Neil Patrick Harris is an American actor, comedian, filmmaker, philanthropist, magician, and singer. He is known primarily for his comedy roles on television and his dramatic and musical stage roles. On television, he is known for playing the title character on Doogie Howser, M.D. (1989–1993), Barney Stinson on How I Met Your Mother, and Count Olaf in A Series of Unfortunate Events (2017–2019).