To be fair, Neil Patrick Harris already had a bit of an unfair advantage going in to today’s episode of The Price Is Right. Not only does the universally beloved star have daytime television experience (sorry, Snoop), but before his appearance for Celebrity Charity Week, NPH already got to hear those magic words “Come on down!” Well, technically, it was Barney Stinson who became the single greatest player in the history of the “original” Price Is Right after he won everything (including some sweet gifts for Marshall and Lily’s wedding) and met his “dad,” then-host Bob Barker. It was… well, you know.

So things were a little bit different this time around for the How I Met Your Mother actor. Though he did suit up for the occasion, Harris — who was playing for breast-cancer research organization the Noreen Fraser Foundation — served as something of a cohost to Drew Carey and helped his fellow contestants (a very un-Barney-like strategy) snag some most excellent prizes ($10,000!, a new car!), including the episode’s eventual champ Adam, by knowing things like the price for a cupcake maker and having an excellent strategy for the frustrating game Gas Money.

Of course, the real winner was enthusiastic contestant Destiny. While Destiny got thisclose to besting Adam in the Showcase Showdown (one of which included the enviable prize of getting to visit the set of HIMYM for a walk-on role), you can’t put a price tag on hugging and tackling NPH and not getting in trouble for it. Watch the highlights from his episode below, including his date with Destiny around the 1:02 mark!

Harris, who seemed to have just as much fun watching the contestants as he did participating himself, also got to spin the coveted big wheel for the second time in his life. While he didn’t do quite as well as Barney (no one ever has), he did give an oh-so-sweet shout-out to his parents, his partner David Burtka and their twins Gideon and Harper, and earned an impressive $65,238 for his charity.

Other celebrities appearing on this week’s special Price Is Right episodes include Jenny McCarthy, Chris Daughtry, and Heidi Klum.

What did you think of Neil Patrick Harris’ stint on The Price Is Right, PopWatchers? Would his cohosting skills (seriously, shouldn’t the guy just host everything at this point?) have impressed Bob Barker? (Of course!) Who was better as a celebrity assistant: NPH or Snoop Dogg? How much would you have killed to win that sweet HIMYM package? (I’m pretty sure my EW colleague Sandra Gonzalez and I would get into a vicious bidding war to end them all to win that.) Share in the comments section below.

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How I Met Your Mother enjoys a long history extending the life of its episodes with online ventures.

There was the foreboding Slap Bet Countdown, Barney’s Video Resume, TedMosbyIsAJerk.com and, of course, the evolving music video catalog of Robin Sparkles.

On Monday night the show returned from hiatus with “Tailgate.” And after alluding to their brief tenure as bar owners in a previous episode, Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) and Ted (Josh Radnor) finally opened their bar, Puzzles. (“Why is it called ‘Puzzles?’ That’s the puzzle.”)

Motivated by steep New Year’s Eve cover at McClarens, the duo quickly turned Ted’s apartment into a bar, complete with velvet rope, a bar manned by Kevin (returning guest Kal Penn) and Cheers reminiscent signage.

CBS simultaneously launched PuzzlesTheBar.com. The site is home to photos from the episode, the bar’s mission statement, a detailed menu and calendar of events and the complete version of the bar’s theme song, as performed by Harris and Radnor during the episode.

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Congratulations to Neil for winning the 2011 Greggy Award for Star of the Year! You definitely deserved it!

Ellen DeGeneres and Neil Patrick Harris have won the 2011 Greggy Award for star of the year.

The annual award is handed out by gay entertainment website GregInHollywood.com, which is edited by longtime Hollywood corresponded Greg Hernandez.

Talk show host DeGeneres won the site’s Female Star of the Year award.

“It was a stellar year for our Female Star of the Year who not only entertains, but also deeply cares,” Hernandez wrote in announcing the winner. “This fall, when so many LGBT teen suicides were taking place, Ellen did not remain silent.”

Jane Lynch, who plays coach Sue Sylvester on the Fox musical-comedy Glee, won the award last year.

Neil Patrick Harris, the co-star of the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother, won the site’s Male Star of the Year award.

“It seems fitting that Neil Patrick Harris would get his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame this year. Now he can bookend that honor with another: the 2011 Greggy for Male Star of the Year!”

“He’s a man who seems to be more in demand with each passing year. He not only is supremely talented, but he’s also never seemed more comfortable in his skin and that just makes him all the more appealing.”

Chris Colfer, who plays gay student Kurt Hummel on the Fox musical-comedy Glee, won the award last year.

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Neil Patrick Harris‘ favorite festive movie is The Muppets Christmas Carol.

The 38-year-old actor — who raises 13-month-old twins Gideon and Harper with partner David Burtka — thinks the puppet film is “very sweet” but manages to place its own irreverent twist on Charles Dickens‘ classic novel A Christmas Carol.

“I’ve gotta go with The Muppets Christmas Carol as my favourite festive movie because it sort of accomplishes the same as Harold & Kumar — it’s an actual sweet holiday film that has a lot of really random jokes and errant drug abuse. Dickens and Henson!
“It’s a similar story to the book. I’m sure Dickens took liberties as well!” he said.

Earlier this year, the How I Met Your Mother actor received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, an accolade he was surprised to receive but has now set his sights on achieving more.

“I wasn’t even aware of how that process worked. I’m thrilled, and now I want to see how many symbols I can get in the middle. Mine had a little TV logo on it, but there are ones for music and film,” he said.

“I feel like I’m a TGI Fridays employee and they’re pieces of flair I need to start amassing as many pieces as I can!”

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Emmy Award winner and Broadway veteran Neil Patrick Harris attended Cirque du Soleil’s Iris, A Journey Through the World of Cinema, at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, on Tuesday, December 27. After the performance, he visited backstage and posed with members of the cast.

Iris, written and directed by Philippe Decouflé, takes a unique look at the world of cinema, and bring together dance, acrobatics, live video, filmed sequences, and animation.

Harris’ stage credits include Company, Assassins, Rent, and All My Sons. He won Emmy Awards for hosting the 2009 Tony Awards and for his guest spot on FOX’s Glee. He stars in the CBS sitcom, How I Met Your Mother, with his many film credits including The Smurfs and the Harold and Kumar movies.

Click here for more information and Iris tickets.

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ET was with a very young-looking, 16-year-old Neil Patrick Harris back in 1989, when he was gearing up to play Doogie Howser, M.D.

“They were looking for an unknown-ish, not a ‘Kirk Cameron’ face that everyone recognizes,” said Neil about landing his gig after a casting effort all around the country and cattle call to find the ideal star.

“In the pilot, he’s talking to his dad and he just wishes to be a normal kid, which is true for myself, and I’m sure a lot of child actors wish that they could start over again,” said the busy teen, who would study for school during breaks from the set. “When you’re a minor, you can only work so many hours a day.”

“I’m real honored to be able to do it,” said Neil of his job that would end up running for four seasons. “I think it’s great, and I’m grateful that this has all turned out as it has.”

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Actor Neil Patrick Harris breaks from his role of Barney on CBS’ “How I Met Your Mother” to narrate Epcot’s Candlelight Processional on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. (Performance times are 5 p.m., 6:45 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. daily). It’s his third time at Candlelight and his first since 2008. He chatted with Orlando Sentinel reporter Dewayne Bevil.

Was there a big surprise the first time you narrated Candlelight Processional?

The surprise was the sheer volume of everything. It’s sort of deafening, standing in the middle of the cacophony of sounds coming not only from the orchestra in front of you but also 500 full-throated vocalists all around you. That was a bit of an overwhelm. And when you do three in a row for three days, by the ninth show, you’re mostly deaf.

To me, it looks like you’re ready to break into song. Is that frowned on?

I know that they say you’re welcome to sing along, but I don’t know if that’s encouraged or just optional. I grew up singing in our church choir and they would sing the “Hallelujah Chorus,” so my instincts are to sing, because I mostly know the song.

Do you have a favorite part or passage in the processional?

My favorite Christmas carol has always been “O Holy Night.” I really love that song, and it’s a beautiful orchestration and arrangement of that one.

Is there a must-do, must-eat, must-see part of Disney World for you?

Where to begin? We really love the Animal Kingdom. There’s just so much great stuff there. I love the Kilimanjaro Safari, and we love the coaster [Expedition Everest] although it loses a couple of points with the Yeti not running anymore. I’m a big fan of old-school Audio-Animatronics, so I also am a big Spaceship Earth fan. Haunted Mansion is probably one of my favorite designs ever, so I always have to go see that.

One of the main perks of being a narrator — and a theme-park enthusiast, Disney especially — is that I’m afforded the opportunity to go backstage. One early morning, we got to go tour the Haunted Mansion before it opened, which was very exciting. On another trip I got to go under the stage of American Adventure at Epcot and see all the pneumatics working and how those set pieces fold up into each other. It’s that access I really get off on.

Because you’re based in California, do you get to Disneyland often?

I have a special soft spot in my heart about Disneyland. I love the scope and the size of what Florida and Disney World is able to provide in just sheer quantity. You get giant flower beds that are amazing and topography. … Since they have such a finite amount of space in Disneyland, every single thing that you look at and glorify over is well designed, a little gem.

Has having children changed your holiday focus or planning? [He and his partner David Burtka are parents of 14-month-old twins.]

It means we’re allowed to travel less. It’s two kids and a nanny and strollers and portable cribs plus gifts. It’s just a lot. I’m anxious to root myself and start our own family traditions. It will be nice to just take a breath during the holidays and decorate and stay in.

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The Price is Right, television’s longest-running game show, hosted by Drew Carey, says “Come on Down” to rapper Snoop Dogg, actress Jenny McCarthy, actor Neil Patrick Harris, musician Chris Daughtry and supermodel Heidi Klum, when the show presents its first-ever Celebrity Week to ring in the new year. The special week of shows airs Monday, Jan. 2 – Friday, Jan. 6 (11:00 AM-12:00 Noon, ET; 10:00-11:00 AM, PT) on the CBS Television Network.

THE PRICE IS RIGHT Celebrity Week features the stars playing with contestants, with the celebrities’ winnings going to their favorite charities. Snoop, McCarthy, Harris, Daughtry and Klum each participate in six of the show’s popular games, as they help contestants vie for spots in the Showcase. Each celeb also gets to spin the famous wheel for charity and plan special showcases full of their own personal favorite prizes.

“It was a lot of fun to watch these celebs play our iconic games,” said Mike Richards, Executive Producer. “Each one had their own unique strategy to win. Let’s just say Snoop knows more about the price of grocery items than you might think!”

Celebrity Week:

Monday, January 2 — Snoop Dogg playing for Snoop Youth Football League

Tuesday, January 3 — Jenny McCarthy playing for Generation Rescue

Wednesday, January 4 — Neil Patrick Harris playing for The Noreen Fraser Foundation

Thursday, January 5 — Chris Daughtry playing for Alzheimer’s Association

Friday, January 6 — Heidi Klum playing for Unicef

THE PRICE IS RIGHT, the longest-running game show in television history, is hosted by Drew Carey. Produced by FremantleMedia North America, THE PRICE IS RIGHT is broadcast weekdays (11:00 AM-12:00 Noon, ET; 10:00-11:00 AM, PT) on the CBS Television Network. The show premiered on CBS, on September 4, 1972, and is currently celebrating its 40th season on the air.

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While Neil Patrick Harris is doing a one week stint in Regis’ newly vacant shoes, it turns out his longtime partner, David Burtka, will actually be making the big media move.

In January, Burtka will begin as a correspondant for “E! News,” as well as “Live from the Red Carpet” and other E! specials, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

It looks like we’ll be seeing a lot more of Burtka — and not just when his bouncing bundles of joy are in tow — in his new role, he will conduct celebrity interviews, cover pop culture happenings and breaking news.

Burtka has appeared in such shows as (duh) “How I Met Your Mother,” Steven Spielberg’s “On The Lot” and “Crossing Jordan.” He also has an impressive Broadway resume and he’s a trained chef. Well done, NPH — what a catch!

How do you feel about E! adding Burtka to its staff?

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Despite being an openly gay actor and LGBT rights advocate, Neil Patrick Harris is not immune to the LGBT community’s wrath: GLAAD and other organizations called him out for using the word “tranny” twice during his guest-hosting gig on Live with Kelly on Friday. Neil has since apologized, but it’s a fascinating example of how the queer community is sometimes at odds with its members.

For the most part, Neil’s co-hosting with Kelly Ripa has been a dream for the morning show’s viewers. (Regis Philbin stepped down the other week after 28 years of hosting Live.) But as is often the case, at the very end of his time he made a misstep. While trying out sulfur hexachloride, which creates deep voices instead of the high-pitched versions you hear with helium, Neil imitated Buffalo Bill from Silence of the Lambs and then quipped, “I’ve never sounded more like a tranny in my life.”

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