Neil Patrick Harris’ Twins Harper and Gideon Are Now the Same Age He Was When He Played Doogie Howser

The actor shares his kids with husband David Burtka

Gideon Burtka-Harris and Harper Burtka-Harris; Neil Patrick Harris as Doogie Howser in 1989. Credit : Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty;ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content/Getty

Neil Patrick Harris’ twins are officially 16 — the same age their dad was when he starred as Doogie Howser.

On Monday, Oct. 12, Harris, 53, and husband David Burtka celebrated as their twins Gideon and Harper turned 16. Harris was the same age when he initially sh0t to fame in 1989 when he played a teen-prodigy doctor on the hit Doogie Howser, M.D.

Doogie Howser, M.D. ran from 1989-1993 on ABC. The show quickly became a cult favorite, and also starred James B. Sikking and Belinda Montgomery as Doogie’s parents and Max Casella, Lisa Dean Ryan and Lucy Boryer as his best friends.

To celebrate his twins’ 16th birthday, the actor shared side-by-side photos of the pair on Instagram as babies and teenagers.

“Harper and Gideon turned 16 today … It’s amazing to see how they’ve grown, and I couldn’t be prouder of the people they’ve become,” Harris wrote in the caption. “Mostly, though, I’m so grateful that they can drive me around everywhere now. Xoxo”

The actor added a comment praising his husband, David Burtka, “for being a remarkable dad” to their children.

Burtka, meanwhile, collaborated on a montage video on Instagram that showed his kids over the years as he celebrated them turning 16.

“Happy 16th birthday to Harper & Gideon! Wishing them all the best! & @nph @dbelicious #neilpatrickharris #family #birthday #happybirthday #loveislove,” he captioned the joint post with a fan account.

The clip featured an emotional Harris saying in a voiceover, “I wasn’t emotional when they were littler kids because there was so much time that they could grow. But now that they’re in high school, I just watch them with so much pride.”

Gideon Burtka-Harris, David Burtka, Neil Patrick Harris and Harper Burtka-Harris pose at the opening night of the new musical “The Lost Boys” on Broadway at The Palace Theatre on April 26, 2026 in New York City.Bruce Glikas/WireImage

Harris and Burtka, 51, welcomed Harper and Gideon via surrogate in October 2010. At age 3, the twins attended the couple’s 2014 wedding in Italy.

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The twins’ milestone comes after Harris and Burtka celebrated their own milestone: their 12th wedding anniversary in September.

“12 years ago today,” Harris wrote in tribute to his husband on Instagram. “David, thanks for saying ‘I do.’ I’m forever grateful that you did. @dbelicious #anniversary .”