Neil Patrick Harris makes it look easy: Our exclusive interview

Jodie Foster is the star everyone thinks of when we think of a child actor who's made it big. But even Foster's impressive career trajectory may not match that of Neil Patrick Harris, the former Doogie Howser M.D. star who has grown up into a career that is literally breathtaking in its breadth and diversity. Harris followed Howser with a string of well-received dramatic and musical roles, including parts in stage productions of Sweeney Todd, Assassins, Proof, The Paris Letter, and as the Emcee in Cabaret, a role that started to alter his squeaky-clean image.

Then, in 2004, came Harris' daring turn as a deranged, sex-obsessed version of himself in Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle. That led to Harris landing the break-out role of the heterosexual Barney Stinson on CBS' How I Met Your Mother for which he has since received two Emmy nominations.

Still not enough? Harris has since proved he can also perform a mean magic trick and host a talk show with ease. He recently appeared on Sesame Street as the Shoe Person Fairy, and even agreed to be a spokesman for Old Spice.

Is there anything Harris can't do as a performer? Did we mention he can juggle and walk a tight-rope?

Then there was the matter of his well-chronicled coming out in November of 2006, something that has made him one of the most famous out gay men in America. Even more impressively, he managed his coming out in a way that not only didn't hurt his career, but has probably helped significantly.

Take that, Jodie Foster!

AfterElton.com recently had the chance to talk with Harris and the questions ranged from the lighthearted to the serious and covered his past, his future, his nude scene, and just what was up with that Out interview. And might we add, he not only laughs a lot, but he has a great laugh.

AE: So, you’re hosting the Creative Emmys. Does that mean the gay community has finally arrived?
NPH: I don’t know. [Laughing] Does hosting the Creative Emmys still mean we’re sitting in the back of the bus?

AE: I wouldn’t think so, but you are the celebrity. What do you think?
NPH: I’m thrilled by it. I mean, granted, it’s not televised and it’s like six and a half hours long, but we’re looking to have fun. And Sarah Chalke is co-hosting so, she’s an utter delight.

AE: What is your secret plan to upstage her?
NPH: I don’t know that one can upstage her without looking like anything but a tool. I love hosting and I hope to parley the few hosting gigs I’ve done in the past into some larger gigs in the future. So I intend for it to be a funny yet classy affair. I still hope to host the actual Emmys some day.

AE: Is this part of your master plan to overtake Ellen DeGeneres and host the Academy Awards some day?
NPH: Never say never.

AE: How did you end up doing the Creative Emmys? Is that something you put out there – that you’d be interested in or did they come to you?
NPH: They came to me after Kristin Chenoweth and I did the announcements for the Emmy nominations. I think they thought we had good chemistry and wanted us to do it. Her schedule didn’t allow it so Sarah gladly joined on. So I think it was from [Kristin and I] putting a little energy into the announcements of the [Emmy] nominees back at three o’clock in the morning or whenever we did that. Which they claim had to do with talent and I just think had to do with caffeine.

Kristin Chenoweth and Neil Patrick Harris announcing the Emmy Award nominees

AE: Sorry, I didn’t attend it. I just couldn’t get up that early during the TCA Summer tour. I feel so guilty.
NPH: That was a crazy morning.

AE: Last week I interviewed Pushing Daisies' writer Bryan Fuller and he’s up against Tina Fey for the best writing category. Being the devious interviewer I am, I actually got him to talk some smack about her – I got him to use the word “bitch” and “Tina Fey” in the same sentence. You are up against Jeremy Piven, Kevin Dillon, Rain Wilson and Jon Cryer. How badly are you going to clobber them?
NPH: Michael, what are you doing? [Laughing] What are you doing to me? Don’t you realize people take your quotes and make other stories from them? How much smack can I talk?