Thoughts on Star Persona in A Series of Unfortunate Events

As many of you likely have, I spent a good portion of the past weekend binge-watching the first season of Netflix's series-length adaptation of A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. Among the many delights of this darkly whimsical show is Neil Patrick Harris' spectacular performance as Count Olaf. As odd as this casting initially seemed to me, Harris skillfully transitions between humor and sheer wickedness, and the first musical number quickly convinced me that his star persona and penchant for theatricality meshed perfectly with this role:

Even author Lemony Snicket (real name: David Handler) feels that Harris is the perfect fit, as he states in the following interview: http://ew.com/tv/2017/01/10/lemony-snicket-neil-patrick-harris/

Overall, the series has been highly satisfying, and I cannot wait to track Harris' involvement in the series and to see how this role further impacts his star persona moving forward.