Thursday April 19, 2007
Actor Neil Patrick Harris, 33, who plays adorable cad Barney Stinson on How I Met Your Mother, dropped by The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Thursday and opened up about why he came out last fall and whether or not it's changed his career.
In his interview with host Ellen DeGeneres, who came out herself in 1997, the actor who first rose to fame as a teen playing Doogie Howser, mused over whether homosexual actors are less believable onscreen, the media’s gay witch-hunt, and how his fans have reacted to the news.
Ellen: So in November you decided to make a public announcement to say that you were going to come out. What made you do that?
Neil: “I don’t know. There was a little of media scrutiny heading my way. My life had been relatively open in my world. I’ve been dating the same guy for three years and our families know. We go out together all the time but I just feel like as an actor part of your occupation is retaining a bit of mystery so you can be believable in many different types of roles so I never felt it was an obligation for me to hold pinkies down the red carpet or anything. Especially playing Barney, he’s a crazy womanizer on the show (How I Met Your Mother) so I just didn’t find it important but other people did and sensed this sort of witch-hunt brewing.”
Ellen: You jumped ahead of it. That’s great. That’s really smart and nothing changes right?
Neil: “No, nothing's changed and for me that is the greatest ending to the story so far that nothing really has changed at all. I’m doing nothing different and people aren’t behaving differently towards me and the fact that it’s a non-issue... people heard and they’re like, ‘Yeah? And?’ That attitude I think was great. It wasn’t so shocking.”
Ellen: It’s a freer way to live.
Neil: “The normalcy of it I think is important for people to appreciate in today’s media there are lots of examples of that and it’s good to see people just being themselves.”
Ellen: I think honesty is very important and also you don’t have to worry about someone telling something…you’re constantly worried...
Neil: “It’s an individual thing. I think people should be open to any type of coupleship but if someone doesn’t want to talk about stuff, or if someone has reason that they don’t want to, I don’t think they should be criticized and chastised necessarily for that unless they’re blatantly lying about things. I’m not such a fan of pushing -- pushing people to make decisions.”
Ellen: I agree.
Neil: “It’s all little baby steps but it’s working ok for me.”
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Posted by Noelle Hancock at 11:06 am ET
