Neil Patrick Harris is a household name, as he’s been a star of the stage and screen since he was only 15 years old. But being on set isn’t the only time NPH is willing to dress up, as he’s also a Halloween costume aficionado!
Since 2011, Neil Patrick Harris and his family have been gracing our Instagram feeds with adorable and impressive photos of their holiday looks, and this year was no exception. Below, you’ll find the family’s mythological 2023 photo, proving that they’re the gods of Halloween, as well as their best looks from previous years.
Neil Patrick Harris, his husband David Burtka, and their twins Gideon and Harper never disappoint when sharing their fabulous Halloween costumes online
Image credits: nph
Here are some of the family's most adorable looks from over the years
In 2011, they took a trip to Neverland and dressed up as the stars of Peter Pan
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Beloved characters from The Wizard Of Oz made an appearance in 2012
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2013 was Alice In Wonderland themed
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Then they went for a creepier look, channelling Frankenstein’s Monster, Wolfman, The Bride of Frankenstein, and Dracula in 2013
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The family celebrated Halloween in Gotham City in 2014
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Then in 2015, famous Star Wars characters appeared
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Classic film stars Charlie Chaplin, Groucho Marx, Marilyn Monroe, and James Dean popped up in 2016
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Then the Harris Halloween Carnival of Curiosities rolled into town in 2017
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Image credits: nph
In 2018, the Hitchhiking Ghosts showed up
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NPH and his family invited us to visit the Burtka-Harris Boo-seum in 2019
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In 2020, the gang visited Willy Wonka and his magical chocolate factory
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Then they embodied classic horror movie characters in 2021
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Last year, the family channeled famous fast food mascots
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They even shared some fun behind-the-scenes pics from the photoshoot
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And this year, NPH graced our Instagram feeds with this gorgeous photo from Mount Olympus, wishing us mortals a happy Halloween
Image credits: nph
The photo features NPH as Hades, David Burtka as Poseidon, their son Gideon as Hermes and their daughter Harper as Aphrodite
This year, the family decided to channel their inner Greek gods (and goddess) to become beautiful renditions of Hades, Poseidon, Aphrodite and Hermes. Neil Patrick Harris himself sits atop a throne as Hades, god of the underworld, while his husband, David Burtka, stands as a majestic Poseidon, god of the sea and waters. The couple’s 13-year-old twins, Harper and Gideon, have become fabulous versions of Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty, and Hermes, god of trade, wealth and luck who has superhuman strength, durability and stamina.
As you can see from the photos, the quality and dedication that the Harris-Burtka family puts into these costumes and photoshoots is unmatched. And when it comes to why NPH and his family go all out for the spooky season, he told USA Today in 2019, “I make it a point in my daily life to encourage people to go do fun things, whether it be theater or magic or adventures.”
NPH has always been a fan of Halloween and is determined to embrace the spooky season every year
“I think Halloween is one of the great adventures every year, so I'm a big proponent of haunted houses and dressing up, and if we can take a picture and encourage people to want to go out and get in the Halloween spirit, then I'm all for it,” the actor continued.
While the pandemic did put a damper on Halloween for a few years, NPH and his family were determined not to let staying indoors ruin their spooky season fun. The actor shared with The Kelly Clarkson Show in 2020 that he would miss "the quintessential walking down the sidewalk, seeing a house [and being like], 'Should we go up to this house?' Walking up and knocking on the door and waiting for someone to open the door."
But he added that he does like to keep the spirit of Halloween alive in any way he can, and he certainly did not disappoint audiences on Instagram. While many of us don’t have the budget and resources to serve such fabulous Halloween looks, it can be fun to live vicariously through dedicated dress-up enthusiasts like NPH and his family.
While we don't all have budgets for such fabulous costumes, we can at least live vicariously through the Burtka-Harris clan
According to Consolidated Credit, the average American household spent around $108 on Halloween decorations, activities and accessories this year, with nearly $37 going to costumes. That certainly wouldn’t be enough to stage an elaborate photoshoot or purchase Broadway-caliber costumes, but it can be just enough to have a wonderful time. If you can find a few pieces at your local second hand shop to put together a great look, that’s more than enough effort. And you can join the rest of us in marveling at the amazing costumes of celebrities, such as Neil Patrick Harris and his family, online.
We would love to hear your thoughts on these fabulous costumes in the comments below, pandas. What do you think NPH and his family should dress up as next year? Then, if you’re interested in checking out even more award-worthy costumes that Bored Panda has featured, we recommend reading this list next!
David Burtka shared some fabulous behind-the-scenes photos as well, detailing the family's transformation into Greek gods
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