Neil Patrick Harris

Neil Patrick Harris is a multifaceted American entertainer. He works as an actor, singer, writer, producer, and television host. His career spans many different types of performance art. He is well known for comedic roles on television. He also performs dramatic and musical roles on stage. This variety of work has earned him many prestigious awards. He has won one Tony Award for his theater work. He has also won five Primetime Emmy Awards for television.

Performing involves many different skills and processes. An actor must study a character to bring them to life. Harris has done this in many different ways. He performs live on stage in musical theater. He also acts in front of cameras for movies and TV shows. Sometimes he uses his voice for animated characters. For example, he voiced Steve the Monkey in the Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs films. He can also serve as a host for large ceremonies. A host leads an event and guides the audience through the program. Harris has hosted many major award shows, including the Academy Awards in 2015.

Harris has performed in many distinct types of productions. He has appeared in sitcoms, which are funny television shows. He played Barney Stinson on the long-running series How I Met Your Mother. He has also acted in dramatic series. He played Count Olaf in the Netflix series A Series of Unfortunate Events. In the theater, he performs in musicals. These are plays that include singing and dancing. He played the lead in the rock musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch. He also appeared in the musical Rent during a national tour.

His journey began in New Mexico. He was born on June 15, 1973, in Albuquerque. He grew up in Ruidoso with his parents and his older brother. His parents were lawyers who also operated a restaurant. Harris was discovered at a drama camp in Las Cruces. A playwright named Mark Medoff found him there. This led to his first film role in Clara's Heart in 1988. Harris graduated from La Cueva High School in 1991 with high honors. He achieved this while being tutored privately during the school year. This was because he was often working on professional sets.

His professional success is marked by significant numbers and honors. He received a Golden Globe nomination for his work in 1989. He earned four Emmy nominations for his role in How I Met Your Mother between 2007 and 2010. Harris has hosted the Tony Awards four times. Only one other person, Angela Lansbury, has hosted those awards more often. In 2010, Time magazine named him one of the 100 Most Influential People.

He also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on September 15, 2011.

There are many notable examples of his versatile talent.

He can act in comedies like the Harold & Kumar film series. He can also act in serious films like Gone Girl. Harris even writes books for young people. He released a series called The Magic Misfits starting in 2017. He also wrote an autobiography called Choose Your Own Autobiography. This book was a New York Times Best Seller for two weeks.

He even created a single-player board game called Box One.

Harris connects to many different areas of the entertainment industry. He works with musicians, directors, and writers to create art. He has directed a production of the musical Rent at the Hollywood Bowl. He has also served as an executive producer for television shows. His work on the game show Genius Junior shows his interest in education. This show tests children on subjects like mathematics and spelling. Whether through a book, a song, or a film, Harris uses his many skills to share stories with the world.