Neil Patrick Harris: Expect 'Spider-Man' Jokes at Tonys, Just No Tights

By Nicki Gostin Posted Jun 9th 2011 10:15PM

Are there enough hours in a day for Neil Patrick Harris? The actor juggles a hit sitcom, 'How I Met Your Mother,' a movie career that includes the much-buzzed-about 'Smurfs,' a hosting job with the Tony Awards this Sunday and um, he's got 8-month-old twins. But don't worry about the guy, little Gideon and Harper (with partner David Burtka) sleep 11 hours a night, he tells PopEater in a fun chat running up to his return to the Tonys. We talked with the universally loved 'Doogie Howser' alum about what to expect during the show ("There will be the inevitable 'Spider-Man' jokes"), why he chose to raise his kids in the big city and he reveals details about the 'Smurfs' flick and how playing a coked up hooker-lover changed his life forever.

You're hosting the Tonys again this year (last time was in 2009). How do you convince middle America that Broadway isn't some, I don't know, gay thing?
(Laughs) Well those are your words, not mine. I think the goal is to present all of these productions in a way that makes them desirable for the rest of America and entice them to come to New York and see a show. It's choosing the right numbers from the shows and explaining and then watching them perform, really.

Are there going to be a lot of 'Spider-Man' jokes?
I think there will be the inevitable 'Spider-Man' jokes. I don't know just how far we will go down that path.

Really? I thought you would have already been fitted for a Spidey outfit.
No, Sean Hayes wore one last year so I'm free. I'm not the biggest fan of silly costumes on hosts.

You have been so busy lately. Do you have time to eat or sleep?
Remarkably I do. It's been a busy year and when you add two babies into the mix it quantifies your time even more so.

I'm in awe of people who have twins. How do you even get out of the house?
We're kind of grateful and thrilled to be in New York while this is happening because New York is a great city for little babies, I think. Just going up and down the street, there's so much to see and the parks are unbelievable.

Are they on a schedule?
Yeah they're great sleepers. They sleep about 11 hours a night.

That's insane!
We had probably the most fantastic baby nurse/sleep specialist who helped us out for almost the first five months and she was phenomenal and the benefits have been incredible.

Are your friends with kids jealous?
No, I hope people are more happy for us.

'The Smurfs' Trailer | More Videos and News

Sorry, I'm a bitter person. You're also in the 'Smurfs' movie.
I grew up watching the Smurfs cartoon. I wasn't a collector of the figurines but they were definitely a Saturday morning must-see cartoon.

I always found them a little creepy.
I always found Gargamel a little scary because the smurfs were always so pleasant and so sweet and Gargamel would come in and try to destroy them all and I was a little bit intimidated by him.

Are you a goodie or baddie in the movie?
Oh I'm a good person. I'm married to Jayma Mays from 'Glee.' We're expecting a baby and I'm too busy with work and we get inundated by these little blue people and we have to figure out how to get them back to Smurf village and in turn learn a little bit about ourselves. (Laughs)

Naturally. Speaking of 'Glee,' you were on it.
It's miraculous how hard they work on that show. You would think that the show has been on the air for five years just based on its popularity and how much they are everywhere but they just finished their second season. We were having dinner with Jane Lynch and her wife and she kind of couldn't believe just that. It seems like it's been around forever.

And you've still got 'How I Met Your Mother' which is going into season ...
Seven.

So you're in syndication. Ka-ching.
(Laughs) Yes, I did it all for the money.

It's funny how you're a guy with kids and you play such a Lothario who appeals to men, women, ponies, everyone.
(Laughs) I don't know that Barney's ever contemplated a pony but there's always season eight. No, he's a great character. You don't often as an actor come upon someone who gets to be so bold and so broad and so horny. I embrace it as much as I can.

Was 'Harold and Kumar' life changing in the way the industry perceived you?
It was a fantastic, lucky moment for sure. I had no idea that sending myself up so completely and ridiculously would be as well received as it was. I thought it would be a small little movie that no one would really notice and if they did that gag might not even be that funny and it ended up having a cult status and a third movie is coming out.

It's like an Oprah moment. You took a risk, made fun of yourself and good things happened.
Yeah for sure. I think people appreciate I was making fun of myself in such a hardcore way - a prostitute and a line of coke! It was much harder core than I think people thought I was.

More Q&As From Nicki Gostin: Flavor Flav, Jerry Seinfeld, Will Ferrell and Paul Reiser

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NPH ON THE MTA

Stars, they're just like us! Neil Patrick Harris takes the NYC subway on May 20. (Editor's Note: This is nothing new. I saw him years ago taking the train in what appeared to be his 'Cabaret' makeup.)
Check out more pics of the actor >>

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Neil Patrick Snapshots

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 08: Actor Neil Patrick Harris attends Stephen Sondheim's The Company with the New York Philharmonic presented by Screenvision and Ellen M. Krass Productions at the NYIT Auditorium On Broadway on June 8, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images for Screenvision)

Neil Patrick Snapshots

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 08: (L-R) Actors Katie Finneran, Aaron Lazar, Patti LuPone, Jennifer Laura Thompson, Neil Patrick Harris, Christina Hendricks, Anika Noni Rose, Chryssie Whitehead and director Lonny Price attend Stephen Sondheim's The Company with the New York Philharmonic presented by Screenvision and Ellen M. Krass Productions at the NYIT Auditorium On Broadway on June 8, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images for Screenvision)

Neil Patrick Snapshots

Tags: Neil Patrick Harris, The Smurfs, Tony Awards

Comments

(88)

Thursday 09 June

By Ed

Lowest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Neil and Spiderman pack fudge with the best of them

Saturday 11 June

By usmcqtco

Vote down Vote up Report this

And you know this.....how? Perhaps Neil and his partner are into oral.....never mind.

Sunday 12 June

By janilee

Ed, you are so juvenile. How old are you, 12?

By otm

test

Friday 10 June

By mickey

Oh, I see, its ok for gay to be a bully.

By GDS Denver

Highest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Grow up people. NPH is awesome and a great actor. What makes a difference who they marry?

By Mary

It makes a BIG difference, of course. And raising "kids" into this "marriage" make an awful difference in their lives.

By russell

Know one cares if Harris is a homosexual, the shame lies in bringing two inocent children into his sordid lifestyle. Why subject these children into a lifestyle that is abhorant; why destroy their future?

By Jack

I'm sorry but what? What destroyed future? The future where they have a happy stable home, toys to play with, parents who can fund their education, and time to spend with them? I'm fairly sure that they wont care what their parents do in bed, I sure didn't want to know what my mom did with men.

By Glenn

I feel that a child's sexual identity and how it is developed is extremely important. That's why I can not support gay marriage. Because no matter how good a gay person is at parenting, a child in that environment is going to have conflicting role models they are incapable of understanding at a young age. I just feel it is unfair to put a child through that

By jeff

you seem jealous he didn't go for you

Monday 13 June

By exprez727

Only thing is people, I'm sure they will be provided for very well, but what other kids say to them will impact them. It's hard enough to be a kid and they can be mean. Don't act like it won't be a focal point for other kids when they see those kids have 2 dads. It may be juvenile or silly but it is a fact. They will be picked on by some of their peers.

By DC

He is quite the role model, living with another man raising children and now and then being a gentleman and pushing his partners stool back!!!

By MUDPUPTN3

Yep, Don't you know it isn't politically correct to say anything against being gay? LMAO!!! AOL only wants praise for those weirdos, anything else will get you booted!!! So just agree that he's envied by every parent on the planet and we'll all live happily everafter in Obimbotopia/AOLLAND whichever is politically correct this week!! LMAO

By jenna

High Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

you and every other, bigoted, moronic homophobic on here are nauseating. YOU ALL ARE THE SICK ONES, maybe jesus was gay, does it not say "man" was created in Gods image. hmmmm. and you know, jesus was 44, kind of old back then for a man to not be married, unless of course you believe he was married, to mary magdaline (which l think may be true) but then what if there never was a god, and it's one big fairy tale, that was written by men.guided by the hand of god, according to those same men. hmmm.

By Ewww

This it makes my skin crawl.

By Marilyn

God is not pleased and that is all that really matters.

And I suppose you're a scion who god tells his secrets to?

By Liz

...Unless you're talking to an atheist.

There is no God, so who cares.

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