Neil Patrick Harris discusses why his How I Met Your Mother character Barney Stinson appears “toxic,” describing how the show’s storytelling shapes what viewers see. In an interview with The Times, Harris says Barney’s actions are filtered through the series’ narrative framework: the story is told by the protagonist, Ted Mosby, meaning the behaviors shown are not “certified” or necessarily factual. Harris adds that this structure gives room for Barney to be “much more” lascivious and ridiculous than the character would be in real life.
Harris also characterizes Barney as “broken,” using the idea that he wears “armor”—including his suit—to hide sincerity and vulnerability behind bravado, and he describes Barney as “the devil on Ted’s shoulder.” Separately, he has previously spoken about feeling insecure when playing Barney’s swagger, while noting that insecurity feeds into the bravado required for the role.
In other comments, Harris indicates he would not return to play Barney in a follow-up unless the character significantly changes his ways.
