Neil Patrick Harris Delivers Stand-Out Performance of 'Smooth Criminal' During Lip-Sync Contest

Mar 19, 2020 by apost team

If you're not watching Lip Sync Battle on the Paramount Network, you're missing out. The show features well-known celebrities in a lip-sync competition. These stars don't only lip-sync; they also pull out all the stops in a choreographed dance performance. Neil Patrick Harris gave one of the show's most memorable performances when he lip-synced Michael Jackson's 'Smooth Criminal.'

Neil Patrick Harris is a comedian, actor, filmmaker, author, singer and philanthropist. He first came on the scene in 1989 when he played the role of Doogie Howser. He also played serial philanderer Barney Stinson on How I Met Your Mother.

Neil Patrick Harris has a broad range of talents, so the audience knew they were in for a treat when he appeared on Lip Sync Battle.

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The performance starts with Neil Patrick Harris in Michael Jackson's iconic head down pose. The crowd cheers as Harris makes his way down a fire escape style staircase, and the camera pans to host LL Cool J and guest Laverne Cox clapping in time with the music.

Co-host Chrissy Teigen, the official Clapback Queen of Twitter, is shown dancing in her DJ booth while wearing Michael Jackson's signature white fedora.

Neil Patrick Harris does a fantastic job emulating the King of Pop. It's nearly impossible to nail all of Jackson's moves, but Harris and his backup dancers managed to successfully complete one of MJ's most famous dance moves.

In 1987, Michael Jackson released the music video for Smooth Criminal. In the video, Jackson stands with his feet flat on the floor and leans forward at a 45-degree angle. The gravity-defying move baffled dancers around the world. For years, fans tried to recreate the move at home. None were successful.

It was later revealed that a well-placed nail was used to catch Jackson's specially made shoes. Even then, experts say the move is nearly impossible, according to Science Alert. Even well-trained professional dancers struggle to lean forward at more than a 25-degree angle.

Many experts believe that Jackson placed most of the strain on his Achilles heels. It would have required a ridiculous amount of core strength to do that without injuring himself.

Neil Patrick Harris and his talented squad of backup dancers make the move look effortless. They only leaned forward at a 30-degree angle, but it could not have been an easy feat. You can check out Neil Patrick Harris's performance in the video below. 

What did you think of Neil Patrick Harris's performance? Did he do the King of Pop justice? Don't forget to tell your friends who love Neil Patrick Harris (or Michael Jackson.) We're sure they wouldn't want to miss out on this fun video.