Neil Patrick Harris Reveals the Real Reason Barney Stinson Comes Off as "Toxic"

Neil Patrick Harris has explained why his character on 'How I Met Your Mother' comes across as so "toxic," and why that dark side isn't always what it seems.

The 53-year-old Harris played wealthy, philandering Barney Stinson across all nine seasons of the CBS show, which aired from 2005 to 2014. The character was written as an unscrupulous womanizer, and over the years both viewers and critics have noted that he's often cited as the definition of "toxic masculinity."

Speaking to The Times, Harris responded to a question about the character's toxic nature by reminding people that the whole show is framed as a story told by an older Ted (with Josh Radnor in flashbacks, and Bob Saget as the narrator). That means the portrayal of Barney is subjective from start to finish.

"None of the behaviors are, you know, proven or even real," he said. "So I had the freedom to be way lewder, way more ridiculous and blatant than I think Barney actually was. He was always the devil on Ted's shoulder."

Harris returned as Barney in 2023 for the spin-off 'How I Met Your Father.' In the two-season Hulu show, the character appeared in two episodes during the second season — despite the actor having previously said he wouldn't return for fear of "causing everyone trouble."

In an interview for Hilary Duff's 'Wondercade' newsletter, he'd written: "Barney's antics, his delusions of grandeur, would probably get everyone in a lot of trouble. So unless he's changed his ways or joined a convent, I'm not sure that's good for anyone." Duff agreed with the reasoning, joking: "I don't know how you'd take this, but Barney would definitely be in prison by 2022."

'How I Met Your Mother' was a consistent ratings success during its run, and its early seasons also earned strong marks from critics. The show collected a total of 28 Emmy nominations, including one for Outstanding Comedy Series.