Neil Patrick Harris is an award-winning television, film and stage actor. Starting at age 16, he has forged an enduring career as a performer in Hollywood and on Broadway. Bent Alaska presents his story as part of our celebration of LGBT History Month 2011, with thanks to the Equality Forum.

Neil Patrick Harris

“I am quite proud to say that I am a very content gay man living my life to the fullest.”

Neil Patrick Harris (born June 15, 1973) is an award-winning television, film and stage actor. Starting at age 16, he has forged an enduring career as a performer in Hollywood and on Broadway.

Harris grew up in Ruidoso, New Mexico, the son of two lawyers who ran a restaurant. He took up acting in the fourth grade, playing the role of Toto in “The Wizard of Oz.” When Harris was 15, the family moved to Albuquerque. That same year, he made his feature film debut in “Clara’s Heart,” for which he received a Golden Globe nomination.

When he was 16, Harris landed the leading role in the television series “Doogie Howser, M.D.” in which he portrayed a genius kid who completed high school in 9 weeks, graduated from Princeton at 10, completed medical school in four years, and was a license medical doctor at 16. The series ran for four years and earned him a second Golden Globe nomination as well as a People’s Choice Award.

In 1997, Harris accepted the role of Mark in the Los Angeles production of “Rent” and received a Drama League Award for his performance. He made his Broadway debut in 2002 opposite Anne Heche in “Proof.” Thereafter, he appeared as the Emcee in “Cabaret” and as Lee Harvey Oswald in Stephen Sondheim’s musical “Assassins.”

Harris’s films include “Undercover Brother,” “The Next Best Thing,” and “Starship Troopers.” He played a fictionalized version of himself in “Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle” and “Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay.” In 2005, he joined the television series “How I Met Your Mother” as womanizer Barney Stinson. He received four consecutive Emmy Award nominations for this role.

Harris came out publicly in 2006, telling People magazine,

The public eye has always been kind to me, and until recently I have been able to live a pretty normal life. Now it seems there is speculation and interest in my private life and relationships.

So, 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.

Harris has guest starred on dozens of television series, and received an Emmy Award in 2010 for his performance on “Glee.”  In 2008 he played the title role on Joss Whedon’s web series “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog” for which he won a Streamy Award (recognizing excellence in web television) for Best Male Actor in a Comedy Web Series. He has hosted the Academy Awards, the Primetime Emmy Awards and the Tony Awards.

In 2010, he was named one of the 100 Most Influential People by Time magazine. Later that year, Harris and his long-term partner, David Burtka, had twins, Gideon Scott and Harper Grace. Harris and his family live in Los Angeles.

Here’s Neil Patrick Harris as Dr. Horrible in Act 1 of “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog” (also featuring Felicia Day as Penny and Nathan Fillion as Captain Hammer). Watch:

For more about Neil Patrick Harris, follow him on Twitter or visit his LGBT History Month page or Wikipedia article.

Photo credit: Neil Patrick Harris at a ceremony for Harris to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, 15 Sep 2011. Photo by Angela George; used in accordance with a Creative Commons license.