How I Met Your Mother Cast
How I Met Your Mother is a beloved sitcom that follows Ted Mosby as he recounts to his children the story of how he met their mother. Set in New York City, the series chronicles the adventures of Ted and his close-knit group of friends - Marshall, Lily, Robin, and Barney - as they navigate careers, relationships, and life in their twenties and thirties.
Main Cast of How I Met Your Mother
Josh Radnor
Ted Mosby
Neil Patrick Harris
Barney Stinson
Cobie Smulders
Robin Scherbatsky
Jason Segel
Marshall Eriksen
Alyson Hannigan
Lily Aldrin
Cristin Milioti
Tracy McConnell (The Mother)
Bob Saget
Future Ted (Narrator)
Lyndsy Fonseca
Penny Mosby
Complete Cast Details
| Actor | Character | Role Description | Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Radnor | Ted Mosby | Architect and hopeless romantic searching for "The One" | 1-9 (All) |
| Neil Patrick Harris | Barney Stinson | Womanizer with legendary catchphrases and schemes | 1-9 (All) |
| Cobie Smulders | Robin Scherbatsky | Canadian news reporter and Ted's on-off love interest | 1-9 (All) |
| Jason Segel | Marshall Eriksen | Environmental lawyer and Ted's best friend from college | 1-9 (All) |
| Alyson Hannigan | Lily Aldrin | Kindergarten teacher and Marshall's wife | 1-9 (All) |
| Cristin Milioti | Tracy McConnell | The Mother, bass player and Ted's future wife | 8-9 |
| Bob Saget | Future Ted Mosby | Narrator voice of older Ted | 1-9 (Voice) |
| Wayne Brady | James Stinson | Barney's gay brother | Recurring |
| Britney Spears | Abby | Stella's receptionist | Guest (S3) |
About How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother premiered on CBS on September 19, 2005, and ran for nine successful seasons until March 31, 2014. Created by Carter Bays and Craig Thomas, the series became a cultural phenomenon, introducing iconic catchphrases like "Legendary!" and "Suit up!" into popular culture.
The show's unique narrative structure, with older Ted telling the story to his children in 2030, allowed for creative storytelling techniques including flash-forwards, flashbacks, and unreliable narration. Neil Patrick Harris's portrayal of Barney Stinson earned him four Emmy nominations and revitalized his career.
Legacy and Impact
HIMYM became one of the most successful sitcoms of the 2000s, known for its clever writing, running gags (like the slap bet and the playbook), and emotional depth. Despite controversy over its finale, the show maintains a dedicated fanbase and continues to find new audiences through streaming platforms.
About How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother is a CBS sitcom built around a long flashback. Future Ted, voiced by Bob Saget in the original series, narrates to his children the story of how he met their mother, a story which actually takes nine seasons to tell and covers a wide array of friendships, near-misses, and life decisions in twenty-first-century New York.
Format and structure
The show uses the framing device of Ted's narration to play with chronology — flashbacks, flash-forwards, and small structural experiments are routine. That elasticity, combined with traditional multi-camera comedy beats, became the show's signature.
Casting
Josh Radnor plays Ted Mosby, with Jason Segel as Marshall, Cobie Smulders as Robin, Neil Patrick Harris as Barney, and Alyson Hannigan as Lily. The five-handed central group anchors almost every episode, supported by a wide cast of recurring characters in the bar, the apartment, and Ted's extended family.
Cultural footprint
How I Met Your Mother had a noticeable influence on the next generation of network sitcoms in the United States, both in casting and in willingness to play with structure. The series finale generated significant audience debate about the choices its writers made for the central characters, and that conversation still surfaces whenever the show is rewatched.
Where to watch
How I Met Your Mother streams on Hulu and Disney+ in the United States. International availability is handled through 20th Century / Disney distribution. A spin-off, How I Met Your Father, ran later on Hulu and is connected to the original by a few continuity references.
Related cast pages
Fans of the show often also look up the Young Sheldon cast, the Suits cast, and the Anyone But You cast.