Hit CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother may have come to an end a long time ago, but it holds a special place in the hearts of several fans as well as its stars. One of such stars is award-winning actor Neil Patrick Harris. Famous for portraying the lewd and womanizing character of Barney, Harris not only earned fame and fortune on the set of the show but also met his better half, David Burtka, there.
The duo met in 2004, and despite some initial hiccups, remain firmly together. They have gone ahead to welcome twin children via surrogacy. They have also thrived in their respective careers and have taken on new pursuits. Harris has continued to spread his influence to theatrical productions, television, and even streaming, accumulating an impressive fortune in the process. Butka has meanwhile left acting in favor of a career as a professional chef. He now runs his own catering company and even has a cookbook to his name.
Who is Richer Between Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka?
Neil Patrick Harris and his husband, David Burtka, have a combined net worth of $53 million, with the former accounting for the lion’s share, $50 million. Harris made his fortune and name from an acting career that has seen him perform that rare feat of successfully transitioning from a child star to an adult actor.
As far back as 1989, a 16-year-old Harris was headlining the popular medical drama, Doogie Howser M.D., as a brilliant teenage surgeon. He appeared in about 97 episodes of the show for which he was well remunerated. Doogie Howser M.D. has since come to an end and Harris has gone on to feature in many other movies such as Gone Girl, A Million Ways to Die in the West, and Harold & Kumar. He has also thrived on the small screen, appearing in shows such as A Series of Unfortunate Events and How I Met Your Mother.
For the former, he played the role of the rich, impeccably turned-out womanizer named Barney Stinson. He was the highest-paid cast member and variously received about $210k and $225k per episode in the course of the show’s run. By the 9th and final season of HIMYM, Harris was easily taking home $400,000 per episode, translating into as much as $9.2 million a year.
Neil Patrick Harris also makes a lot of money from representing companies. Thanks to his ability to sing, dance, and act with a bit of magic thrown in, many companies have courted him to serve as their spokesperson or feature in ads for them, including the likes of Heineken Light Beer, PepsiCo, American Airlines, Baileys Deliciously Light, and Hasbro.
Harris’s husband meanwhile has a net worth of $3 million. David Burtka also made his fortune from a modest acting career which saw him guest-star in a handful of TV series, including How I Met Your Mother, The West Wing, and Crossing Jordan. He has also featured in a few movies, including Annie and the Gypsy and Dance Off, and in stage productions such as It Shoulda Been You, The Opposite of Sex, Gypsy, and The Play About the Baby.
Burtka has now stepped back from acting and is a professional chef. He received a degree in culinary arts from Le Cordon Bleu, Pasadena, and went on to train under famed chefs such as Mario Batali and Gina De Palma. He then co-founded the catering company, Gourmet M.D., which has catered to several celebrity clients. Burtka has also appeared on TV cooking shows such as Iron Chef before dropping his first book titled Life Is a Party: Delicious Recipes to Make Everyday a Celebration in 2019.
Harris is Only Two Years Older Than Burtka
David Burtka was born on the 29th of May 1975 in Dearborn, Michigan. This makes him two years younger than his husband, Neil Patrick Harris, who was born on the 15th of June 1973 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Burtka spent his formative years in Michigan, specifically Canton, and graduated from Plymouth Salem High School in 1993. He then went on to obtain a bachelor of fine arts from the University of Michigan. He also trained professionally as an actor at places such as Interlochen Center for the Arts and Willaim Esper Studios before making his acting debut.
In stark contrast, his husband Neil Patrick Harris never made it to college as he began acting like a child. By the age of 15, he had already appeared in a bunch of movies and TV series, including Clara’s Heart, Purple People Eater, Too Good To Be True, B.L. Stryker, and Cold Sassy Tree. He subsequently got his breakthrough as a 16-year-old on Doogie Howser M.D. Going into acting at such an early age meant that Harris had to forgo regular classes in favor of private tutors. The tutors were, however, good at their work and so he excelled in his high school studies.
Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka Have Been Together Since 2004
Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka first met each other via a mutual friend named Kate in 2004. At that time, Harris was very much single and was quite attracted to Burtka. He however could not do much as the latter was in a long-distance relationship with another fellow. The long-distance would eventually take its toll on the romance and Harris and Burtka began a relationship in earnest. They grew considerably close to each other, talking on the phone about 8 times a day and texting about 25 times each day. By the time Harris gained a contract to move out to L.A. for the filming of How I Met Your Mother, Burtka naturally came along and moved in with him.
The couple initially thought that the series would last for just a few years but it stretched out to nine years and they saw it out. Burtka even got a guest role on the show and appeared in some episodes. This led to calls of nepotism as it was alleged that he got the gig as a result of Harris’ influence. The couple did not let such rumors bother them but moved on with their romance and got engaged. Burtka was the first to pop the question in 2007 and Harris accepted. The TV star then did his own proposal a year later and Burtka equally accepted. The duo kept news of their engagement secret for several years and only revealed it in 2011.
They then tied the knot in a sweet ceremony held in Perugia, Italy, in 2014. For the big day, the couple both wore Tom Ford custom tuxedoes and were serenaded by superstar British singer, Elton John. Harris was 41 years of age at that time while Burtka was 39 years. The couple remains together to date and is still clearly smitten with each other. Other great loves of their lives are twins Harper Grace and Gideon Scott, whom they welcomed via surrogacy in 2010. Harris and Burtka now make their home in New York and have been open with the fact that their marriage is not perfect. They nonetheless cherish each other and their children and are trying to live their best lives.
Quick Comparison of the Superstar CoupleÂ
| Neil Patrick Harris | David Burtka | |
| Age | 50 | 48 |
| Height | 6 feet (1.83m) | 5 feet 11 ½ inches (1.82m) |
| Birthplace | Albuquerque, New Mexico | Dearborn, Michigan |
| Net Worth | $50 Million | $3 Million |
| No. of Movie Appearances | 30 | 9 |
| Total Movie Gross | $2.43 Billion | N/A |
| No. of TV Shows | 60 | 11 |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | Five | Nil |
