Neil Patrick Harris Quotes

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

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

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

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

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

I don't like to be disparaging about my past roles. That's the only taboo that I don't like to cross. ~ Neil Patrick Harris

I'm not the best cruise ship crooner. I'm not the best karaoke guy. ~ Neil Patrick Harris

I think flirting is great fun. It doesn't mean that anything's going to come of it but it's fun to be told that you're hot and that your tits look great. You all get your pens out. ~ Neil Patrick Harris

Summer doesn't seem to come fast enough, but finally Mom and Dad drop you off, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed*, at NMSU.

*Not really. You're prepubescent, so no bush. ~ Neil Patrick Harris

Tonight we celebrate Hollywood's best and whitest, sorry ... brightest. ~ Neil Patrick Harris

Think of me like Yoda, but instead of being little and green I wear suits. ~ Neil Patrick Harris

My parents own a restaurant in Albuquerque. ~ Neil Patrick Harris

If I'm doing some weird tick with my mouth, or not standing still or something, I'll be the first person to notice it, and then want to change that. I think it's important just to maintain trajectory, to not just use your same tricks over and over. ~ Neil Patrick Harris

Parents need to be more accepting of who their kids are and less concerned about what society thinks they need to be. ~ Neil Patrick Harris

I feel like with actors wanting to direct, you really only have a shot or two. You can't just make a bunch of little independent movies, and then finally one gets noticed. You have to make a really good one right away. ~ Neil Patrick Harris

For me, magic can be a story, a game, a puzzle, or a surprise that takes my breath away in a single, furious gulp. ~ Neil Patrick Harris

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

You can't just put gay in a little gay box anymore. ~ Neil Patrick Harris

God love Neil Patrick Harris - how great is that. People grew up with him; they go, 'Oh it's him, it's that little boy and he just happens to be gay. How great for him!' The more of those kind of examples that happen, the better it's going to be. ~ Bryan Batt

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

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

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

i have to go" "I love you"

Harold and Kumar escape from Guantanamo Bay ~ Neil Patrick Harris

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

I laughed, "I don't have a CHANCE IN HELL of ever turning COLE DRIVER GAY. He's straighter than NEIL PATRICK HARRIS. ~ Giorge Leedy

You have to be careful when you're doing an interview. ~ Neil Patrick Harris

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

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

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

I'd love to be some sort of villain in a big-budget action movie. Or a superhero franchise. That'd be rad. ~ Neil Patrick Harris

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

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

The Oscars are this Sunday. Host Neil Patrick Harris said he hopes the broadcast will include a 'Kanye moment.' Unfortunately a Kanye moment may not be possible because that would require a black person to be at the Oscars. ~ Conan O'Brien

I'm not trying to climb a ladder - I'm casting a bit of a net. ~ Neil Patrick Harris

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

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

Love is awesome and endless, but it is constantly changing its form. You love something for what it is, then it changes. But that change can make you love it even more. ~ Neil Patrick Harris

As I learned from chapters past, it's important to try and stay in the chapter that you're in, and enjoy it while it's lasting. Not be constantly worrying about where this step will take you - living in the potential future. Like a good meal. Like a good chef's tasting meal. You don't want to wonder what's next while you're eating the foie gras. ~ Neil Patrick Harris

May I suggest a drinking game where everytime I do a ridiculously long awkward blink, someone does a shot of some kind of alcohol? ~ Neil Patrick Harris

For film, I audition just like everyone else, because it's a different set of casting directors. ~ Neil Patrick Harris

He's easily the most well-adjusted former child star in the room, please welcome ... Jason Bateman ~ Neil Patrick Harris

I'm lucky that people believe me when I'm in character. ~ Neil Patrick Harris

The theater is reaching as many different demographics as it can now. ~ Neil Patrick Harris

Charlie Sheen is who again? Denise is engaged? ~ Neil Patrick Harris

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

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

I don't feel ignored. But I'd rather engage readers than dictate my opinion to them. Opinion is so ... subjective! ~ Neil Patrick Harris

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

Chef's choice is my favorite. I'm super adventurous. ~ Neil Patrick Harris

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

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

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

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

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

Let that be a lesson, homophobes," you think proudly. "You wanna try to bully me? Prepare to get calmly notified the shit out of. ~ Neil Patrick Harris

The subject of Citizenfour, Edward Snowden, could not be here for some treason. ~ Neil Patrick Harris

When you have twin four-year-olds, you are able to dance like a fool, often. And I do. ~ Neil Patrick Harris

American Sniper focuses on a soldier with 160 kills, or as Harvey Weinstein calls it, a slow morning ~ Neil Patrick Harris

I've got no plans to be a ballet dancer at the moment. ~ Neil Patrick Harris

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

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

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

I sort of pride myself in my dissatisfaction with my work. I've always been concerned with buying the hype, and having that make your performances suffer. ~ Neil Patrick Harris

But magic is like pizza: even when it's bad, it's pretty good. ~ Neil Patrick Harris

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

I think, in life, being nervous about something that's forthcoming is very helpful, whether it's an awards show or a family gathering or a job interview. If you're too calm and confident, then I think you aren't executing to the best of your ability. So I try not to let nerves get the best of me, but I welcome them because it tends to fuel me to try harder. ~ Neil Patrick Harris

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

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

This next presenter is so lovely you could eat her up with a spoon ~ Neil Patrick Harris

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

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

It PASSED! Marriage equality in NY!! Yes!! Progress!! Thank you everyone who worked so hard on this!! A historic night! ~ Neil Patrick Harris

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

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

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

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

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

Benedict Cumberbatch is not only the best name in show business, it's also the response you get when you ask John Travolta to pronounce Ben Affleck. ~ Neil Patrick Harris

Squee." 1 (verb): To emit an onomatopoetic girlish swooning sound out of pure fanboy adulation. 2 (noun): the sound itself. ~ Neil Patrick Harris

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

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

I often feel like books find us for reasons, and we read them when we need them the most. ~ Neil Patrick Harris

I have actual strong ideas. You just have to wait for the right timing. Timing is pretty crucial here. I can't dedicate a lot of energy and efforts trying to, say, create a show that I want to produce while I'm currently on another show. ~ Neil Patrick Harris

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

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

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

I don't want to have to inadvertently find a gift and go like, "What the hell is - - oh no, that's for me." And then have to pretend like I'm surprised later. I won't look. If I know where they're hidden, I will not look. I love presents and I hate faking surprises. ~ Neil Patrick Harris

Sometimes as a doctor, the best treatment is no treatment at all. But today was definitely not one of those times. RIP, van full of senior citizens. Next time I'll use medicine. ~ Neil Patrick Harris

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

There's a kid in the middle of nowhere who's sitting there living for Tony performances. Singing and flipping along with the Pippins, and Wickeds, and Kinkys, Matildas, and Mormons's. So we might reassure that kid, and do something to spur that kid, 'cause I promise you, all of us up here tonight, we were that kid. ~ Neil Patrick Harris

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

I'm a nerdy, geeky fan of' Labyrinth' and 'Dark Crystal'. ~ Neil Patrick Harris

Our culture's adjustment to the epistemology of television is by now all but complete; we have so thoroughly accepted its definitions of truth, knowledge and reality that irrelevance seems to us to be filled with import, and incoherence seems eminently sane. And if some of our institutions seem not to fit the template of the times, why it is they and not the template, that seem to us disordered and strange. ~ Neil Patrick Harris

When a new kind of 'race trouble' broke out in 1912, Forsyth was a place that had already witnessed the rapid expulsion of an entire people, and many residents, like Charlie Harris, had heard firsthand accounts from relatives who'd taken part in the Cherokee removals. So whenever someone first suggested that blacks in the county should not only be punished for the murder of Mae Crow but driven out of the county forever, the white people of Forsyth knew in their bones that such a thing was possible. After all, many families owed their land and their livelihoods to exactly such a racial cleansing in the 1830s. ~ Patrick Phillips

I ran into Neal Patrick Harris recently. We were in something called The Purple People Eater. He was maybe 10, but he still remembered it as the worst experience of his life! ~ Peggy Lipton

I am telling you three times. ~ Patrick Rothfuss

Make mistakes. Make great mistakes , make wonderful mistakes, make glorious mistakes. Better to make a hundred mistakes than to stare at a blank piece of paper too scared to do anything wrong, too scared to do anything. ~ Neil Gaiman

This is the nightmare I have always dreaded. It's as if we've learned nothing from the last war and we are reliving August 1914. One by one the countries of the world will be dragged in - and for what? ~ Robert Harris

He loves Will. It goes beyond feelings and caring. Patrick's in love with him. It's not what they've agreed to and it's not what Will wants. It's not what Patrick wants either. ~ Leta Blake

When a president promises something beyond his years in office, he is fundamentally unaccountable. It is not his budget that must finish the job. Another president inherits the problem, and it becomes a ball too easily dropped, a plan too easily abandoned, a dream too readily deferred. ~ Neil DeGrasse Tyson