2014Steve's First Bath — Steve (voice)
• 2013Cabaret: The Musical That Changed Musicals — Narrator
• 2013Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 — Steve (voice)
• 2013Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade — Host
• The Goodwin Games — Director
• 2013The Smurfs 2 — Patrick Winslow
• 2012A Snow White Christmas: Opening Night — The Magic Mirror
• 2012American Reunion — Celebrity Dance-Off Host
• Neil's Puppet Dreams — Neil Patrick Harris, Executive Producer, Creator
• 2012Robot Chicken: DC Comics Special — Two-Face / Black Manta (voice)
• 2012The Penguins of Madagascar: Operation Blowhole — Dr. Blowhole (voice)
• 2011A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas — Neil Patrick Harris
• American Horror Story — Chester Creb
• 2011Beastly — Will Fratalli
• 2011Company — Robert
• Test Your Brain — Creator
• 2011The Muppets — Neil Patrick Harris
• 2011The Smurfs — Patrick Winslow
• Adventure Time — Prince Gumball (voice)
• 2010Batman: Under the Red Hood — Nightwing (voice)
• 2010Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore — Lou (voice)
• 2010Dracula's Daughter vs. the Space Brains — Dan
• 2010Sesame Street: 40 Years of Sunny Days — The Shoe Fairy (uncredited) (archive footage)
• 2010The Best and the Brightest — Jeff
• 2010Through a Dog's Eyes — Narrator
• 2009Beyond All Boundaries — 1st Lt. David Hettema / Sgt. William Manchester
• 2009Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs — Steve (voice)
• Glee — Bryan Ryan
• 2009Yes, Virginia — Dr. Philip O'Hanlon (voice)
• Batman: The Brave and the Bold — Music Meister (voice)
• 2008Commentary! The Musical
• Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog — Dr. Horrible
• 2008Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay — Neil Patrick Harris
• 2008Justice League: The New Frontier — Barry Allen / The Flash (voice)
• Million Dollar Password
• 2008Prop 8: The Musical — A Very Smart Fellow
• The Penguins of Madagascar — Dr. Blowhole (voice)
• 2007Eloise Goes to School
• Me, Eloise — (voice), Philip (voice)
• Rachael Ray
• 2005Disney Heroes Volume 1 — Moyo (voice)
• How I Met Your Mother — Barney Stinson, Director
• Numb3rs — Ethan Burdick
• Robot Chicken — Executive / Harvey Dent / Two-Face / Three-Face / Four-Face (voice)
• 2005Serenity — Screaming Reaver (uncredited)
• 2005The Christmas Blessing — Nathan Andrews
• The Colbert Report
• 2005The Golden Blaze — The Comic Shop Owner (voice)
• 2004Assassins — The Balladeer / Lee Harvey Oswald
• 2004Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle — Neil Patrick Harris
• Jack & Bobby
• Spider-Man: The New Animated Series — Peter Parker / Spider-Man (voice)
• Spike TV VGA Video Game Awards
• Boomtown — Peter Corman
• 2002The Mesmerist — Benjamin
• 2002Undercover Brother — Lance
• Justice League — Ray Thompson (voice)
• Law & Order: Criminal Intent — John Tagman
• 2001Summer of Camp Caprice — Jed (voice)
• 2001Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street in Concert — Tobias
• The Legend of Tarzan — Moyo (voice)
• 2001The Wedding Dress — Travis Cleveland
• Ed — Joe Baxter
• Son of the Beach
• Static Shock — Replay / Johnny Morrow (voice)
• 2000The Next Best Thing — David
• Family Guy — Barney Stinson (voice)
• Joan of Arc — The Dauphin
• Stark Raving Mad — Henry McNeeley
• 1998The Christmas Wish — Will Martin
• 1998The Proposition — Roger Martin
• Will & Grace — Bill
• 1997Starship Troopers — Colonel Carl Jenkins
• 1995Animal Room — Arnold Mosk
• 1995Legacy of Sin: The William Coit Story — William Coit
• 1995My Antonia — Jimmy Burden
• 1995Not Our Son — Paul Keller
• 1995The Man in the Attic — Edward Broder
• The Outer Limits — Howie Morrison
• 1994Snowbound: The Jim and Jennifer Stolpa Story — Jim Stolpa
• Touched by an Angel — Jonas
• Homicide: Life on the Street — Alan Schack
• 1993Sudden Fury — Brian Hannigan
• Capitol Critters — Max (voice)
• Hot Country Nights
• 1991Stranger in the Family — Steve Thompson
• Blossom
• Captain Planet and the Planeteers — Todd Andrews
• 1990The Earth Day Special — Doogie Howser
• B.L. Stryker — Buder
• 1989Cold Sassy Tree — Will Tweedy
• Doogie Howser, M.D. — Doogie Howser
• 1989Home Fires Burning — Lonnie Tibbettes
• Quantum Leap — Mike Hammond
• The Simpsons — Neil Patrick Harris (voice)
• 1988Clara's Heart — David Hart
• 1988Purple People Eater — Billy Johnson
• 1988Too Good to Be True — Danny Harland
• Murder, She Wrote — Tommy Remsen
• Sesame Street
• Tony Awards — Self - Host, Producer
• The Oscars — Host
• Hallmark Hall of Fame — Lonnie
• Aaron & Sara — Director

Appearances as themselves (68)

• I Changed My Mind with Dan Souza — Self - Guest
• 2026Stamptown — Self
• What's in the Box? — Self - Host
• 2024Group Therapy — Self - Moderator
• 2022Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium — Self
• Fraggle Rock: Rock On! — Self
• 2020The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration — Self
• Visible: Out on Television — Self - Narrator (voice)
• 2019Dads — Self
• 2019Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge - Adventure Awaits — Self - Host
• 2019Still Laugh-In: The Stars Celebrate — Self
• The Kelly Clarkson Show — Self
• Today with Jenna & Sheinelle — Self - Guest
• 2018Elton John: I'm Still Standing - A Grammy Salute — Self
• 2018Mickey's 90th Spectacular — Self
• Carpool Karaoke: The Series — Self
• 2017The Words That Built America — Self - Reader: Declaration of Independence
• Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris — Himself
• Celebrity Family Feud — Self
• Hot Ones — Self
• In Their Own Words — Self
• 2015In Their Own Words: Jim Henson — Self - Actor
• Late Night with Seth Meyers — Self, Self - Guest
• Off Camera with Sam Jones — Self
• The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon — Self - Guest
• Beat Bobby Flay — Self
• Stephen Fry: Out There — Self
• 2013The Out List — Himself
• Finding Your Roots — Self
• Billy on the Street — Self
• Brain Games — Himself - Host
• Hamish and Andy's Gap Year — Self
• 2010A First Look at Batman: Under the Red Hood — Self
• Conan — Self
• Take Two with Phineas and Ferb — Self
• The Talk — Self
• Late Night with Jimmy Fallon — Self
• RuPaul's Drag Race — Self - Guest Judge
• 2009Sesame Street: Elmo and Friends: The Letter Quest and Other Magical Tales — Self
• Top Chef Masters — Himself - Guest Judge
• Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen — Self - Guest
• The Graham Norton Show — Self
• 2007The Making of Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog — Self
• Child Star Confidential — Self (archive footage)
• The Megan Mullally Show — Self - Guest
• The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson — Self
• The Reichen Show — Self - Guest
• The Tony Danza Show — Self - Guest
• Jimmy Kimmel Live! — Self, Self - Guest
• Punk'd — Self
• The Ellen DeGeneres Show — Self
• 2002Death from Above: The Making of 'Starship Troopers' — Himself
• 2002The Making of Sweeney Todd at the San Francisco Symphony — Self
• Big Brother — Self - Celebrity Guest
• The Early Show — Self
• The View — Self - Guest
• The Daily Show — Self
• 1993For Our Children — Self
• Late Night with Conan O'Brien — Self - Guest
• Late Show with David Letterman — Self - Guest, Self - Top Ten Presenter
• 1992This Is MST3K — Self
• 1992Time Out: The Truth About HIV, AIDS and You — Self
• 1991The Best of Disney: 50 Years of Magic — Self
• LIVE with Kelly and Mark — Self - Guest
• Larry King Live — Self
• Jeopardy! — Self
• Entertainment Tonight — Self
• Saturday Night Live — Self - Host