The job of host well suits Neil Patrick Harris. Warm, engaging, personable and, yes, multi-talented, Harris is right at home on the stage of the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards.
This fall Harris begins his fourth season on the CBS series How I Met Your Mother.
In the past three years, he has been nominated for three Primetime Emmys for his performance as womanizer 'Barney Stinson.' This awards season – in addition to hosting the Emmys show – he may go home an Emmy winner himself.
Harris is a veteran of the awards circuit. At fifteen he received his first Golden Globe nomination, for the film Clara’s Heart.
A year later he was star of a hit primetime television drama, Doogie Howser, M.D. He was Golden Globe–nominated for that show as well, and earlier this year he earned a third Globe nomination for How I Met Your Mother.
In addition to his roles on television, Harris has been a showstopper on stage (Proof, Rent), and last year he played the title role in Joss Whedon’s web-exclusive musical comedy, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog.
With Emmy’s big night at hand, Harris shared some thoughts about this new adventure:
You’ve hosted the Tony Awards and the TV Land Awards. How does hosting the Primetime Emmys compare to those previous jobs?
Biggest hosting gig yet! I think this will be a difficult audience to win over. It’s people from wildly different shows all sitting nervously together — drama casts next to reality contestants, sitcom stars next to movie-type people. But we’ve planned a great show this year, and I’m hoping that everyone will have a good time.
What’s a host’s biggest pitfall? How do you avoid it?
Not being involved enough. Sometimes I’ve watched the host perform an opening monologue and then appear maybe two more times before saying good night. I’m here to actively host. I’ll be around more than less.
What’s the most unexpected thing that’s happened to you while hosting?
The near-decapitation of singer Bret Michaels at the Tonys, when that backdrop came down and knocked him off his feet. That was shockingly close to being a really bad situation.
How have you prepared for tonight’s show?
Watching broadcasts from the past. I’m a big fan of Steve Allen, Johnny Carson, Dick Cavett. They were just the best. Oh, and I stopped eating over two weeks ago — to fit into my dress.
Can you give us some insight into what life has been like this past week?
Calm before the storm: clarifying bits, punching up jokes. And letting the swelling from my lip injections stabilize.
If your character on How I Met Your Mother, Barney Stinson, were tonight’s host, what could we expect?
Shameless CBS cross-promotion. And probably lap dances.
How do you plan to make this year’s Emmys memorable?
With the planned changes in structure — organizing awards by genres — and the look of the set changing for each act, it will feel like five small, separate shows. Oh, and I plan on taking home a couple of Emmys myself, so that should be memorable. It doesn’t matter if I win or lose — I’m backstage a lot, and so are the trophies. I think I can cop three or four without anyone noticing.
Who do you hope is watching tonight?
The Nielsens.
