Neil Patrick Harris Quotes

I've been very fortunate to go from interesting chapter to interesting chapter.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Interesting, Been, Very, Chapter

I have an unbelievable assistant who handles all of my scheduling! It's like a Tetris game.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Game, Like, Assistant, Unbelievable

There is just a lot of creativity and theatricality in performers who happen to be gay. Maybe there's a success in numbers, so by the law of averages we are going to get these jobs.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Law, Happen, Maybe, Performers

Rather than ignore those who choose to publish their opinions without actually talking to me, I am happy to dispel any rumors or misconceptions and am quite proud to say that I am a very content gay man living my life to the fullest and feel most fortunate to be working with wonderful people in the business I love.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Love, My Life, Very, Fortunate

I like the tube more than the NY subway though, you've got cushioned seats.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Subway, Tube, Though, Cushioned

We're in such a volatile climate right now politically. I think they didn't want Assassins to not succeed due to popular opinion and politics, versus on its own merits. I can respect that.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Politics, Think, I Think, Popular Opinion

I didn't want to go marching down the street with camera crews. Oy. To get married? Really? It seems like you have an agenda when you do it that way. I wouldn't want to get married to be an example.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Want, Go, Like, Marching

I've been taking a trapeze class for the last couple of years. I'm working on my double back flip right now.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Been, Last, Couple, Trapeze

Being able to live my life transparently does empower me to feel like I can be myself more. It's easier for me to flirt with girls now that girls know that I'm gay. It almost makes it a sexier encounter than if I was trying to pretend that I was straight.

- Neil Patrick Harris

My Life, Feel, Almost, Flirt

I'm a games and theory kind of guy. I love puzzles, so it was fun dissecting Shakespeare's prose.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Love, Kind, Prose, Puzzles

It's good to have a lot of once-in-a-lifetimes in your lifetime. If you get the chance to skydive, go skydiving. If you're offered a part in a weird Shakespeare play in San Diego, slap on some tights and rock out some iambic pentameter.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Play, Some, Skydiving, Slap

'Smurfs' just seemed like a great way to represent a young father to be, guy in a marriage, work in conflict, and I was really interested in the technical CG side of things. I'd never done a movie that I thought would be so physical and yet so precise. So I was intrigued by all of that.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Thought, Movie, Technical, Intrigued

I loved Rent when I first heard it, but it grew on me and so did Tick, Tick... Boom. Some songs are more interesting than others and sometimes the ones that never stood out at first end up being the best to perform.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Sometimes, Some, Boom, Being The Best

I get to choose things that interest me as opposed to trying to get any job that will have me, which for a vast majority of actors is the case.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Will, Which, Opposed, Case

I'm not trying to climb a ladder - I'm casting a bit of a net.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Climb, Trying, Ladder, Casting

I pride myself in being able to straddle demographics, and if that was said as Barney Stinson, it would mean a little different thing.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Myself, Being, Would, Barney

I'm a nerdy, geeky fan of' Labyrinth' and 'Dark Crystal'.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Dark, Fan, Crystal, Labyrinth

I felt a little green, because Shakespeare writes the thought process within the text; it was tricky not to think of what to say and then say it, and instead just deliver the lines.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Green, Process, Think, Writes

I'm a big proponent of monogamous relationships regardless of sexuality, and I'm proud of how the nation is steering toward that.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Proud, Big, Sexuality, Proponent

I'm probably my biggest critic. I worry that if you spend any quality time reveling in good things then karma will slap you upside the head, so I try to stay as even keel as I'm able.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Good, Good Things, Head, Keel

Starship Troopers was great. It was great fun to work on something with blue screens and big budget special effects. Denise Richards was nice to look at too, of course.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Work, Big, Special Effects, Great Fun

I enjoy darker sardonic wit more than knock-knock jokes. I spent the first healthy chunk of my career playing all-American, pleasant, average, nice people, so it's fun to have some complications there.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Career, Average, Some, Nice People

There are so many examples of talented actors working today, no matter how they live their private lives. I'm lucky that people believe me when I'm in character.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Lucky, Private, Lives, Talented Actors

I collect puppet stuff. I have a puppet workshop in my garage. I was looking for any opportunity to be able to get very creatively involved in that world.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Garage, Very, Workshop, Puppet

When I auditioned for the show, I didn't realize it was an MTV production, which is going to make for really good tunes during the episodes, if nothing else.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Production, Which, Tunes, Episodes

It's like, the more you commit, the happier the animators are; if you're at all iffy and concerned, then it doesn't free them up to do as much fun stuff, so you have to just go for it and, again, trust the people around you and not be seemingly guarded and numb. Throw caution to the wind a bit.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Trust, Concerned, Animators, Wind

It's nice to establish yourself as an actor first and a singer second. Proof is such a tremendous piece of work, and I'm incredibly lucky to be a part of it. I'm sure that the musicals will happen in the future, though.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Lucky, Happen, Sure, Establish

I thought the idea of 'Smurfs' lent itself to the 3-D environment pretty well, I think, better than some of the farm animal movies that have been done before. I was a fan of the 'Smurfs' and they come with their own fan base, which I thought was nice.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Some, Been, I Think, Fan Base

Thankfully, the meat of the Tony telecast is the performances from the shows, so the awards show kind of creates itself around the season, and then I fill in based on the vibe of the season in general. I'm happy that there'll be so many legitimately good performances on the show.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Happy, Show, Vibe, Season

Mmmmmmmm. Anderson. He's dreamy. Just dreamy. I've been a fan of his since season 1 of 'The Mole.' I just thought he was so cool when he talked in this cool, low, secret-agent voice.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Voice, Thought, Been, Season

I've done plenty of daredeviling - from white-water rafting to bungee jumping. But I think the most fearless was hosting the Emmy Awards. It was overwhelming, and I definitely had to leave fear at the door.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Door, Think, I Think, Emmy

We're blessed on 'How I Met Your Mother' to feel like we're doing a bit of a funny playlet everyday.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Blessed, Doing, Like, Everyday

Before babies, I worked very hard to make sure I understood my surroundings and figured out where I fit in the world, whether it was at work or in a social situation.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Sure, Before, Very, Understood

With the Tonys it's a little tricky because a lot of the funnier jokes are more insider, so people watching at home may not get a Julie Taymor reference the way that New Yorkers would. So you have to figure out what comedy plays to a large audience and still respect the individuals who are there.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Funnier, New Yorkers, Jokes

So I've done my fair share of theater. I have also been very fortunate in that I've been able to come to New York two or three times a year just to see as many shows as possible. I think the live theater culture here is incredible.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Here, Been, Very, Live Theater

We're trying to get as many people to become interested in seeing it, but if you like the theater and you're interested in seeing what live theater looks like in New York, you probably already set your DVR. It's gonna be a hard ask to get a bunch of college-basketball fans to tune in for three hours to watch the Tonys.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Three, Tune, Your, Live Theater

Mr. Steven Bochco is a very wise man. After a many-monthed nationwide search to find a precocious teenage doctor, he hired me.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Very, Mr, Teenage, Precocious

I've gotten to hang out with Elmo, I'm the Fairy Shoeperson on 'Sesame Street'. So hopefully our kids will get to see and hear me as much as they're able.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Will, Hang, Gotten, Fairy

I'm shocked at how early everything closes here. But people start earlier. I miss the late nightlife in NYC, but then again I sing and burn so much energy in the show that it's probably good - I get to go home and sleep.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Good, Here, Show, NYC

I want to be able to infuse some youthful energy and comedy while appreciating the generations before.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Comedy, Some, Before, Youthful

The voiceover thing is very selfless. You go in there and they've hired you for your voice, but they know exactly what they want, and the writer's there and he knows exactly how it's supposed to be said. So you can't really argue with them, you just have to let them tell you what to do and then do it.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Voice, Tell, Very, Hired

If I wrote a musical it wouldn't be about me. Although I do some magic, so it would probably be about a magician who appeared and re-appeared all over the place.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Magic, Some, Over, Magician

Tobey's a mellow, cool guy. He's just a good guy. I know that's not the answer you want, and I don't mean that as the political thing to say, but he's a nice guy.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Cool, Mellow, Cool Guy, Nice Guy

I remember thinking that the rest of my life would be solo. I wasn't weepy when I thought that - it was just a realization that I had gone this long being self-sufficient.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Rest, My Life, I Remember, Realization

I'm a very lucky man in this chapter of my professional life, 'cause I get to do jobs with wildly different skill sets.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Chapter, Lucky, Very, Wildly

As an actor, you most often play relatively average parts, so to get to play extreme versions of anything, those are the most exciting parts.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Play, Average, Often, Relatively

I like to make decisions based on things I'm interested in doing, not what seems like the next move in my quote-unquote career.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Doing, Next, Based, Decisions

The TV schedule is fantastic. It allows you to have a life. Theater actors are so disciplined - especially if you're doing musicals, you have to be in shape physically, mentally, and have to be on your game all the time. That's exhausting. On TV, especially a sitcom, you have a lot of free time to play.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Play, Doing, TV, Musicals

A cardio-funk class - I should have at least taken one of those. But it's always terrified me. I'm never one to be a dancer on the dance floor, even at a bar or a club.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Always, Terrified, Least, Floor

I'm in a play on Broadway, I have an animated TV show coming up, I have a few movies that just came out.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Play, Broadway, TV, Animated

I have a very large forehead. I have a pronounced skull. Maybe producers think that there is a lot going on up in there.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Think, Very, Lot, Producers

I don't stay up and rent private jets and go on yachts and whoop it up in Miami.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Miami, Go, Private, Yachts

I was a big fan of how Johnny Carson hosted awards shows. Dick Cavett, as well, I think did a really great job of providing a nice blend of comedy, wit and class.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Big, I Think, Providing, Johnny

I think when dance is mediocre, it's painful. But when dance is really impressive, it destroys.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Think, Mediocre, I Think, Painful

I love Buster Keaton. I was a big fan of the stunt shows at Universal Studios. I'm a huge Cirque du Soleil nut.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Love, Big, Buster, Universal

When you call someone and ask them to do something they've never done before, in different mediums I think they would be inclined to pass because they're afraid of the risk. But the creative people who populate the theater world love the challenge of new things.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Love, New Things, I Think, Mediums

I do a lot of books on tape for Beverly Cleary, and another 'Smurfs' shout-out for that demographic.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Books, Lot, Tape, Demographic

Jim Henson was the only piece of fan mail I ever wrote when I was a little kid.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Kid, Mail, Wrote, Fan Mail

I don't know, on a sitcom, and in theatre especially, you have to really be listening to an audience. And if you're losing them, you can hear the sniffs, and the playbills shuffling and whatnot.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Listening, Audience, Whatnot, Sitcom

If you don't have any ties to the music industry, you just love 'American Idol,' you can sit there and do exactly what you do in your living room, which is stare at them and judge them.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Love, Living, Which, Music Industry

Whether it's a double take or a spit take or an extra-long pause before a reaction or a line, I try to be as cognizant as possible about the technical end of it. So I think the physical stuff works easier for me than maybe for others who are more just going on instinct.

- Neil Patrick Harris

I Think, Technical, Works, Easier

I always thought I'd make a good parent, but I was single and led a solitary life for many, many years. Then I met David, and he had experience with kids and wanted to have a family, too.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Parent, Thought, Always, Met

Charlie Sheen is who again? Denise is engaged?

- Neil Patrick Harris

Again, Engaged, Sheen

In my 20s, I mostly ate burritos and nachos, with the occasional burger.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Burger, Mostly, Occasional, Ate

What defines a relationship is the work that's involved to maintain it, and it's constantly changing.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Work, Maintain, Involved, Defines

I always thought filet mignon was the steak to beat, but the fat content in a rib eye is fantastic.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Eye, Thought, Always, Fantastic

I think it has been a weird mistake to have people with their own music careers going on and judging people because when they're too critical, it affects them. They don't want to be that honest, because they need to keep their appearance up.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Been, Critical, I Think, Judging

What I enjoy so much about the Tonys' uniqueness is that anyone who's tuning in has an interest in seeing the show, so our job is halfway done.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Show, Tuning, About, Halfway

I need to stop carving out four-hour chunks to do random things and go home and watch my children grow up.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Grow, Need, Go Home, Chunks

The Tonys are the once-a-year shot for all of these shows and artists who work so diligently every single performance but only for a thousand or so people at a time. This gives them the opportunity to perform to millions of people.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Shot, Millions Of People, Diligently

I've got no plans to be a ballet dancer at the moment.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Plans, Dancer, Ballet Dancer, Ballet

I love the 'So You Think You Can Dance' show. I love it. I think it's some of the best hours on TV.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Love, Think, Some, Dance

My favorite time to dance is at, like, wedding receptions, when it's all ages and everyone seems to be having fun.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Everyone, Like, Having, Dance

I'm not the best cruise ship crooner. I'm not the best karaoke guy.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Best, Ship, Cruise, Karaoke

Chef's choice is my favorite. I'm super adventurous.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Choice, Adventurous, Super, Chef

The theater is reaching as many different demographics as it can now.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Now, Theater, Many, Reaching

I don't know, but I think kids just want to be listened to, so I want to make sure I do that.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Think, I Think, Sure, Listened

I enjoy being a hyphenate. I've always thought of my career as a plate spinner in the circus.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Thought, Career, Always, Circus

I have more artistic control in a smaller show. But it doesn't really matter. Sometimes you can have the smallest role in the smallest production and still make a big impact.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Big, Still, Smaller, Big Impact

My parents own a restaurant in Albuquerque.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Parents, Own, Restaurant

I feel like I know where I'm going. And I like where I'm going.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Feel, Like, Going, I Feel Like

Whenever I wasn't in school with a tutor three hours a day, I'd get a knock and be rushed to set and they'd be waiting and I'd film my thing and then I'd go back to school again.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Knock, Hours, Set, Film

You figure out what your standards are, and I think that's important.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Think, Important, Figure, Standards

I'm lucky that people believe me when I'm in character.

- Neil Patrick Harris

Character, Me, Believe, Lucky

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