Could Neil Patrick Harris Win an EGOT?

Look, I get it. It's April, barely a month and a half after the Oscars. It's way too early to talk about awards season, and articles that start "could ___ win an Oscar/Emmy/Grammy/etc this year?" get on everyone's nerves. Sometimes, though, there's reason to make an exception, such as when it seems like Neil Patrick Harris might be on his way to winning an EGOT.

For those who don't recall, an EGOT stands for "Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony" and is the highest honor a performer can achieve. Only twelve people have won it, the most recent being Frozen composer Robert Lopez, who picked up his Oscar this March for penning "Let It Go." Due to the difficulty of, you know, winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony, the average time it's taken most of the EGOT honorees to claim their title is around 30 years. If Neil Patrick Harris, however, wins all the awards we predict this year, then the years it'll have taken him to achieve his EGOT will be a grand total of... five.

Right now, Harris only has a few Emmys under his belt, a Guest Actor win for a turn on Glee back in 2010 and three wins for hosting the Tonys. Yet after this year, it's entirely possible that that's all about to change. Between a leading turn in Broadway's Hedwig and the Angry Inch that's already winning him raves and an upcoming supporting role in Gone Girl , a surefire Oscar nominee, Harris might just be about to add a few more trophies to his mantel. Here's how:

Emmy Award

Already done, although there's always the possibility of Harris picking up a second win, this time for his role as Barney Stinson in the final season of How I Met Your Mother. Yeah, it's unlikely, but don't be so fast to rule it out; the Emmys love honoring series' last seasons, and Harris' four previous wins show the awards show's soft spot for him.

Grammy Award

More often than one might think, Tonys and Grammys go hand in hand. The category of Best Musical Show Album has frequently honored the same musicals (and performers) that go on to pick up Tonys a few months later, such as last year's Grammy winner, Kinky Boots, who went on to be the darling of Broadway's biggest night come June. Hedwig and the Angry Inch will certainly have some competition for this award, but right now, Harris and his co-stars are the leading contenders.

Academy Award

This, of course, is the long shot. Harris is a fine actor, but unfortunately, talent alone isn't enough to guarantee anyone an Oscar. Having a supporting role in a highly anticipated David Fincher movie, however, is a whole different story. In Gone Girl , Harris will play Desi, the determined ex-boyfriend of Amy (Rosamund Pike), and while no real footage of him in the part has been released yet, it's safe to assume that it'll be a must-see performance. Everything about Gone Girl screams Oscar, and Harris' supporting turn should be no exception. Depending on the competition, the actor could have a serious shot at earning an Academy Award next February.

Tony Award

The final component of the EGOT is, for Harris, the easiest. After only a few days' run, Hedwig has earned the actor some of the best reviews of his career, with critics such as The New York Times praising Harris for his "full command" of the stage and ability to "rule an audience with the blink of a sequined eyelid." It may be early on in the Broadway season, but more than a few critics have already declared that the Tony is Harris' to lose.

So, if all goes right, Harris could find himself the recipient of the 13th EGOT this time next year, not to mention the only honoree who earned three of his awards within the same calendar year. Is it a longshot? Sure. That doesn't mean we're not hoping it happens, though; Harris is crazy talented, as well as one of the most likable guys in Hollywood. If only the best of the best earn EGOTs, then the inclusion of an actor as legen — wait for it — dary as Harris should be only a matter of time.