Neil Patrick Harris Says Goodbye To Barney Stinson

by Stacy Lambe 10/6/2014

Neil Patrick Harris

[Photo Credit: CBS]
Neil Patrick Harris

[Photo Credit: CBS]
Neil Patrick Harris

[Photo Credit: Joan Marcus/Hedwig]
Neil Patrick Harris

[Photo Credit: Joan Marcus/Hedwig]
Neil Patrick Harris

[Photo Credit: Joan Marcus/Hedwig]
Neil Patrick Harris

[Photo Credit: Universal Pictures]
Neil Patrick Harris

[Photo Credit: Universal Pictures]
Neil Patrick Harris

[Photo Credit: Twentieth Century Fox]

What a year it has been for Neil Patrick Harris. The actor said goodbye to Barney Stinson, a character he play for nine seasons on How I Met Your Mother, won a Tony Award for bringing Hedwig, an East German transgender singer, to Broadway, and creeped out millions with his supporting role in Gone Girl, which recently debuted in theaters. It can be hard to shed a popular TV persona, but Harris, who had to do it two decades before with Doogie Howser, has put Barney to rest. Literally.

In his first major role following the end of HIMYM, Harris appeared in the Broadway production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch in March. While not his first time on stage, Harris completely transformed for the role. The actor donned drag and shed 22 pounds to bring the trans rocker to life.

On screen, Harris was first seen in May in A Million Ways to Die in the West, Seth MacFarlane’s second attempt at writing and director for the big screen. As Roy, Harris slapped on mustache and his bitchiest smirk to steal Louise (Amanda Seyfried) from Albert Star (MacFarlane). Being that MacFarlane loves his poop jokes, Harris is the punch line of one when Roy loses his bowels and thus gets beat in front of the entire town. Here, Barney was down, but not defeated.

If you haven’t seen Gone Girl, be warned: Major spoilers ahead

As Desi Collings in David Fincher’s film adaptation of Gone Girl, Harris plays one of Amy’s (Rosamund Pike) former lovers, who obsessed over her (and even attempted suicide) following their breakup. In the film, Amy turns to the man for help when she runs out of money and needs a place to stay after faking her own disappearance. After it becomes clear that Desi only wants one thing from her, Amy plots her escape. Any remaining trace of Barney is finally killed off when Amy slits Desi’s throat while the two have sex. Harris, who is last seen on screen naked and covered in blood, is now officially free of the lothario.

RIP, Barney Stinson (2006-2014)

Find out more about Gone Girl in the video below.

[Photo Credit: CBS]