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David Burtka

David Burtka

Actor and producer, also writer · Born May 29, 1975 (51) · Dearborn, Michigan, USA

David Burtka was born on 29 May 1975 in Dearborn, Michigan, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas (2011), Neil's Puppet Dreams (2012) and CSI: NY (2004). He has been married to Neil Patrick Harris since 6 September 2014. They have two children.

Biography from IMDb.

Born
May 29, 1975 (51)
From
Dearborn, Michigan, USA
Works as
Actor and producer, also writer
Titles
15 on MovieCove · 22 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Up 5% in 30 days

What are David Burtka's films like?

Across their 6 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Society.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
32%
Society
29%
Self
21%
Survival
9%
Ideas
9%
Community3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 4 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 2 · Serious 1 · Dark 1

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 3 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 1 · Charged 3 · Intense 0

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 2 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 2 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 0

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 0 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

A split, not a type: Casual 1 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 0

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 2 · Affecting 1 · Heavy 1

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 2 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

1 analyzed role

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
4
Romantic
3
Melancholic
2
Bittersweet
2
Warm
1
Other
4

How their films linger

Fun2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Bittersweet3
  • Ambiguous1
  • Cyclical1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch David Burtka's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 14 of their 15 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on HBO Max (4).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for David Burtka's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

22 credits, 15 with a MovieCove page; 6 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The Muppets Take Scripthatten (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    as Scooter

  • The Mountain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    as Dan

  • A House Is Not a Disco(2024)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Drag Me to Dinner(2023)

    Show 10 episodes · Creator · Executive Producer · Writer · as Self - Mentor

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all shows

  • Uncoupled (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Show 1 episode · as Jerry

  • Cicada(2020)

    as Bo

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Get Organized with the Home Edit(2020)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all shows

  • Home Movie: The Princess Bride (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Show 1 episode · as Princess Buttercup

  • Wig(2019)

    Producer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • A Series of Unfortunate Events(2017)

    Show 2 episodes · as Mr. Willums

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows

  • Dance-Off(2014)

    as JT

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • The Kitchen(2014)

    Show as Chef

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all shows

  • Neil's Puppet Dreams (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Show 7 episodes · Creator · Executive Producer · Writer · as David Burtka

  • Annie and the Gypsy(2012)

    as Martin

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas(2011)

    as David Burtka

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • American Horror Story(2011)

    Show 1 episode · as Michael Beck

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • Rachael Ray (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • How I Met Your Mother(2005)

    Show 7 episodes · as Scooter

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • CSI: NY(2004)

    Show 1 episode · as David King

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • Crossing Jordan(2001)

    Show 1 episode · as Craig Heeley

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all shows

  • 24 Nights (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    as Toby

  • The West Wing(1999)

    Show 1 episode · as Intern Bruce

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

Career shape

Star power in the 62nd percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 21 titles from 1999 to 2025.

Biggest box office

Cicada (2020)

$52K worldwide

Highest rated

Wig (2019)

Midcredits 74th

Most popular right now

The Kitchen (2014)

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting18 of 21: 17 only acting, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score57thWriting1 of 21: 0 only writing, 1 with another roleProducing4 of 21: 2 only producing, 2 with another roleOther crew2 of 21: 0 only other crew, 2 with another role

By decade

1990s2 · acting2000s4 · acting2010s7 · 6 acting · 2 crew2020s8 · 6 acting · 2 crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do David Burtka's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 57th percentile, the median of all 6; across a limited sample of 4 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 43rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

43rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 4

Approval · how many liked their films

43rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 4

Reach · how many have seen their films

47thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 4

Midcredits score across 15 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up5
  • 50th to 74th4
  • 25th to 49th1
  • Below 25th5

Shape of the crowd

8 of their 15 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Crowd Pleaser5
  • Mixed8

Most divisive · actor, writer, producer

Drag Me to Dinner (2023)

86th percentile spread · 31% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

How I Met Your Mother (2005)

Midcredits 94th · 89% liked

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does David Burtka work with?

People who share at least 2 of David Burtka's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Willam Belli shares the most, 2.

Actors

Producers