These How I Met Your Mother Secrets Are, Wait For It, Legendary

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In the era of reboots, we’re still waiting on the gang from How I Met Your Mother to suit up. 

The CBS comedy starring Josh Radnor, where his character Ted tells the incredibly long story of how he met his wife, first aired on September 19, 2005.

Narrated by Bob Saget, the comedy series starred Jason Segel and Alyson Hannigan as the adorable couple Marshall and Lily, and Neil Patrick Harris as the quintessential friend, Barney. Over nine seasons, the show explored why Ted was ultimately meant to be with his former girlfriend and close friend, Robin (Cobie Smulders), following the heartbreaking death of his wife, Tracy (played by Emmy winner Cristin Milioti) – a plot point revealed after eleven seasons!

And, yes, the cast and creators still stand behind that incredibly controversial decision. 

During a 2015 interview on *Inside the Actors Studio*, Harris shared his opinion that the show’s ending, while featuring Barney and Robin’s wedding, ultimately belonged with Ted and Robin. He appreciated the way the series came full circle, explaining that the entire ninth season seemed dedicated to bringing Ted and Robin together, portraying them as a perfect match.

Hannigan’s only concern about the series finale-which she said took 14 hours to read through initially-was that it felt a little *too* neatly resolved.

In 2020, she told TopMob that reading the script for the final episode made her feel downhearted. She believed a reunion was impossible because the writers had revealed too much of the story. It felt like everything had already been shown. This might be why she found it too difficult to watch the *How I Met Your Father* spinoff starring Hilary Duff.

However, Segel still hasn’t seen it, unlike the over 13 million people who watched the finale in 2014.

He admitted in 2017 to Australia’s The Daily Telegraph that he never actually saw how the show ended. While he knows what happened, he prefers to leave it open-ended in his mind, keeping the story feeling alive for him.

Cheer up! We’re about to share some fun, exclusive behind-the-scenes information from the show to brighten your day. You won’t have to wait long, and trust us, it’s going to be great.

The TV show *How I Met Your Mother* started when 20th Century Fox asked creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas to come up with ideas for a new comedy. The two, who both went to Wesleyan University, immediately started drawing on their own experiences from after college, when they lived in New York City and worked as writers for *The Late Show With David Letterman*.

In 2008, Shawn Ashmore told *Cleveland Magazine* that he’d always dreamed of getting married, and being single in New York City made that feel unusual.

Several real-life events inspired moments in the show. For example, Michael Bay once invited a date to a wedding, only to discover he hadn’t confirmed a plus-one. Also, Thomas briefly broke up with his college sweetheart, Rebecca Alson-Milkman, before they eventually married.

The show’s creator, Thomas, shared on Reddit in 2014 that his wife insisted the character be played by Alyson Hannigan, saying, “If you’re going to create a character based on me, it has to be her!”

As a big fan of both *American Pie* and *How I Met Your Mother*, I was really surprised to learn that Jason Biggs was actually offered the role of Ted Mosby! He recently shared on the radio that turning it down is one of his biggest regrets. Apparently, back then he was questioning whether he even wanted to do a TV series – which sounds a little silly now, but he wasn’t sure he was ready for that commitment at the time.

He understands that the most memorable times in your life aren’t always about what you *do*, but also about things that simply *happen* to you. However, there’s one thing he would absolutely change if he could.

I feel incredibly lucky to still be here, and that’s the most important thing,” he said. “Looking back, I definitely wish I’d accepted that job offer.

Scott Foley was considered for the role, but Josh Radnor ultimately played Ted. Creator Carter Bays mentioned that Radnor, who is from Columbus, Ohio, was thrilled to find out his character would be wearing a lot of Ohio State Buckeyes apparel.

Jennifer Love Hewitt was almost cast as Robin Scherbatsky on *How I Met Your Mother*, but she ended up taking the role in *The Ghost Whisperer* instead, according to creators Thomas and Bays. This opened the door for Cobie Smulders, a Canadian actress, to land the iconic role of the news anchor.

According to Thomas, casting director Megan Branman discovered Cobie Smulders while she was watching a minor role she played on a television drama. Branman immediately knew Smulders was perfect for the part of Robin, and she turned out to be right.

Jim Parsons originally tried out for the role of Barney Stinson, but he’s happy things turned out the way they did. He said on *Live With Kelly* in 2015 that he believed Neil Patrick Harris was simply a better fit for the part, and his career took off with *The Big Bang Theory* instead.

Neil Patrick Harris’ audition for the role was incredibly impressive. According to casting director Thomas, while the character was initially envisioned as someone like Jack Black, Harris immediately stood out by performing a specific move – the shoulder roll from the pilot episode’s laser tag scene – right in the audition.

Bays explained they were confused when he started rearranging the furniture before his performance, saying, “We were all wondering what was going on.”

The secret to getting the role? Being incredibly impressive, even if it involves a mishap. Harris explained he attempted a dive roll but miscalculated, resulting in a collision with the wall. As Thomas jokingly recalled, once Harris came to, they told him he’d landed the part.

For the role of Lily Aldrin’s husband, Marshall Eriksen – a Minnesota environmentalist – Jason Segel was the first actor the creators considered. According to creator Carter Bays, they needed someone tall and imposing, and Segel, at 6-foot-4, fit the bill perfectly, capturing the strong personality they envisioned for the character.

Thomas also shared that they were big fans of *Freaks and Geeks* and really admired Jason, making him their top pick for the part.

Jason Segel explained that while working on *Shrinking*, he was also involved in another project, but the team held off on starting until he was available.

The classic ‘Have you met Ted?’ line, a key part of Barney’s flirting strategy, was inspired by a habit of one of the creators’ former boss on the *Letterman* show. According to creator Bays, the boss wasn’t showy about it. He’d simply be chatting in a bar, and when someone walked by, he’d casually introduce them, saying, ‘Have you met Carter?’ Bays remembers it as a smooth and pleasant interaction.

The gang’s regular bar was inspired by McGee’s, a pub in midtown that Bays and Thomas used to visit when they worked on the *Letterman* show.

Both the character McLaren and the bartender, Carl, were named after Bays’ assistant, Carl McLaren. Bays jokingly told TV Squad that his assistant had provided a lot of inspiration, and it was amusing how the names ended up in the show.

Even though the show’s best moments usually happen earlier in the night, many of the most memorable stories come from real life. As Carter Bays explained to TV Squad, the show thrives on authentic experiences, like the infamous ‘Bachelor Party’ episode where Robin accidentally gives Lily a rather inappropriate gift in front of her family.

As soon as we presented that idea, everything clicked – we knew that was the story, and those were the characters of Robin and Lily. We just said, ‘Let’s go with it!’ and the script was finished within a week.

I was so fascinated to learn more about Michael Bay’s background! He shared on Reddit that he and his high school friend, Jon Read, had this funny tradition – they’d make ‘slap bets’ with each other. It sounds like they were always trying to one-up each other with silly challenges!

The show’s theme song, the memorable “Hey Beautiful,” was created by the band The Solids, which features Thomas on drums and Bays as both guitarist and singer.

The show’s creators already had a list of songs they wanted to use, but Jason Radnor contributed some great ideas too. According to co-creator Carter Bays, Radnor is a big music lover and convinced Bays to see Bloc Party at Coachella. That band ended up providing the key musical moment for the first season – playing during the first kiss and Marshall’s emotional scene on the stairs.

Life’s greatest moments aren’t truly special unless you share them with friends. That’s why the cast of *How I Met Your Mother* prioritized building a real connection with each other. As Josh Radnor explained in a 2014 interview with *CBS This Morning*, they understood the importance of a supportive dynamic, both on and off screen. They’d learned from past experiences that a genuine connection between actors playing friends makes the show more believable and enjoyable.

One thing they did was start every table read as a team. As Radnor explained, in the first season, they all came early because Jason pointed out there was free breakfast.

The show’s producers were thrilled to have Britney Spears appear in season three. They specifically asked her to play the role of Abby, the receptionist, and her appearance brought in over 10 million viewers.

The show really gained popularity thanks to her, and it made a huge difference for us,” Bays and Thomas explained on Reddit. They added that before her involvement, they always worried about whether the show would be renewed, but she essentially guaranteed its continuation.

The show featured a string of popular guest stars, including Katie Holmes, Katy Perry, Jennifer Lopez, Mandy Moore, Enrique Iglesias, and Bryan Cranston, among other well-known actors.

Neil Patrick Harris’s husband, David Burtka, appeared as Lily’s high school boyfriend, Scooter. Alyson Hannigan’s husband, Alexis Denisof, played Sandy Rivers, a news anchor who dated Robin. And Cobie Smulders’ husband, Taran Killam, had two roles, one of which was Gary Blauman, a lawyer for Goliath National Bank.

According to Hannigan, one of her daughters almost played Lily and Marshall’s second child, but Bays decided she was too old for the role. Hannigan jokingly told *The Huffington Post* she felt it was unfair to ‘fire’ her daughter simply because of her age, calling it ageism.

Even while filming the episodes featuring her past as pop star Robin Sparkles, Smulders couldn’t completely let go of her present-day concerns.

According to Thomas, filming the music video for their mall scene required an additional day of shooting despite only being four minutes long. This was to allow for extensive editing with many cuts, and involved Cobie Smulders dancing for around 16 hours straight without complaint, as he explained on Reddit.

Okay, so everyone thought Barney and Robin were a crazy match, but honestly? I *always* believed in them! Even though things didn’t work out, I still think they would have been absolutely amazing together. Seriously, they just *clicked*, you know?

As a huge fan of their chemistry, I always loved hearing about how he subtly tried to hint at a connection between them on set! He told The Fan Carpet that he’d do little things during their scenes – like giving her lingering looks, or focusing all his attention on her throughout an entire scene – just to see if anyone picked up on what he was doing and started to ship them too. It was such a clever way to build anticipation!

Before winning an Emmy, Cristin Milioti, who is originally from New Jersey, had to adjust to life in Los Angeles before landing her famous role as “the Mother” (Tracy McConnell) in the season eight finale of the show in 2013.

I’ll be honest, adjusting to driving here was a real challenge at first! I actually told Conan back in 2014 that I nearly got into trouble with the law the very first night – they suspected I was driving under the influence. It was a complete misunderstanding, but definitely a scary moment!

Even though she hadn’t had a drink, she ‘failed every sobriety test,’ Milioti explained. ‘They make you do these silly, funny things. I just kept laughing, and they told me to recite the alphabet backwards while slowly touching my nose-something I couldn’t even do when I was completely sober!’

Police asked her to take two breathalyzer tests because they initially believed the machine wasn’t working. She remembered them saying, “There’s no way she isn’t severely intoxicated.”

The very last scene filmed for the series depicted Ted’s initial encounter with the woman he would eventually marry-the girl with the yellow umbrella. As creators Bays and Thomas shared with *Entertainment Weekly* in 2013, the extras in that scene were actually the entire crew of *How I Met Your Mother*. They described the atmosphere as incredibly excited, joking that Cristin Milioti, who played the bride, felt like a celebrity when she arrived on set, with the crew treating her as the character they’d been waiting to see for ten years. Milioti herself playfully noted she was ‘just an actor’ amidst all the fanfare.

If the show hadn’t ended, the creators had a plan to continue the story with Victoria (Ashley Williams), the baker Ted developed feelings for during season one.

Initially, I envisioned Victoria as the mother figure,” Hannigan shared with The Huffington Post. “Carter later mentioned that if the show hadn’t been renewed, Victoria would have taken on that role.

As for how the show ended, creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas defend their decision, even though many fans were disappointed. After waiting nine seasons to learn who Ted’s wife was, viewers were surprised-and some were upset-to see him ultimately end up with Robin after his wife’s death.

Bays responded to criticism of the finale on Twitter, saying that sometimes creative risks don’t land with everyone. He expressed hope that viewers wouldn’t let it ruin their enjoyment of the show overall.

Thomas expressed his gratitude, saying, “It’s incredible to have had such passionate fans for nine years – and we really appreciate it, not just tonight.”

Hannigan believes she knows why the most recent episode ended so abruptly and left audiences shocked.

She said the initial table read of the finale was fantastic and felt perfect, but it went on for an incredible fourteen hours. Because of that, when she finally watched the finished episode, she was shocked by how much footage had been removed.

All the edits left fans with a hot red burnin’ on the side of their face. 

Hannigan explained there was a funeral scene included because the audience needed time to absorb the information, rather than being overwhelmed by it immediately.

Radnor pointed to a deleted diner scene featuring Ted and Robin as evidence supporting his view. He admitted the scene was cut for a reason, but felt it clearly showed Robin had been harboring feelings for Ted for a much longer time than he’d been thinking about her.

However, in an alternate reality, Ted is still happily with the mother of his children. After the controversial series finale, co-creator Carter Bays tweeted that 16 days prior, they were working in the editing room, debating between two distinct endings. Although they only filmed one script, clever editing allowed them to create two potential outcomes. They ultimately stood by their chosen ending, but also expressed fondness for the other version.

Fans who are interested can explore this other version of events in a special feature included with the complete series DVD set.

Just because you know how a story will finish doesn’t make the journey any less enjoyable. And Radnor fully embraced that, even though he learned early on that his character would ultimately lose his mother.

He explained to Vulture after the season finale in 2014 that someone had told him about the surprising reveal regarding the mother character early on, but he’d forgotten about it. He wasn’t sure the showrunners would actually follow through with that storyline, especially since Cristin Milioti had played the role so well and fans loved her. He finally asked them if the twist was still planned, and they confirmed that it was.

Milioti learned how her character’s storyline would end in a surprising way – at the cast and crew’s Christmas party. She was talking to Thomas when he asked if she wanted to know the ending. Initially joking, she asked if it meant her character would die. He confirmed he’d tell her if she wanted to know, and she accepted, with Thomas then revealing the outcome.

The news didn’t exactly leave her feeling jolly. 

“I was crying,” she said. “The next day, he emailed me, apologizing for how he’d told me, and saying I’d seemed really hurt.”

Lyndsy Fonseca and David Henrie, who played Ted’s children as adults, had time to react to the show’s ending. Interestingly, their scenes were actually filmed way back during the first season, as they were intended to appear as a single, extended day in the show’s timeline.

I remember a really pivotal moment during production – it was so hush-hush that everyone actually left the room! It ended up being just me, Lyndsy, and the two creators of the show. We all had to sign NDAs, which really drove home how important and secretive this particular discussion was.

Fonseca also pointed out that the show’s creators didn’t know how long it would last. They actually filmed an ending just in case, even though they weren’t sure if they’d need it.

As the show wrapped up, the cast took home souvenirs from the set. Ted kept something symbolic of his journey, while Radnor left with the blue French horn his character gifted Robin. Cobie Smulders snagged Robin Sparkles’ denim jacket, and Neil Patrick Harris kept the gang’s booth at MacLaren’s Pub and Barney’s playbook. Alyson Hannigan took a red British phone booth, and Craig Thomas moved the famous swords from the apartment to his own home.

Fans can also get a copy of Barney’s *Bro Code*, which details the rules of friendship according to the show. A key tenet of the Bro Code is that it’s okay for a guy to do something silly if his friends are doing it too.

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2025-09-19 10:19