Neil Patrick Harris has recently flaunted his hosting flair at the TV Land Awards where a stunt set his tuxedo on fire, hosted Saturday Night Live earlier this year and continuously charms viewers as Barney Stinson on How I Met Your Mother. Soon, however, the 35-year-old actor will add yet another hosting gig to his resume.
After tapping Whoopi Goldberg and Hugh Jackman to host in recent years, the organizers of the Tony Awards have chosen the How I Met Your Mother star as the host for this year's event. Harris, who has deeper roots in the theater, will bring an insider's eye to the ceremony, according to Ricky Kirshner, one of the executive producers of the Tonys.
"His love for Broadway and great knowledge of theater combined with his on-stage presence makes him the perfect person to guide us through what is sure to be a great night," Kirshner said.
Harris, however, wasn't exactly the first choice. Word on the street is that the Tonys were trying to enlist a big star from among its list of 2009 award nominees such as James Gandolfini, who is nominated for best actor in the play
God of Carnage and won three Emmys for best actor on HBO's mob drama,
The Sopranos. But the people behind the Tonys ultimately decided to go with Harris, who is a familiar face on Broadway.
"The discipline of live theater --doing the same perfect thing night after night, eight times a week -- never ceases to amaze me," Harris said in a statement.
"I'm truly honored to have been chosen as the Master of Ceremonies for this year's Tony Awards," he added, "and I hope to help provide a first-class evening for all."
The Tony Awards will be held on June 7 at Radio City Music Hall and will be aired on CBS.
-Kris De Leon, BuddyTV Staff ColumnistSource:
NY Times(Image courtesy of CBS)