Rapper Ice Cube and actor Neil Patrick Harris are celebrating their birthdays today.
Ice Cube, 45
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Rapper, record producer, actor, screenwriter, film producer, and director Ice Cube turns 45 today. Born O'Shea Jackson, Ice Cube began his career as a member of the hip-hop group C.I.A. and later joined N.W.A. along with Easy E, Dr. Dre, MC Ren and DJ Yella. Ice Cube left N.W.A in December 1989, and built a successful solo career in music. He released his debut solo album, AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted in 1990, and followed with 8 more studio albums.
Ice cube has also had a successful career as a writer, director, actor and producer in television and film. His filmography includes Boyz n the Hood, CB4, the Friday franchise, Anaconda, BarberShop and its sequel, Are We There Yet?, XXX: State of the Union, 21 Jump Street and Ride Along. He has served as one of the producers of the Showtime television series Barbershop and the TBS series Are We There Yet?, both of which are based upon films in which he portrayed the lead character.
In April 1992, Ice Cube married Kimberly Woodruff, and has four children; O'Shea Jr, Darryl, Kareema and Sharif. Ice Cube can be seen in 22 Jump Street, in theaters now.
Neil Patrick Harris, 41
image courtesy of Kristin Callahan/ACE/INFphoto.com
Actor, producer, singer and director Neil Patrick Harris turns 41 today. Harris gained fame after playing the title character in Doogie Howser, M.D. in 1989, a role which earned him a Golden Globe nomination. He has taken lead roles in a number of made-for-television movies including Snowbound: The Jim and Jennifer Stolpa Story, My Ántonia, The Christmas Wish, Joan of Arc, The Wedding Dress and The Christmas Blessing.
Harris had a few supporting roles in the films The Next Best Thing, Undercover Brother, Starship Troopers and the Harold and Kumar film series. He had lead roles in The Best and the Brightest, The Smurfs and The Smurfs 2. Harris has also had a successful theater career, appearing in the productions Rent, Sweeney Todd, Cabaret and Amadeus.
Harris is best known for playing Barney Stinson in the television comedy series How I Met Your Mother (2005–2014), for which he was nominated for three Emmy Awards.
Harris was named as one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in 2010, and was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in September 2011. He hosted the Tony Awards on Broadway in 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2013, for which he won several special class Emmy Awards. As of 2014, he stars as the title role of Hedwig and the Angry Inch on Broadway, for which he won the 2014 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical.
Harris is currently engaged to David Burtka, and has two children.