Neil Patrick Harris Impressed by Younger Generation's Attitudes Toward Sexuality

Neil Patrick Harris is impressed by how evolved younger people's attitudes are about sexual orientation and experience, Variety reports.

Harris, currently seen in the acclaimed limited new series "It's a Sin" as an older gay mentor figure to a younger gay man coming to terms with his homosexuality, said "I think that almost everyone uniformly, when they're able to not withhold information, they shine brighter. And I think the keeping of secrets is a bearing of weight. Holding weight just weighs you down and when you're free from that weight, you are obviously able to stand taller."

The "Doogie Houser M.D." star came out fifteen years ago, at age 33, after facing speculation about his sexual orientation. Harris commends the younger generation on their nuanced views of sexuality and experience, saying "The gay-straight spectrum is totally different. It seems that the labeling and the stigma is just not there. I've had good conversations with people, in their early 20s, who are straight, but have fooled around with friends and that doesn't weigh heavily on them. It was fun. They had fun. And now they have a girlfriend, and they are not troubled by it. It doesn't define them. It was just a fun afternoon or evening. And I love that."

"It's a Sin," which was created by Russell T. Davis, the mastermind behind "Queer as Folk," premiers on HBO Max on Feb. 18. The limited series follows a group of young gay men who move to London in the 1980s, exploring sexual freedom and experiencing heartache while navigating the AIDS epidemic.