Neil Patrick Harris still has a big item on his wish list that he is “dying for” – he wants to be in a superhero movie. “On a large scale, CG elements, like a big, big movie,” Tony and Emmy winner told me in today’s episode of the “Just for Variety” podcast. “As if it could be a big Chris Nolan, it could be a big PlayStation 5. Kind of like a big one where you’re making the wires. “
Years ago, Harris auditioned to play Nightcrawler in the X-Men ‘s second film, “X2: X-Men United” from 2003. “I remember being in the squatting room,” says Harris, adding: “I remember me to feel insecure in my own skin at that time for being both heroic and animalistic ”. The part eventually went to Alan Cumming.
In its latest project, “It’s a Sin”, NPH plays an older gay man who becomes a father figure and mentor to a young man who is accepting his sexuality. The limited series of HBO Max (debuted on February 18), by the creator of “Queer as Folk” Russel T. Davis, is about a group of gay friends who lived in London during the early days of the AIDS epidemic. Davis first approached Harris about the role. “I got a call with Russell and his production partner,” said Harris. “He told me about the idea, and that there was a character in it that he was interested in me playing. And I said, ‘Sure, I’d love to.’ And that was six months earlier. It was at the beginning of the process. And then I thought it was gone and reappeared and it was really happening. And suddenly, I was in Manchester and learning an accent, growing a mustache and a love life. “
Most of the cast members, led by Olly Alexander, are openly gay. “I think almost everyone uniformly, when they are able to withhold information, they shine more,” says Harris. “And I think that keeping secrets is a burden. Keeping weight only makes you heavier and when you are free of that weight, you are obviously able to get taller. “
Harris publicly revealed himself 15 years ago, when he was 33 years old. He is surprised at how young people today approach sexuality. “The gay-straight spectrum is totally different,” he says. “It seems that labeling and stigma just don’t exist. I had good conversations with people, in their 20s, who are heterosexual, but they play with friends and it doesn’t weigh much for them. It was fun. They had fun. And now they have a girlfriend and they don’t care about that. It does not define them. It was just a fun afternoon or evening. And I love it. “
Speaking of younger, Harris was just 16 when “Doogie Howser MD” made him a star. A reboot of Disney Plus, entitled “Doogie Kamealoha, MD, will feature a female lead played by Peyton Elizabeth Lee and set in Hawaii. “I’m so happy,” says Harris when I ask about the reboot. “His creator was a major producer of ‘How I Met Your Mother’ (Kourtney Kang). I think setting it up with a female protagonist is a great choice … I think it’s in good hands. I feel that it is a passion project for many and I can’t wait to see it. “
You can listen to the full interview with Harris above. You can also find “Just for Variety” on Apple podcasts or wherever you find your favorite podcasts.