Who are Neil Patrick Harris’ family members?

American actor Neil Patrick Harris was born to Sheila Gail (Scott) and Ronald Gene Harris on June 15, 1973. He has been married to David Burtka since 2014, and is the father of two children, Gideon Scott Burtka-Harris and Harper Grace Burtka-Harris.

Harris first gained recognition as a teenager with his performance in the 1988 drama Clara’s Heart opposite Whoopi Goldberg. He played the title role in Doogie Howser, M.D. (1989-1993), a teenage medical prodigy. He also appeared in stage productions such as James Lapine’s Luck, Pluck & Virtue, and Jonathan Larson’s Rent. Later, he worked in the Starship Troopers (1997), the sitcom Stark Raving Mad (1999-2000), and did voice acting in Spider-Man: The New Animated Series (2003).

In How I Met Your Mother (2005-2014), he starred as Barney Stinson and also played a fictional version of himself in the Harold & Kumar film series (2004-2011). More recently, he reprised his Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Father (2023) and also guest-starred in Doctor Who (2023). Harris is a five-time Primetime Emmy Award winner and will feature in the upcoming installment of the Dexter franchise, Dexter: Resurrection (2025), as Lowell.

Neil Patrick Harris’ parents

Harris was born to mother Sheila Gail (Scott) and father Ronald Gene Harris in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Sheila and Ronald were both lawyers by profession and were also known to own and run a restaurant. The family later relocated to Ruidoso, a small town in New Mexico, where Harris spent much of his early childhood. It was in Ruidoso that he first discovered his interest in acting when in fourth grade. In 1988, the family moved back to Albuquerque, which was also when Harris debuted in Clara's Heart.

Neil Patrick Harris’ husband

Harris' husband, David Burtka, is an actor, chef, and cookbook author. Burtka has appeared in shows such as the fantasy comedy Neil’s Puppet Dreams (2012-2013), the adventure drama A Series of Unfortunate Events (2018), and the romantic comedy Uncoupled (2022). He is also the creator of Neil's Puppet Dreams and the comedy show Drag Me To Dinner (2023). The pair first met on the street in 2004 and began dating shortly afterward. In 2007, he and Burtka confirmed their relationship.

That same year, they made their red-carpet debut together at the Emmy Awards. Over the years, Burtka and Harris have built a life filled with many shared milestones. In 2010, they welcomed fraternal twins, Harper Grace and Gideon Scott, and later married in 2014 during a private ceremony in Italy. Burtka frequently expresses his admiration and love for Harris, often marking anniversaries with heartfelt posts on social media. The couple celebrated 21 years since their first date in April 2025.

Neil Patrick Harris’s children

Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka became parents to twins Harper Grace and Gideon Scott on October 12, 2010, through surrogacy. Since their birth, the twins have often featured in family photos and holiday traditions, especially their creative Halloween costumes. The twins have participated in several significant moments in their parents’ lives. During the couple’s wedding in 2014, Gideon reportedly handed out oranges to the guests as the self-declared “orange boy.”

Harper has a keen interest in horror films, while Gideon shares a passion for culinary arts with Burtka; one of his recipes was even featured on Harris’ lifestyle platform, Wondercade. In a 2015 appearance on The Wendy Williams Show, Burtka remarked that Harper resembles him, saying, “She's like, 'Hey everybody, I'm here!' ” In contrast, he described Gideon as a little more heady and intellectual, noting similarities with Harris. Both children also made brief on-screen appearances alongside their father in the 2018 Netflix series A Series of Unfortunate Events.