Neil Patrick Harris (Barney Stinson, 'How I Met Your Mother')

June 15, 1973 in Albuquerque, New Mexico

Neil Patrick Harris has been with his partner, actor and chef David Burtka, since 2004.

Neil Patrick Harris started acting in school plays as a child, and at 15 was discovered by playwright Mark Medoff and cast in the 1988 film Clara’s Heart, for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe. He also starred that year in the children’s film Purple People Eater.

In 1989, Harris landed the title role in Doogie Howser, M.D., a half-hour dramedy about a child prodigy who becomes a medical doctor at age 12, and has to deal with typical teenage problems while also working as a surgical resident. Doogie, created by TV icons Steven Bochco and David E. Kelley, brought Harris a high profile and critical acclaim (he was nominated for a Golden Globe in 1992), but the show’s ratings fell off quickly, and it was canceled after four seasons.

After the end of Doogie Howser, Harris took guest-starring roles on a number of TV shows and supporting roles in films, and appeared in several TV movies. He also ventured into voice acting, working on superhero cartoon shows like Spider-Man and Justice League. In 1999, he co-starred with Tony Shalhoub in the NBC sitcom Stark Raving Mad, as the fussy editor to an oddball novelist. The show lasted only one season. Since 1997, when he appeared in a touring production of Rent, Harris has taken numerous stage roles both on and off Broadway, in productions including Sweeney Todd, Assassins, Cabaret and Proof.

In 2004, Harris played an exaggerated version of himself as an unhinged drug-abusing womanizer in the stoner comedy Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, which brought him renewed acclaim and attention. In 2005, he debuted as Barney Stinson, a slick womanizer, on the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother. The role has earned Harris several Emmy nominations and greater fame than ever, and he’s continued working onstage as well as on TV, including hosting stints for the TV Land, Tony and Emmy awards, and the lead role in Joss Whedon’s popular online show Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog.

Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog (2008)
How I Met Your Mother (2005-present)
Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay (2008)
Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004)
Stark Raving Mad (1999-2000)
Starship Troopers (1997)
Doogie Howser, M.D. (1989-1993)
Clara’s Heart (1988)