David Burtka

David Burtka - equal parts actor and chef - is most famously known as the husband of actor Neil Patrick Harris. Born in Dearborn, MI on May 29, 1975, Burtka began acting at the Interlochen Center for the Arts and later graduated from the University of Michigan. Following this, he studied further at William Esper Studios before turning professional, including sandwiching his film debut in the indie feature "24 Nights" (1999) and TV debut on "West Wing" (NBC 1999-2006) in 2002, along with acclaim for his stage portrayal of The Boy in Edward Albee's "The Play About Baby" in 2001. Two years later, he debuted on Broadway in a production of "Tulsa" starring Bernadette Peters; in 2004, he originated the lead role of Matthew in the Broadway musical version of the indie comedy-drama "The Opposite of Sex" (1998). Burtka appeared on TV again in 2006 when he played Scooter, the emotionally needy high school boyfriend of Lily (Alyson Hannigan) on the sitcom "How I Met Your Mother" (CBS 2005-2014).

Rumors about Burtka's relationship with series co-star Harris led to the better-known actor openly proclaiming his sexuality in 2007. (The couple married on September 6, 2014, in Italy with "How I Met Your Mother" director Pamela Fryman acting as officiant.) While working as an actor, Burtka also became an accomplished chef. He ran his own catering company Gourmet M.D. after graduating from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Pasadena in 2009. He also trained under chef Mario Batali at Batali's Babbo restaurant, along with studying under chef and author Gina DePalma. Harris and Burtka announced their engagement via Twitter in 2011. Although Burtka occasionally acted in small roles in films such as "A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas" (2011) and "Annie and the Gypsy" (2012), Burtka began focusing on his culinary career as the 2010s dawned. A comic supporting role in the dance movie parody "Dance-Off" (2014) marked a temporary return to the big screen.