Neil Patrick Harris

It's hard enough overcoming the typecast stigma of being a child actor. Former "Doogie Howser" star Neil Patrick Harris, affectionately known as NPH, slowly began to reinvent himself with memorable adult roles in film franchises ("Harold & Kumar," "Starship Troopers") and on stage in theater productions of "Rent" and "Romeo & Juliet," to name a couple. Then, a year after landing the plum role of ladies' man Barney Stinson on "How I Met Your Mother," NPH publicly came out. Since that revelation, he's ascended to only greater heights on mainstream success, returning annually to host the Tony Awards, guesting on "Glee" and even taking lead in Joss Whedon's quirky Web series, "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog." Harris continues to portray "HIMYM" lothario Stinson, but has also opened doors for a generation of openly gay actors.

Bing: Neil Patrick Harris | 'How I Met Your Mother'

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(CBS)