© 2026 ABC News

He wasn't always sure he wanted to be an actor, but he knew he wanted to perform, sing and dance.

The process of filming the pilot for \"Doogie,\" and being the lead on a TV series, helped him learn about the business.

\"My life lesson was, I learned good skills of how to act on a set,\" he explained. \"It wasn't a sitcom with a bunch of laughing audience members.\"

He added the that cast, which included Kathryn Layng and Max Casella, worked very hard to make acclaimed creator Steven Bochco proud.

\"I learned a lot of [medical] dialogue and [even] how to suture,\" he said. \"How to hit marks, regurgitate dialogue.\"

\"That was sort of my film education,\" he said.

","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/GMA/Culture/neil-patrick-harris-reflects-doogie-howser-md-30/story?id=65699981","legacySlug":"/culture/story/neil-patrick-harris-reflects-doogie-howser-md-30-65699981","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"08:06","publishDate":"09-19-2019","updatedTime":"09:18","updatedDate":"09-19-2019","socialImage":{"alt":"Actor Neil Patrick Harris poses for a portrait on the set of \" Doogie Howser, M.D\" in 1989.","credit":"Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images, FILE","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/nph-file1-gty-ml-190904_hpMain_2_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"9/19/2019 08:06:11 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":65699981,"headline":"Harris reflects on 'Doogie Howser' 30 years later","mediaAssetTitle":"rothman_doogie_30th_190918","description":"\"That was sort of my film education,\" he explained.","duration":"2:14","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/i/abcnews/2015/02/150216_gma_pop1_812_,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["137841142","137841141","137803591"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"video","date":"November 4, 2026","headline":"Alaska still too early to call","section":"News","slug":"/video/137841142","id":"137841142","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Alaska still too early to call","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261104_gma_ault_alsaka_734_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Alaska still too early to call","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261104_gma_ault_alsaka_734_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261104_gma_ault_alsaka_734_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261104_gma_ault_alsaka_734_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261104_gma_ault_alsaka_734_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261104_gma_ault_alsaka_734_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261104_gma_ault_alsaka_734_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261104_gma_ault_alsaka_734_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261104_gma_ault_alsaka_734_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261104_gma_ault_alsaka_734_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"November 4, 2026","headline":"History made in Kansas Senate race","section":"News","slug":"/video/137841141","id":"137841141","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: History made in Kansas Senate race","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261104_gma_ramos_kansas_733_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: History made in Kansas Senate race","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261104_gma_ramos_kansas_733_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261104_gma_ramos_kansas_733_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261104_gma_ramos_kansas_733_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261104_gma_ramos_kansas_733_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261104_gma_ramos_kansas_733_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261104_gma_ramos_kansas_733_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261104_gma_ramos_kansas_733_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261104_gma_ramos_kansas_733_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261104_gma_ramos_kansas_733_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"November 3, 2026","headline":"New states in play as record gas prices hit on Election Day","section":"News","slug":"/video/137803591","id":"137803591","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: New states in play as record gas prices hit on Election Day","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261103_gma_karl_jarvis_gas1_711_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: New states in play as record gas prices hit on Election Day","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261103_gma_karl_jarvis_gas1_711_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261103_gma_karl_jarvis_gas1_711_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261103_gma_karl_jarvis_gas1_711_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261103_gma_karl_jarvis_gas1_711_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261103_gma_karl_jarvis_gas1_711_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261103_gma_karl_jarvis_gas1_711_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261103_gma_karl_jarvis_gas1_711_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261103_gma_karl_jarvis_gas1_711_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261103_gma_karl_jarvis_gas1_711_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"Harris reflects on 'Doogie Howser' 30 years later","description":"\"That was sort of my film education,\" he explained.","duration":"2:14","uploadDate":"09-19-2019","publication":"09-19-2019","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/i/abcnews/2015/02/150216_gma_pop1_812_,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/i/abcnews/2015/02/150216_gma_pop1_812_,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/culture/story/neil-patrick-harris-reflects-doogie-howser-md-30-65699981"}},"playlist":[{"id":"138024523","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"137979832","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"137976484","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"137958306","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"137912305","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"137885086","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"137853814","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"137841842","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"137680927","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"137443017","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"137471181","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136253720","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"137220313","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"137234817","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"137147457","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"137132187","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136945841","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136945748","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136930796","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136874802","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:culture:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"culture","title":"Harris reflects on 'Doogie Howser' 30 years later","pubTime":"04:06","pubDate":"09-19-2019","modTime":"05:18","modDate":"09-19-2019","taxonomyTags":"none","id":65699981,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"Harris reflects on 'Doogie Howser' 30 years later","mediaAssetTitle":"rothman_doogie_30th_190918","videoId":65699981,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/culture/story/neil-patrick-harris-reflects-doogie-howser-md-30-65699981"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/65699981","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/65699981","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};