Neil Patrick Harris: June 2008 Archives

I love it!!!

It's official. Neil Patrick Harris is now such an established star on "How I Met Your Mother" and in the "Harold and Kumar" movies that he is able to spoof his teenage role on "Doogie Hauser" in this ad for Old Spice.

Gee, what was that they used to say about what would happen if an actor came out publicly as gay? Never work again. Lose endorsements. Abandoned by fans. NPH has turned all that on its ear!

It's a new world!

...ha!

Hey, I can't help it if the guy is newsworthy. It's just been announced that NPH will join the adorable Kristin Chenoweth on July 17 to reveal the nominees for the Emmy Awards which will be marking their 60th year.

I think Neil has an awfully good chance of snagging his second supporting actor in a comedy nod for "How I Met Your Mother" and it would really be cool if Tony winner Kristin was recognized for "Pushing Daisies."

The Emmy awards will air on Sunday, Sept. 21 on ABC.

Whether it's talking about his sex life with boyfriend David Burtka on Howard Stern's radio show or admitting that he got an erection when kissing a female co-star on "How I Met Your Mother," Neil Patrick Harris has become increasingly outspoken and confident since coming out a few years back. AfterElton.com takes a look at NPH and writer Brent Hartinger interviewed me for the piece. But you'll have to read it on AfterElton.com.

He doesn't dwell on it, but Neil Patrick Harris' coming out as a gay an nearly two years ago seems to have done wonders for his career. The Emmy-nominated star of "How I Met Your Mother" and the "Harold and Kumar" movies was already on a career upswing when he was compelled to confirm his sexuality when certain bloggers began applying pressure. He did so with grace and, for the first time, began to let us know him as NPH the man, not just the actor. He's witty and charming and utterly self-confident and his presence on talk shows, a game show like "Password" or as a guest host for Regis Philbin, have become a very welcome treat.

So happy 35th birthday Neil and thanks for letting us in a bit, you're a credit to us all.

Got home from Palm Springs just in time to watch the new prime-time Password. It was fun but not like the show I remember. This is so fast-paced which is a far different tone than the original. But, time marches on and I quickly adjusted to the new scene.

At one point after a loud music intro, guest star Neil Patrick Harris said: "I feel like I'm in 'Cats!'

In the second game, NPH was paired with a hottie bartender with gorgeous big, blue eyes named Eric Greenlund, who needed the prize money because someone had broken into his apartment and stole some loot. Eric is from Providence, R.I. and his nickname is E-Rock. I'm not sure why.

When host Regis Philbin asked Eric what he did for a living, he said: "I make drinks of loooove." I thought that was kinda hot. Eric won and got to play for the big money with NPH. After each successful round, they'd do knuckles. The knuckle clash was so fierce after the $50,000 round, they almost knocked each other over. When Eric won $100,000, NPH signaled that it was time for a hug. E-Rock looked absolutely crestfallen when he just missed out on winning $250,000 and because of that failure, his winnings were reduced to $25,000.

I thought he was gonna cry.

By the way, I found this gem of a clip from "Super Password" in 1980. What a line-up! It was Allen Ludden as host and the celebrity guest stars are Lucille Ball and Dick Martin. Dick, who died just last week, co-starred with Miss Ball during the first - and best - seasdn of "The Lucy Show." And here's the kicker about this clip: one of the contestants is a pre-fame Kirstie Alley who identifies herself as an "interior designer."