Neil Patrick Harris Backpedals on Britney

By ERIN CARLSON,

Posted: 2008-04-12 09:19:22

Filed Under: TV News

NEW YORK (April 12) - "How I Met Your Mother" star Neil Patrick Harris wants to set the record straight: "Britney did a great job on the show."

"In fact, we are all hoping that she returns rather soon to reprise her role," he said in a statement to Entertainment Weekly's web site about Spears' cameo on the show.

Harris was responding to a story featuring earlier comments he made to The Associated Press. Asked in that interview, "why does such a gem of a show need Britney to get any attention," he responded, "I'm in the minority that our show does not need stunt casting in order to succeed.

"We've done a good three and three-quarter seasons with guest stars that we feel like are exactly perfect for the characters that (were) written ... by the crack writing staff," Harris told a reporter visiting the set of the Monday night CBS sitcom. "I worry that if they start 'Will and Gracing' us too much, that the show will suffer. And we're all really proud of the content of the show. I mean viewership is not our game. It's the network and the studio's game, you know. It's the promotion department's game. We wish we weren't opposite an awkward reality dancing competition. But we have no say about that. I just am a real fan of our content. I think we have a great show going and I hope it's not screwed up by the desire for 700,000 more viewers."

In his statement Friday, Harris said that "a writer took some quotes of mine and speculated an opinion about their intent."

The original AP story stated that Harris believed Spears should not appear on the program any more.

"I am just very protective of our show, and its content. I have a high standard of quality, and hope to maintain it on every level. Television is big business, I understand that. I have great faith in our casting department, as well as (Twentieth Century Fox Television) and CBS, to find the appropriate person for every role on our show. I was remiss in speculating otherwise."

Spears has been the most high-profile guest star on "Mother," following appearances by Mandy Moore, Enrique Iglesias and Heidi Klum. Her well-reviewed March 24 cameo as a bubbly receptionist drew 10.6 million viewers, up 1 million from the previous week. The show has averaged 8 million viewers per episode this season, including reruns.

The show concluded with Spears' secretary flirting with Barney, the scene-stealing womanizer played by Harris.

Could she return? If so, Harris is fine with that.

"My job description is to act," his statement said, "and I should really do just that."

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

2008-04-10 16:02:24

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755 comments

athenaalp3863 01:20:16 PM Apr 15 2008

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Dont backpeddle, you big wimp. It's about time someone says what the mean and means what they say. She is a walking disaster area who is about to implode and will most likely take everyone with her. And your show probably doesn't need any help especially from this girl. Why does everyone protect her? Its not exactly like she's a dainty flower who needs sheilded. She's a trailer park trashy girl who got lucky

spaxs3 07:20:59 PM Apr 14 2008

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Huh?! It's interesting that Neil had such a harsh take on Britney, I thought all the gay guys loved her!!

heevycheevy 07:07:19 PM Apr 14 2008

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I thought that the article with "Doogie " slamming Brit was over the top, especially since that little fag announced that he was a "Rump Ranger"

causa05 04:08:12 PM Apr 14 2008

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Hefty Brit acts as badly as she sings. Her voice makes your teeth hurt. Even the super computers her producers use cannot make her voice sound any better. Her last CD blew up the computers that were desperately trying to filter out her fingernails on a chalkboard vocals.

causa05 04:00:29 PM Apr 14 2008

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Porky Brit needs to concentrate on her 2 sons (which she seems to care little about). Her last album was a complete flop. A majority of Americans think she is an immoral bimbo with no talent. But she's rich and should take her money and move to Antarctica. However, her voice would kill all the penguins and cause another ice sheet to fall into the ocean!

Reginalewis7 01:28:09 PM Apr 14 2008

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Did Spears take a little of his thunder I wonder?

aleighcat 12:53:36 PM Apr 14 2008

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Also....I completely forgot about him playing in "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle"....Lol....hilarious, him wanting to be so serious and pompous now...whew! Talk about awful acting!! That was a funny flashback..........hee hee.

aleighcat 12:50:44 PM Apr 14 2008

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horsefiend:

"Sir Laurence Olivier".....lol....funny.

( but true! )

l8d8agin 10:52:03 AM Apr 14 2008

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I thought Britney was great on the show and having her there gives people a reason to watch...if they hadn't been previously. Used to watch it here, but with all the choices on TV, had not been watching in a while. With Britney visiting, I watched "just to see." She was great and it reminded me of why I used to watch the show and will watch again. (Especially if Britney's on...she was hilarious!)

Jhileb 10:15:45 AM Apr 14 2008

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uh nph is right. although i don't think the show is that good, but nph is!!! he rules. he is funny as hell. he should have said..."this show kinda sucks as well as everyone else on it but especially the american pie band girl actress , but i am great...so whatever."

there are not many successful child actors who can pull off a decent adult career...the few i can think of are jason bateman who is great as well.....and nph. there are a couple more...but give doogie a break. so what if he says stuff...he's an actor not a publicist. who cares anyways......

Cwalter34 10:08:27 AM Apr 14 2008

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OK. I am a big HIMYM fan, and a bigger Barney fan, but come on NPH, Dude you did Harold and Kumar go to White Castle. That, my friend will not get you noticed by the academy.

Tyeshach 09:54:59 AM Apr 14 2008

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It is really a shame that people are CASTING all this judgement and not allowing other people to go threw what is necessary to move on and hopefully improve there lives....not one person on this earth is perfect. All these media folks ought to be ashamed of themselves because there skeletons are probably decaying by now. Thats why she cant catch a break because in order for them to hide there own sh%t they keep the focus on her its just not right!!!!!

horsefiend 09:27:07 AM Apr 14 2008

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Holy crap, Neil, it's a TV sitcom - not big theater or epic cinema. It's not like you're Sir Laurence Olivier, and I really wouldn't qualify what most people do on TV as "acting".

Methinks Neil needs to expect more Britneys in the future - that's just the way the sitcom ball bounces. If he doesn't like it, he can get a real career and become an "artiste". ; )