David Burtka

David Burtka is an actor and chef. Born and raised in Michigan, Burtka graduated from the University of Michigan and went on to pursue a career in acting and the culinary arts.

In 1999, he made his first on screen appearance when he played Toby in 24 Nights. He is most well known for his role as Scooter on the hit sitcom How I Met Your Mother, and also starred as himself in Neil Patrick Harris’s TV series Neil’s Puppet Dreams. Burtka has also acted on Broadway, where he made his debut in the 2003 musical Gypsy. In 2015, he appeared in the Broadway show It Shoulda Been You.

Burtka stepped away from acting briefly in 2009 to further cultivate an interest in the culinary arts. In 2019, he published a book titled Life is a Party in which he shares his favorite recipes and love for hosting.

Burtka was previously involved with Lane Janger — the two split in 2003. He went public with his relationship with Neil Patrick Harris in 2007, and the couple welcomed twins Harper and Gideon in 2010 before announcing their engagement in 2011. They married in Italy in 2014.