Although it is difficult for How I Met Your Mother fans to imagine Neil Patrick Harris as a loving and devoted father, that is the reality away from the show.
It may have come to a surprise to many to learn that the silver-tongued bachelor on the screen, known for bedding thousands of women and making millions, has actually been married to a man since 2014.
He and David Burtka tied the knot in 2014, with the latter also humorously appearing in HIMYM as Lily's ex-boyfriend, but it was dating Ben Stiller's now-wife, Christine Taylor, that apparently led to Patrick Harris' gay awakening.
The married couple share 15-year-old twins, Gideon and Harper, and they made a rare public appearance alongside their dads at the premiere of the Broadway musical The Lost Boys in New York on Sunday (26 April).
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Patrick Harris is a co-producer and investor in the musical so it's no surprise that he brought his loved ones along to the event, even if he usually keeps the kids out of the public eye.
The family appeared to coordinate their outfits for the premiere, with all four of them going for a red and black theme.
Patrick Harris and Burtka began dating in 2004 after meeting on a street corner. They went public with their relationship in 2007 and welcomed their twins via surrogate in 2010.
During a 2014 interview with veteran broadcaster Barbara Walters, the Doogie Howser, M.D actor revealed that he had 'no interest' in finding out which twin is his biological child.
"I have no interest in [finding out]," Patrick Harris said. "We are their parents and I love them implicitly."
He went on to explain: "We inserted one of my sperm and one of David's sperm into two eggs, with the hope that they would both take, just because we both wanted to be dads biologically, and both took, miraculously."
Although they might be able to see parts of themselves in the children as they get older, which might just give the game away as to who is whose, the mystery does definitely make things a little more magical.
When the twins turned 14 back in October 2024, the 52-year-old star took to social media to share just how proud he was of both of his kids.
Patrick Harris wrote: "I have never been more proud of anything in my entire life, and I suspect I never will. My husband David and I marvel at their maturity, are wowed by their warmth, chuffed by their charm.
"We love them both unconditionally, and their hugs fill us with life. We don’t say any of this to them, obvs, or they’d recoil or leverage it to their advantage.
"But they’re not on Insta, so I’m free to speak honestly. They’ll never find out. Happy Birthday, Harper and Gideon. You’re both amazeballs."
James Moorhouse