Neil Patrick Harris and Alyson Hannigan on 'How I Met Your Mother' at Hollywood.com

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Neil Patrick Harris and Alyson Hannigan on 'How I Met Your Mother'

By Emily Christianson and Fred Topel, Hollywood.com Staff

Neil Patrick Harris

Neil Patrick Harris still isn’t sick of wearing suits, even as he launches into a third season of How I Met Your Mother. In fact, his fashion-savvy character Barney is starting to rub off on him. "I appreciate the suits more now that I'm on the show. I know what cuts are good and what cuts are bad," he admits. But don’t be surprised the next time you see the Emmy nominated actor out and about looking casual. "To be honest, I wear a suit so often during the day that I am a T-shirt, jeans and flip flop kind of guy otherwise," he tells us.

As Barney pursues new adventures this season, fans can catch up on last year when How I Met Your Mother Season 2 comes available on DVD Oct. 2. Hollywood.com caught up with Harris just in time to chat about the show, his character and much more.

Hollywood.com: Who has more game, Barney or the guys on Entourage?
Neil Patrick Harris: I think Barney probably has more game. The guys on Entourage talk a lot, maybe the lead guy does. The other guys sort of desire it a lot but I think Barney gets laid a surprising amount. We questioned that this last season. We were like "Does Barney really get as much play as he claims he gets?" I think he does ... he's a little bit like "The Fonz" that way. A little bit like "You, me, lets go." and they go.

HW: He wouldn't keep it up if it wasn't working...
NPH: True ... well he could be that skeevey guy that talks a good game but in truth doesn't get any play. Which is another way to take it, but I'm glad it's not that.

Harold (left, John Cho) and Kumar (right, Kal Penn) think about partying with Neil Patrick Harris (center, himself) in Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle
HW: What was it like to work with Jane Seymour?
NPH: Jane Seymour was great. She was very gung ho to show skin and be naughty. That's what we like, we like people that will play in the sandbox as opposed to elsewhere.

HW: Do you have a favorite TV show of all time?
NPH: TPIR [The Price Is Right] baby. I'm sad to see Bob [Barker] go.

HW: Halloween is coming up. What has been your favorite costume so far?
NPH: Last year I was a matador but I had a bullhorn with blood through my chest. I was a mada-gore. [Laughs] That's comedy.

HW: What is up for Neil Patrick Harris in Harold & Kumar 2?
NPH: Oh my, we filmed it last year! I think it's coming out holiday time. It is the day after Harold & Kumar. I may be tripping on mushrooms for most of the movie.

HW: Has that Neil Patrick Harris come out or is he still snorting cocaine off of stripper's tits?
NPH: Definitely doing more of that. I might brand my initials on the ass of a stripper in that one.

Reporting by Gerri Miller

Alyson Hannigan
Alyson Hannigan: A Married ‘Old Fuddy Duddy?’
After a brief renewel scare early this summer, How I Met Your Mother is definitely coming back for a third season on CBS--thankfully, considering fans of the show are still not sure that Ted, the show’s narrator, has met the mother of his kids yet. But it’s another coupling that’s really captured viewers hearts: the recently married Lily (Alyson Hannigan) and Marshall (Jason Segel).

As Lily, Alyson Hannigan finds herself on another TV series with a devoted fan following, proving there is indeed life after spending time with a Slayer. The popular redhead now sports dark hair for the sitcom, but her fiery personality remains. Married in real life to former Buffy & Angel co-star Alexis Denisof, Hannigan brings excitement and passion to all her topics of conversation.

Hollywood.com: How do you expect marriage will change their relationship?
Alyson Hannigan: I think it will just make it stronger. Marshall and Lily have to be together. They're just soul mates so I think marriage will just solidify that.

HW: What kind of support do you get for your character?
AH: I get tremendous support. Everybody loves them together and when we were separated, they were like, "Nooo! It's the only great relationship on television! You have to be together!" So I think people really love us.

HW: Going back for year three, is the show in a certain groove?
AH: Oh yeah. I feel like we had a very strong first season but then second season we just came out of the gates kicking and we got stronger and stronger. It was a phenomenal second season and I'm sure the third season can only be as good if not better.

HW: Are you looking forward to having the ensemble expand?
AH: Is it going to expand? I have to interview you. You know more than I do!

HW: Well, assuming we're getting closer to finding the mother, she'll join the cast...
AH: Yes, well, I'm for it because let's even out the sexes. We've got a little boy heavy cast and Cobie [Smulders] and I need as much support as we can get because sometimes it turns into a boyfest. We need our girls on that, so get another girl cast member.

HW: How does it feel to have a second hit show in your career?
AH: Oh, it's fantastic. I'm so lucky and blessed, and to have something that I love. It didn't take that long though.

HW: Were you surprised that there was any thought the show might not come back?
AH: You know, in this business, I'm never surprised by anything. I was cautiously optimistic and then I was about a month behind reading that weird sort of internet frenzy of "We were getting cancelled." So I got that about a month after it was over and then I freaked out. I was like, "What happened?! That's scary!" And the [producers] were like, "Oh no, no, no. That's already been nipped in the bud." It was a relief.

HW: How sad would you be if you didn't find out who the mother was?
AH: I would have been so heartbroken. It would have just been weird. It would have been really, really sad. When I did let my bad imagination go to that place, I was like, "Well, at least we went out as strongly as possible." The second season rocked. But I couldn't believe [it] and CBS loves the show. I kept reminding myself of that. But you just never know what goes into making the decision so I'm so happy that they brought us back and we get 24 episodes.

HW: If it had been cancelled, what would the fans have sent to CBS? Like Jericho fans sent peanuts.
AH: Maybe they would have sent blue trumpets or something. I don't know, that would have been probably pretty costly. They could at least go play them really loud.

HW: Aside from worrying, how have you spent your summer?
AH: Well, luckily that was just the beginning part. My husband and I took a vacation. We spent a lot of time at home as well which was really nice. We did a road trip and went to Hawaii.

Alyson Hannigan
HW: On the road trip, where did you go?
AH: Well, we rented an RV and we drove up north. We piled in the dogs and the new kitten and had a lovely road trip up north.

HW: You don't get enough living together, you have to close the quarters...
AH: Yes, we're like, "This house is too big! Let's make it smaller!"

HW: Are you the comfortable old married couple yet?
AH: Yeah, absolutely. We're very old and we love it. We're just like, "Oh, okay, what recipe are we doing tonight, baby?" Seriously, I'm fine with being an old fuddy duddy.

HW: How does the rhythm of this show's humor compare to Joss Whedon's humor?
AH: Oh, that's a hard question. I mean, Joss is a genius but with Buffy, there was a lot of humor but there was also the monster factor and the drama factor. But the two shows are similar in that I can be funny one moment and then dramatic in the next. I really love and appreciate that they don't ever shy away from the true emotion and it's got the heart that I always respond to as well.

HW: Have you seen the Buffy Season 8 comics?
AH: My friend, Tom Lenk, has brought them to my house so I've flipped through them but I haven't sat down and read them yet. I'm saving that for a nice Sunday.

HW: What do you think about finding out more about Willow that way?
AH: I'm a little nervous probably. When I first went through with my friend, I was like, "Well, who's that?" He hadn't read them all either. He's like, "I think that's you." I'm like, "Why am I so big? That's not me, that's Dawn! She's a giant. I don't know what's going on!" And then Joss had e-mailed me months and months before they ever came out, he e-mailed me the cover of the one where Willow was on the cover. I was like, "Wow, that's a really cool drawing! I have no idea who that is or what he's sending but awesome!" Then I talked to him and he's like, "That's Willow." And I'm like, "Awesome! She's done very good things to her body in the last year!"

Alyson Hannigan
HW: Are you aware of the Buffy Sing-A-Longs?
AH: Yes and Tom went and he's like, "Oh my God, it was so much fun! You have to go, you have to go!" So we looked up where the next one was. It was in Seattle. We're like, "Great, we'll drive up to Seattle! We'll go to that one!" Then we realized it was on a Friday or something and we weren't going to be able to get there because we wanted to drive. We missed it by a day. We were bummed but it's coming back.

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