Neil Patrick Harris Shares One Major Perk About Playing His First Gay TV Character in Netflix's Uncoupled

Netflix’s Uncoupled finds Neil Patrick Harris back in New York City and looking for love. But if you’re expecting to see him playing another ladies’ man like Barney Stinson, you’ve come to the wrong show. A good show, but the wrong show.

Premiering this Friday, the eight-episode comedy from Darren Star and Jeffrey Richman stars Harris as Michael, a Manhattan real estate agent whose boyfriend of 17 years (Desperate Housewives‘ Tuc Watkins) blindsides him with a breakup. It’s the catalyst for an emotional journey to figure out what (and who) comes next for him.

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Though Harris has been openly gay for nearly two decades, Michael marks his first gay TV role as a series regular. (He memorably guest-starred in Russell T. Davies’ It’s a Sin mini.)

“Pride, I suppose, would be the logical response,” Harris tells TVLine when asked how he feels about this career milestone. “And it’s actually quite true. But I don’t really choose roles based on that kind of algorithm. It’s nice that we’re in a time with content where there are so many examples of gay and straight relationships so that we can have a show like this. It’s more of a rom com and less gay-focused, yet it’s sort of universal in its reach.”

Of course, there’s one key difference about playing gay that Harris can’t deny. “It was also kind of nice that when I was ass-naked and dry humping someone I barely knew, it was also a guy that I found kind of cute,” he says. “That didn’t hurt.”

Michael encounters quite a few “someones” in Uncoupled‘s first season. Be on the lookout for familiar faces like Gilles Marini (Sex and the City), Dan Amboyer (Younger) and Peter Porte (Dashing in December). More specifically, look for them in Michael’s bed.

Will you be joining Michael on his journey? Watch the trailer for Uncoupled below, then drop a comment with your thoughts.

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