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Since 2005, "How I Met Your Mother" has been one of the funniest shows on television. This buddy sitcom follows the shenanigans of Ted Mosby and his friends in the years before he meets his future wife. The show is set in present-day New York City, but narrated (by Bob Saget, as "Future Ted") from the year 2030 to Ted's teenaged son and daughter.
Though Ted is considered to be the main character, what makes this show great is the group of friends as a whole. Each member of Ted's circle of friends brings something to the table, whether it's Barney's "Bro Code" or Robin's past as a Canadian pop star. With elements of romance, suspense (when will we meet Ted's wife?!?), and good old-fashioned situation comedy, this is definitely a show worth watching.
There's a ton of trivia about the show, thanks to repeat jokes and the crazy situations the group gets into. A little research shows that there's some interesting info about the actors behind the characters as well. Whether you're a fan of the show or just a lover of trivia, keep reading for fun facts about the cast and characters of "How I Met Your Mother."
Josh Radnor stars as main character Ted Mosby, an architect and college professor living in New York City. The actor also has some real-life ties to the Big Apple, where he received his Master's in Fine Arts from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. His first TV role was also set in NYC on the short-lived CBS sitcom "Welcome to New York." Radnor has also starred on Broadway, taking over for Alyson Hannigan's "American Pie" castmate Jason Biggs in a stage production of "The Graduate." Both Ted and Radnor hail from Ohio, though the actor currently lives in Los Angeles.
Cobie Smulders plays Robin Scherbatsky, a news anchor and former girlfriend of both Ted and Barney. Smulders and her character share Canadian heritage, as both she and Robin are from Vancouver, British Columbia. Smulders is the youngest member of the cast and is two years younger than her character on the show. Prior to her role in "How I Met Your Mother," the actress had guest roles on "The L Word" and "Smallville." Speaking of superheroes, writer and director Joss Whedon reportedly wanted Smulders to play Wonder Woman in a film that has since been canceled.
Neil Patrick Harris stars as the well-dressed Barney Stinson. Harris shares a passion for magic tricks and illusions with his character. Unlike notorious womanizer Barney, Harris is openly gay — and welcomed fraternal twins (via surrogate) with longtime partner David Burtka in October 2010. Harris has also received some serious accolades in 2010, having been named one of Time Magazine's "100 Most Influential People" and nabbing Emmys both for hosting the Tony Awards and for a guest spot on "Glee." His appearance on "Glee" wasn't Harris' first crack at singing, however. He has also appeared in stage productions of musicals such as "Rent" and "Cabaret." In addition to acting credits, Harris has also lent his voice talents to numerous animated programs (including "Family Guy") and video games.
Alyson Hannigan plays sweet kindergarten teacher Lily Aldrin, known as "Lilypad" to husband Marshall. Prior to the show, Hannigan was known primarily for her portrayals of Michelle ("Band Camp Girl") in the "American Pie" series and Willow on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." On "Buffy," Hannigan's character made reference to writing "Doogie Howser, M.D." (whose title character was portrayed by her "HIMYM" co-star Neil Patrick Harris) fan fiction as a young girl. Like her "How I Met Your Mother" character, Hannigan is also married (to former "Buffy" co-star Alexis Denisof). The couple's first child was born in 2009 on Hannigan's 35th birthday.
Jason Segel plays Marshall Eriksen, an environmentalist and lawyer. Marshall and Segel both share an interest in music: Marshall has played the piano on the show, while Segel recently co-wrote most of the music for "Get Him to the Greek." "Greek" is a spin-off sequel to the 2008 film "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," which Segel wrote and starred in. In addition to his creative talents, Segel is also an ordained minister with the Universal Life Church. He officiated a wedding ceremony on "The Tonight Show" in July 2010.
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Sources:
"How I Met Your Mother" IMDB.
"Alyson Hannigan" IMDB.
"Cobie Smulders" IMDB.
"Jason Segel" IMDB.
"Josh Radnor" IMDB.
"Neil Patrick Harris" IMDB.
