The Real Reason Why Mayim Bialik And Neil Patrick Harris Didn't Talk For A Long Time
Mayim Bialik and Neil Patrick Harris seem like ideal BFFs on paper. The "Blossom" actor and the "Doogie Howser, M.D." star both grew up in front of the camera and made names for themselves playing precocious teens before going on to work on successful, long-running sitcoms as adults.
The actors did become pals when they were younger and even made cameos on each other's television shows. Bialik played a cancer patient in a 1990 episode of "Doogie Howser, M.D." — and she has the two-cent residual checks to prove it — while Harris got to trade his white lab coat for a slick black blazer and shades to portray The "Charming" Derek Slade in a 1991 episode of "Blossom" titled "Rockumentary." In a flu-fueled fantasy sequence, Blossom imagines herself as a rock star whose entourage includes Harris' narcissistic character.
During a 2020 Chicago Tribune interview, Bialik revealed that she and Harris knew a lot of the same people, including the agent that they shared. "The Big Bang Theory" star and the "How I Met Your Mother" actor also had similar personalities. "He was very cerebral and I was too, so we weren't the party kids," she said. "We had a lot of fun times together as teenagers, we were these nerdy child star people." However, their friendship didn't last. Read on to learn what Bialik did to offend Harris so much that he didn't talk to her for years.
Mayim Bialik didn't support her friend during a big moment
During an appearance on "The Late Late Show with James Corden," Mayim Bialik confessed to inadvertently insulting Neil Patrick Harris in the early '90s. He had given Bialik tickets to watch him perform in the musical "Rent," and she brought her parents and boyfriend with her. She told the Chicago Tribune that Harris got them "really nice seats up front," which ended up playing an integral role in the friends' falling out.
In a move that was more Sheldon Cooper than Amy Farrah Fowler, Bialik decided to throw social mores to the wind. "When your friend is in the play and then everybody is clapping at the end, and you say to your boyfriend next to you, 'I don't want to stand for this,' and then you look up and Neil Patrick Harris is looking right at you — it's a bad day," Bialik told Corden. She jumped to her feet and joined the crowd when she realized that Harris had noticed her. But unfortunately for Bialik, one of the many talents he possesses is the ability to lip-read.
When Bialik went backstage to greet Harris, her hopes that he had missed her slight were dashed. "He said, I kid you not, 'Why did you say you weren't going to stand up?'" she recalled. (2:55) She was mortified and didn't know what to say to smooth over the situation. "It was terrible. It was bad," she said.
Did Neil Patrick Harris ever forgive Mayim Bialik?
Mayim Bialik told the Chicago Tribune that her refusal to stand up and clap for the "Rent" cast wasn't anything personal. She described Neil Patrick Harris' performance as "fantastic," but said that she just isn't a fan of musicals. She also confessed to being "a snob" when it comes to what she finds befitting of a standing ovation.
Bialik did try to make amends with Harris. "It was the worst feeling. And I wrote him a note after, I don't know if he ever got it," she said. Sadly, the incident spelled the end of their friendship. Bialik has a neuroscience degree, and she also revealed something terrifying she has learned about the way the human brain works that relates to her experience. "I can tell you certain things are salient enough emotional experiences that, depending upon your brain, it'll stay with you," she stated. So you'll never forget calling your teacher "mommy" in kindergarten.
Being the legen — wait for it — dary guy that he is, Harris forgave Bialik after seeing her Tribune interview. In December 2020, Bialik took to Instagram to show off a beautiful bouquet of flowers that he'd sent her. "They're beautiful NPH!! Thank you!! (And sorry, too!)," she wrote, adding the hashtag "#NeverTooLateForApologies." So maybe she doesn't have to worry about the "Celebrity Jeopardy!" champ and "Genius Junior" host exacting his revenge by coming for her dream job hosting "Jeopardy!" full time.