Honestly, It couldn't have happened to a nicer man.
He's a husband, father, thespian—award winning—ground breaking and trailmaker in the LGBT community and part of the iconic landscape of popular culture; remembered fondly as Little Doogie of "Doogie Howser MD."
This year, the stage is set for Neil Patrick Harris to host the 87th Oscars®. The good news was announced by producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron. This isn't Harris first time as a host but it's his first time hosting the live event, on ABC Sunday, February 22, 2015.
"We are thrilled to have Neil host the Oscars," said Zadan and Meron. "We have known him his entire adult life, and we have watched him explode as a great performer in feature films, television and stage. To work with him on the Oscars is the perfect storm, all of his resources and talent coming together on a global stage."
To weigh in on the honor, Harris, now a Harlem resident, said: “It is truly an honor and a thrill to be asked to host this year’s Academy Awards. I grew up watching the Oscars and was always in such awe of some of the greats who hosted the show. To be asked to follow in the footsteps of Johnny Carson, Billy Crystal, Ellen DeGeneres, and everyone else who had the great fortune of hosting is a bucket list dream come true.”
Cheryl Boone Isaacs, Academy President shared the teams' enthusiasm adding: “We share Craig and Neil’s excitement in welcoming the incredibly talented Neil Patrick Harris,” she continued. "He is the consummate entertainer. Neil’s distinctive charm and showmanship make him the ideal host to honor the Oscar legacy and ensure we all enjoy another unforgettable celebration.”
“Neil is a terrific actor, singer, risk-taker and collaborator,” said Dawn Hudson, Academy CEO. “We can't wait to see the show that he and Craig and Neil create together.”
Harris is a triple-threat performer and currently playing a creepy, wealthy love-sick man in David Fincher’s critically-acclaimed feature film “Gone Girl.”
His win and nominations are impressive by any standards. Harris garnered multiple Emmy® and Golden Globe award nominations for his role as Barney Stinson on the hit television series, “How I Met Your Mother,” and he won an Emmy for his guest-starring role on “Glee” in 2010.
He also recently starred in the title role of “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” on Broadway, earning the 2014 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical.
Harris served as host of the 61st and 65th Primetime Emmy Awards, as well as the 63rd, 65th, 66th and 67th Tony Awards, for which he won four Emmys.
Most recently, Harris added the title of author to his list of accomplishments with the release of his autobiography from Crown Publishing, “Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography.”
The last two Oscars telecasts, which were produced by Zadan and Meron, received a major spike in the ratings making the 86th Oscars TV’s most-watched entertainment event in 10 years and attracted the biggest viewership since 2000, with more than 45 million viewers.
The Oscars will be held at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network at 4 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.