Neil patrick harris is he gay

Drawn to guys in 'a tingly caring of way' at 13, Neil Patrick Harris tells of the struggle to come to terms with his sexuality - and how a lip shut with Burt Reynolds convinced him he was gay

Beloved entertainer Neil Patrick Harris has revealed how he first told his mother he thought he was gay when he was just 13 - after he was drawn to guys in a 'tingly kind of way'.

The 41-year-old celebrity told how he opened up to his mother Sheila in 1986 after he developed a crush on the trumpet player in his middle institution band, and said: 'Mom, I'm terrified I'm gay'.

But in his new autobiography, the recently married, father-of-two, said his mother simply replied that although it may be a phase, it would not make any difference in how much his parents loved him.

He writes: 'And she sees that even though you date some really nice girls through your upper school years, it's the cute novel boy in your class or on set who really gets under your skin and thrills you and spurs your imagination. 

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Happy: Neil Patrick Harris is now married and the father of twins - but admits in his new autobiography it took him years to admit he was gay 

Teenage star: Neil Patrick Harri

Neil Patrick Harris has decided to tell the world he's gay.

"(I) am quite proud to say that I am a very content gay man living my life to the fullest," Harris tells People magazine's Web site.

The 33-year-old actor said he decided to reveal his sexuality to end "speculation and interest in my private life and relationships."

Harris may be referring to an Oct. 23 item on the Web site Canada.com that claimed he had helped his "longtime sweetheart," actor David Burtka, land a part on his hit CBS sitcom "How I Met Your Mother."

That was followed by an unconfirmed describe Nov. 1 that a publicist for Harris said the thespian is "not of that persuasion."

Perez Hilton, Defamer.com and other gossip blogs jumped on the topic, eager to "out" the actor.

Hilton, who is openly gay, counts Harris' coming out as a victory. "We are so proud (despite the naysayers) in having a hand in bringing about change," writes the self-defined "Queen Of All Media," using the royal "we."

Harris rose to fame on TV as a teen, playing the namesake doctor on the series "Doogie Howser, M.D."

He plays the womanizing Barney Stinson on the CBS show "How I Met Your Mother."

10 Memorable Celebrity Coming Out Moments

Oct. 30, 2013— -- intro: While it may seem there's never been a improved time for stars to come out of the closet, Neil Patrick Harris cautions that the process remains extremely personal.

"It's a super-individual thing," the "How I Met Your Mother" star told HuffPost Live Monday. "I don't believe (coming out) in an exploitative way makes sense. I just feel enjoy that whole society is very personal."

"Here's a good analogy -- if you're going to spring into the pool and you're not sure how to swim, it's probably not so efficient to just thrust someone into the pool," he said.

Harris went public with his sexuality in 2006 in part because of his budding relationship with now-partner David Burtka.

"For me, I fell in love with a dude and started spending all my time with him. And therefore, you don't crave to be suppressive of that," Harris said. "I didn't want to disrespect David. I didn't want to build David feel prefer he didn't occur in my being, and at the same time I didn't want David's identity to be, 'The guy th

Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka have been together for 17 years. Here's a timeline of their relationship.

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  • Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka went on their first date over 17 years ago.
  • They welcomed fraternal twins to their family in October 2010.
  • The two officially tied the knot in September 2014 during an intimate ceremony. 
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Early 2000s: Harris met Burtka met through a mutual friend.

The pair co-penned a 2012 essay about their relationship for Out magazine, in which Harris wrote about his first impression of Burtka.

"I ran into my friend Kate one day and she was with this brooding, James Dean–type guy in a leather jacket who gave me the brain nod and then turned away," he wrote. "I assumed he was Kate's boyfriend and said, 'Nicely done.' And she said, 'David? He's not playing on my team, but he has a boyfriend.'"