Neil Patrick Harris Turned Down David Letterman's Job on 'The Late Show': 'I Would Get Bored'
Neil Patrick Harris could have been the next host of "The Late Show" and succeeded David Letterman, but the "How I Met Your Mother" actor chose not to because he would have gotten bored, the actor said Thursday. Harris revealed on Howard Stern's radio show that CBS CEO Leslie Moonves had offered him the coveted spot and why he turned it down.
Neil Patrick Harris was tapped to replace Letterman after his retirement in 2015, and CBS was ready to move forward on the deal until the actor halted things.
"Yeah, I was (in conversation with CBS," he told Howard Stern. "Not in conversation like, about to make a deal. But they called me in and sat me down and asked if that would be something I'd be interested in doing, because I have a good relationship with CBS from 'How I Met Your Mother.'"
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Although being considered was an honor, the 40-year-old actor said he had pictured his career after the famous comedy sitcom to be something different.
"In that instance, I felt like I knew what my skill sets were, and I knew what it is I wanted to do after ['HIMYM'] with him, so I was surprised that he pitched me that idea," he explained. "I told him the things that concerned me about the longevity of that kind of gig, that I would get bored with the repetition fast."
"I don't have any interest in doing monologue, commercial, sketch, guest, guest, musical act, good night," NPH added.
When he turned down "The Late Show," Moonves offered him Craig Ferguson's spot on "The Late Late Show," but Harris again declined. Instead, the actor pitched a weekly variety show that he said could be "really exciting" if it is picked up.
"I think if it's weekly and people really want to see it -- and you trust that there's a lot of really great s--- on there -- then you're going to get the guests to want to come on your thing. A weekly thing, you'd have more time to prep for stuff. You could do pre-taped stuff that would be really exciting, you could flesh it out a little bit more and have more acts," NPH said.
Harris currently stars in Broadway show "Hedwig and the Angry Inch." "The Late Show" will be taken over by Stephen Colbert after Letterman's retirement.
