14 DAY TRIAL // Actor Neil Patrick Harris is featured in the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly in a lengthy interview on how to survive in Hollywood and forge a successful career. Among the topics up for discussion: his orientation.
It’s a known fact that Neil is gay but, for him, coming out did nothing to harm his popularity. If anything, it’s made him all the more popular.
As far as he’s concerned, he says he really didn’t care that much about coming out – and he certainly wasn’t worried – but that’s mostly because he never made a secret of his orientation, unlike other stars.
“It was not this big secret that I was trying to keep. We crafted a statement that seemed appropriate and empowering, and then we let the cards fall where they may,” Neil tells the magazine.
He’s always been open because he never wanted to have to lie to fans.
“I wanted to be honest about things. I was admittedly concerned about the public’s reaction, and I must say, the indifference that most people expressed was the greatest reaction of all – and a reflection of a nicely evolving culture,” the actor explains.
Many things have changed in our culture, Neil further observes, and his example is the best in this sense.
“I enjoy that I can tweet pictures of my babies, 11-month-old twins Gideon and Harper, in the morning, then don the Barney suit and make out with a couple of chicks in the afternoon, and no one bats an eye,” he adds.
As for what it takes to make it in the industry, but not just survive, Harris says it’s a combination of hard work and good luck. He’s had them both.
“[I]t’s required perseverance, perspective, and a dedication to the craft to go all the way from ‘the kid who played Doogie’ to ‘the guy who played Doogie and now wears suits all the time’,” he says of his career in showbiz.