Portrait of Neil Patrick Harris

Birthday profile

Neil Patrick Harris

Neil Patrick Harris, American actor and singer

Born
June 15, 1973
Age in 2026
53
Zodiac sign
Gemini
Birth year
1973

About Neil Patrick Harris

Neil Patrick Harris (born June 15, 1973) is an American actor, singer, writer, producer, television host, comedian and magician. Primarily known for his comedic television roles and dramatic and musical stage roles, he has received multiple accolades throughout his career, including a Tony Award and five Primetime Emmy Awards, and nominations for a Grammy Award and three Actor Awards. On television, he is known for playing the title character on the ABC series Doogie Howser, M.D. (1989–1993), for which he was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy, as well as Barney Stinson on the CBS series How I Met Your Mother (2005–2014), for which he was nominated for four Emmy Awards, and Count Olaf on the Netflix series A Series of Unfortunate Events (2017–2019). He won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his role on Glee (2010). Harris is also known for portraying the title character in Joss Whedon's musical Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (2008), and a fictional version of himself in the Harold & Kumar film series (2004–2011). His other films include Starship Troopers (1997), The Smurfs (2011), The Smurfs 2 (2013), and Gone Girl (2014). On stage, he starred as Mark Cohen in the national tour of Rent (1997), before making his Broadway debut in the David Auburn play Proof (2002). He went on to win the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical playing the title role in the rock musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2014). Harris has hosted numerous award shows, including the Tony Awards in 2009, 2011, 2012, and 2013, the Primetime Emmy Awards in 2009 and 2013, and the Academy Awards in 2015. He was named one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People in 2010. Harris's first film role as an adult was Animal Room (1995), although he portrayed a teenager. Primarily known for his comedic television roles and dramatic and musical stage roles, he has received multiple accolades throughout his career, including a Tony Award and five Primetime Emmy Awards, and nominations for a Grammy Award and three Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.

Neil Patrick Harris timeline

  1. Harris's first film role as an adult was Animal Room (1995), although he portrayed a teenager.
  2. He won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his role on Glee (2010).

The world when Neil Patrick Harris was born

Neil Patrick Harris was born in 1973. The year snapshot below places that birthday in its cultural and historical setting: the music and films people were following, the headlines shaping public life, and the everyday prices families encountered.

Culture in 1973

  • #1 song"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" – Tony Orlando & Dawn
  • Top movieThe Sting
  • Top TV showAll in the Family
  • Best-selling bookGravity's Rainbow – Thomas Pynchon

Headlines and milestones

  • Major sports momentSecretariat wins the Triple Crown with a record Belmont Stakes
  • Top headlineOPEC oil embargo triggers global energy crisis
  • Technology milestoneFirst mobile phone call (Martin Cooper, Motorola)
  • Defining fadPlatform shoes
  • Notable inventionMobile phone (Motorola prototype)
  • World population3.93 billion

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderRichard Nixon
  • Sports championOakland Athletics (World Series)
  • Also wonNew York Knicks (NBA)
  • U.S. population211.9M

1973 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in Neil Patrick Harris's birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure19732026
Gas$0.39$3.45/gal
Average home$22,100$435,000
Average income$13,500$67,500
Minimum wage$1.60$7.25/hr (federal)
Movie ticket$1.77$11.95
Postage stamp$0.08$0.73
Population211.9M341 million

Sources and editorial standards

This profile combines a biographical source with structured birthday and historical context. Sources recorded for this profile: Wikipedia, IMDb, MusicBrainz. See our editorial policy for sourcing, corrections, and review standards.

Read the source biography on Wikipedia. Wikipedia text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.