LOS ANGELES, April 20 (UPI) -- "How I Met Your Mother" star Neil Patrick Harris told a Los Angeles interview, his November announcement that he is gay made the issue a non-issue.
Harris' announcement was to head off "a little media scrutiny," he said on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" Thursday, E! News said.
"I've been dating the same guy for three years and our families know," he told DeGeneres. "We go out together all the time, but I just feel like, as an actor, part of your occupation is retaining a bit of mystery so you can be believable in many different types of roles."
The former "Doogie Howser" star said he got word that people were asking around about him and "the last thing you want to do is talk about your private life based on scandal. ... I just made a statement and sort of squashed the fires."
Besides portraying a commitment-challenged Barney on "How I Met Your Mother," Harris will be reprising his role in "Harold & Kumar 2" and lending vocal talent to "Justice League: The New Frontier."
