The 49-year-old actor Neil Patrick Harris is popularly known for portraying Barney Stinson in the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother. However, long before that, he also starred as the title character in the four seasons of the American medical sitcom Doogie Howser, M.D. The role also landed him the nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a TV Series or musical comedy. During the same time, he was also known to be dating a teen star.
Neil Patrick Harris as Barney Stinson
And the actor later opened up about how that relationship made him realize that he might be gay. Harris came out as gay later in 2006 and has been married to David Burtka for almost a decade.
When Did Neil Patrick Harris Realize He Was Gay?
Although Neil Patrick Harris did not come to terms with his sexuality until his 30s, he seems to have realized it much sooner. After publicly coming out as gay, he talked about the same during his appearance on The Howard Stern Show. The Uncoupled star shared that he was in a relationship with Christine Taylor at the time.
Christine Taylor and Neil Patrick Harris
Talking about his ex-girlfriend, he said, “She’s the coolest, nicest chick ever.” The couple dated for almost a year, from 1997 to 1998. However, as he talked about Taylor on the show, Harris revealed that he did not seem to feel anything toward his girlfriend, and that’s when he realized that he might be gay. He said,
“She’s an absolute catch, and I thought if I’m not going to feel the super sparks with her … it probably means I’m gay.”
A still from How I Met Your Mother
While starring in the popular sitcom, How I Met Your Mother, the actor finally decided to publicly come out as gay. He made it public with a statement saying that he is a “very content gay man” living his life to the fullest in 2006. Christine Taylor married Ben Stiller in 2000 and the couple has been happily married since and shared two children.
Neil Patrick Harris is Happily married to David Burtka
Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka made their first red carpet appearance at the 2007 Emmy Awards. Prior to their first public appearance, the Gone Girl actor confirmed that he was in a romantic relationship during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. However, he did not reveal Burtka’s name, as he mentioned that he is dating “some guy” and their families are aware of their relationship.
Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka with their kids
The couple has been together since 2004 and got married in September 2014 after the legalization of same-sex marriage. Burtka also appeared in the seven episodes of How I Met Your Mother as Lily Adrian’s high school boyfriend, Scooter. The couple became parents to fraternal twins Harper and Gideon in 2010.
