Neil Patrick Harris was "more than a little intimidated" by Simon Cowell when he guest judged on Fox’s "American Idol," the "How I Met Your Mother" star tells MSNBC.

"It’s his show, you know, so when you’re on that panel, I was wondering if it’s impolite to disagree with him, on a business level. He could wander over to the producer and whisper something and you’re suddenly gone and Joe Jonas is back," Harris says, adding that his fears were soon allayed.

"But I asked him, “Is it okay if I disagree with you?” And he said, “Yes, do whatever you want. The one thing that you should know is that we’re totally winging it. … We have no idea what we’re doing here."

Harris, who’s hosting this month’s Primetime Emmy Awards telecast, also says to expect some "So You Think You Can Dance"-level dancing on that show and, just maybe, a song from him.

–Tom Gilbert