Neil Patrick Harris, who has previously hosted the Emmy and Tony awards ceremonies, will make his first appearance as host of the Oscars in February, it was announced today.
Harris confirmed the news himself, posting a video online that shows him on the phone saying, “I’m in.” Harris hangs up, looks at the camera and says, “Nice,” then looks at a piece of paper that reads “NPH’s BucketList.” He then circles the final item on the list, which is “Host the Oscars.”
The 87th Oscars will be presented Feb. 22 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
Ellen DeGeneres hosted this year’s ceremony, which made social media history when she snapped a “selfie” with an array of Hollywood stars in the audience and posted it on Twitter, leading to a record number of re-tweets.
Harris is “the consummate entertainer,” said Cheryl Boone Isaacs, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. “Neil’s distinctive charm and showmanship make him the ideal host to honor the Oscar legacy and ensure we all enjoy another unforgettable celebration.”
Harris starred at Barney Stinson on the CBS show “How I Met Your Mother,” although he was introduced to television audiences as a child playing “Doogie Howser, M.D.”
He appears in the box office hit “Gone Girl,” and has also appeared in movies such as “The Muppets,” “The Smurfs,” “A Million Ways to Die in the West,” “Starship Troopers” and the “Harold and Kumar” films.
Harris won a Tony Award for best actor in a musical for “Hedwig and the Angry Itch.” He won an Emmy for a guest spot on “Glee” in 2010. He has twice hosted the Emmy Awards, and hosted the Tony Awards four times.
His autobiography, “Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography,” was recently released.
