7 Times Neil Patrick Harris & His Family Nailed Halloween
There’s no denying that Heidi Klum is practically the queen of Halloween. But if there’s one family that never ceases to amaze us on the annual holiday, it’s Neil Patrick Harris and his clan of costume geniuses.
Every year, the 46-year-old comedian tackles a different theme with his husband, David Burtka, and their 8-year-old twins, Harper and Gideon, who aren’t afraid to go all-out with their famous dads.
From Star Wars to American Horror Story, keep reading for a complete list of the family’s best Halloween costumes.
1. 2013: Down the Rabbit Hole
Theme: Alice in Wonderland
Characters: NPH as Tweedledee, David as Tweedledum, Harper as Alice, Gideon as The White Rabbit
Late or not late, Harper’s priceless expression says it all. (No offense, White Rabbit.)
Have a spooktacular night! Here's our family Halloween pic (via @projectphotoboo):
? Neil Patrick Harris (@ActuallyNPH) October 31, 2013
Well done, @DavidBurtka! pic.twitter.com/2ThNeFKdYQ
2. 2013: Classic Halloween Characters
Theme: Frankenstein and Dracula
Characters: NPH as Frankenstein, David as Dracula, Harper as Bride of Frankenstein, Gideon as The Wolfman
Scary costumes are no match for Harper and Gideon, who took this eerie theme in stride. And Oscar-worthy makeup? Check.
3. 2014: To the Batmobile!
Theme: Batman
Characters: NPH as The Riddler, David as The Joker, Harper as Batgirl, Gideon as Batman
Harris captioned the Instagram post, “Happy Halloween from Gotham City!!” Enough said.
4. 2015: May the Force be with you
Theme: Star Wars
Characters: NPH as Obi-Wan Kenobi, David as Han Solo, Harper as Princess Leia, Gideon as Luke Skywalker
Shout-out to Harris for arranging this epic photoshoot in the middle of a forest. (Hey, at least it’s realistic.)
5. 2016: Blast from the past
Theme: Old Hollywood stars
Characters: NPH as Groucho Marx, David as Charlie Chaplin, Harper as Marilyn Monroe, Gideon as James Dean
Long before Quentin Tarantino developed Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, the Harris-Burtka clan proved that you’re never too young to know classic Hollywood stars. Now all we need is a breezy subway grate, and we have ourselves a photo op.
6. 2017: Welcome to the Freak Show
Theme: American Horror Story
Characters: NPH as the ringmaster, David as the creepy clown, Harper as the bearded lady, Gideon as the strong man
Yes, the costumes were based on season four of Ryan Murphy’s anthology series, American Horror Story: Freak Show. NPH wrote, “Hurry, hurry! Step right up and behold the Burtka-Harris Halloween Carnival of Curiosities!”
7. 2018: The Doom Buggy
Theme: The Haunted Mansion
Characters: NPH as Phineas, David as Ezra, Harper as Constance Hatchaway (aka the “black widow bride”), Gideon as Gus
If you’ve ridden The Haunted Mansion ride at one of Disney’s theme parks, then you’re probably familiar with this spooky theme.
“Welcome, foolish mortals,” Burtka wrote on Instagram. “We hope your Halloween is happily haunted, but heed this warning: beware of Hitchhiking Ghosts!”
