OMG: NPH on SNL, and HIMYM, and D.H., M.D.

My friend Diane saw Neil Patrick Harris walking the streets of New York last week, and it made MY day. I don't quite know why, but NPH has re-stolen America's hearts of late, and I thought I would try to deconstruct his triumphant climb back to the top from the collection of 90s child-stars long forgotten.

It began, for me at least, with a little movie entitled Starship Troopers, the film famous for (at least at the time) using the most ammunition of any movie… ever. I was so happy to see Doogie Howser back on screen, especially in a movie I find perfect in so many ways. The public's love affair with Neil Patrick Harris, however, was rekindled with his cameo in Harold and Kumar go to White Castle. I think the part really resonated with everyone watching because in the film, NPH became what the entire country already assumed he had become based on the 'brat pack' mentality of two parts drugs and alcohol addiction, one part penchant for strippers. Some people might have known he starred in "Cabaret" on Broadway, or seen him in single episodes of shows on television, but for the most part Harold and Kumar was his popular culture return. Neil Patrick Harris then became a bit of a phenomenon, maybe not at the level of Chuck Norris references (my favorite being: Chuck Norris once ordered a Big Mac at Burger King, and got one), but there was certainly buzz about him in a way I don't think anyone expected post-Doogie years.

What could have been a simple blip on the radar of pop culture however became something much more when Harris was cast as Barney Stinson on How I Met Your Mother, one of the strongest comedies on television today. The show has earned him, count 'em, TWO Teen Choice Awards nominations (as well as two Emmy nominations, and a Golden Globe nomination), and he is certainly the "it" factor that keeps HIMYM at the top of its game.

Harris also seems to have a weird and innovative way of staying relevant in pop culture beyond what most actors would pursue. His choice to do Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, the musical penned by Joss Whedon of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame, speaks of his ability to sense a winner. The three-part series (though recently Whedon announced that Dr. Horrible will return) was named the fourth best television series of 2008 by Time magazine, even though the musical was created for the internet, and never actually aired on television. Whedon had cut his musical chops when he composed "Once More with Feeling," the famous Buffy musical episode, but he really hit a homerun with Dr. Horrible with NPH starring as the wannabe-villain.

With Harris' recent stint on Saturday Night Live, it's clear that he's become more than just a cameo in a two hour advertisement for steamed mini burgers. I certainly enjoyed the Digital Short this past weekend featuring the orchestration of the Doogie Howser, M.D. theme song, but I'm pretty sure NPH will be making entirely new memorable roles for years to come.