Neil Patrick Harris Says His Family Makes Him "So Proud" After a Night That Brought the Whole Family Together in the Most Meaningful Way

May 15, 2026 by apost team

Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka have been one of Hollywood's most quietly consistent love stories for more than two decades. They met by chance on a New York City street in 2004, began dating shortly after, and spent the next decade building a life together — first as a couple, then as parents, and finally as husbands when they married in Italy in September 2014. Their twins, son Gideon and daughter Harper Grace Burtka-Harris, were born via surrogate in October 2010, and were just three years old when their parents tied the knot. Gideon, who was meant to serve as ring bearer, improvised on the day — deciding instead to hand out oranges to guests as he walked down the aisle in a top hat and tuxedo.

Harris, born June 15, 1973, first became a household name as the title character in "Doogie Howser, M.D." before redefining his career as Barney Stinson in "How I Met Your Mother." Burtka, born May 28, 1975, is a trained chef and stage actor. Together, they have raised their twins largely away from the pace of Hollywood — something their children's rare public appearances have always made feel deliberate.

On April 26, 2026, the family attended the Broadway opening night of "The Lost Boys" at the Palace Theatre in New York City. Photos of the then-15-year-old twins circulated widely online. Fans who had followed the family since their annual Halloween photos were visibly startled by how much Gideon and Harper Grace had grown. "Weren't they just babies?" one fan wrote. "I must be elderly. I thought they were toddlers," another said.

Two weeks later, the family was back in the spotlight — this time for something that went beyond a night at the theater.

On Monday, May 11, 2026, Harris and Burtka attended Family Equality's Night at the Pier Gala at Chelsea Piers in New York City, joined by both twins. The couple was being honored with the Luminary Award in recognition of their visibility, advocacy, and enduring commitment to LGBTQ+ families.

The award was presented by two longtime friends — Sir Elton John and his husband David Furnish. Family Equality CEO Darra Gordon spoke about why the couple had been chosen. "As a parent raising twins myself, I know firsthand that family life is equal parts joy, chaos, worry, and wonder," she said. "What really makes a family strong isn't perfection — it's showing up. Showing up for the hard days, the loud days, the ordinary days, and making sure our kids have the love, safety, and support they need to thrive." 

Harris shared photos on Instagram afterward. "We were so honored to be, well, honored by Family Equality with their Luminary Award at this year's Gala," he wrote. "And introduced by Elton John and David Furnish, no less! An absolutely wonderful night for a remarkable organization." 

Then he added the line that stayed with people:

"I'm so proud of my family. Just… yeah. They make me so proud." 

Harris has previously spoken about why formalizing their marriage mattered so much to him. "I think when our kids got to the age when they were having reasonable conversations where they're asking lots of 'why' questions, then it seemed important to have a real clear-cut identity of who their daddy is — that he's committed, that he loves their dad, that we're a proper family," he said. Fifteen years in, that answer speaks for itself. 

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