How I Met Your Mother (aka HIMYM) doesn’t need any introduction or promotion. Whether you grew up with this show or watched it as an adult, the CBS sitcom created by Carter Bays and Craig Thomas is a cult classic and always will be.
The story of five friends sitting in their favorite booth at MacLaren’s, their lives unfolding in front of each other, How I Met Your Mother is heartwarming and hilarious at the same time. Some believe that HIMYM is Ted’s story. Others think that it is Marshall and Lily’s story. And there’s a whole school of thought that it's no one else but Barney’s story. We would like to think that it’s all of their stories because there won’t be a Ted without Barney or a Lily without Marshall, and definitely no Robin without a Ted (and Barney too). That’s how crucial each of the members of this group is, playing a major role in each other’s lives, helping them grow and become what they wanted to be.
So, without further delay, let’s look at all the iconic characters of HIMYM and the ensemble cast that played them. And believe me, all of them are equally LEGEN…wait for it…DARY!
Josh Radnor as Ted Mosby
The narrator, the father, the lover, and the hero (or at least he thinks he is), Theodore Evelyn Mosby or just Ted, is the reason why this story exists. The story is told as a flashback from Ted’s POV to his children in the future. A serious romantic, Ted wears his heart on his sleeves, searching for “the one” in every woman he falls in love with. After a series of failed relationships, including one with his friend Robin, Ted finally finds “her” in Tracy, who’s also the mother of his kids.
Ted is played by Josh Radnor. An actor, filmmaker, musician, and author, Ted Mosby was Radnor’s most popular and prominent role. He first appeared on television in the CBS sitcom Welcome To New York, followed by popular shows like Law & Order, ER, etc. Post-HIMYM, Radnor appeared on Mercy Street and Rise, and then in a major role in Amazon Prime’s original series, Hunters, in 2020. His latest project includes a voice role in Netflix’s Centaurworld and he will be appearing in the upcoming FX show Fleishman Is In Trouble. He also released an album called Golden State in 2020, which he made with his friend Ben Lee as the band Radnor and Lee.
Jason Segel as Marshall Eriksen
Marshall is Ted’s best friend from college and is a law graduate. He tries a career in environmental protection but goes through a lot of trial and error before he ends up becoming a judge by the end of the show. Marshall is married to Lily, whom he met in college, and they have three kids together. He believes in Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, and pretty much everything paranormal. He's also easily the most adorable character on the show.
Jason Segel plays the role of Marshall Eriksen. A celebrated actor, comedian, screenwriter, singer-songwriter, author, and producer, Segel shot to fame with his role in the television series Freaks and Geeks. After HIMYM ended, Segel has written, produced, and starred in a number of movies, including The Five-Year Engagement, The Muppets, and his latest, Windfall. In 2020, he also created, wrote, directed, and executive produced the AMC drama series, Dispatches from Elsewhere. He is currently working in the lead role and as an executive producer on the upcoming Apple TV+ comedy series, Shrinking.
Alyson Hannigan as Lily Aldrin
Lily, Marshall’s wife, is introduced as a kindergarten teacher who has always aspired to be an artist. She is also a really close friend of Ted's. While she's ultimately a good person, she’s also manipulative and assumes control of Ted's love life, causing most of his relationships to end just because she wants to have the "perfect couple friend". Over the course of the story, Lily has broken up with Marshall, gotten back with him, moved to Italy with her husband and kids, and eventually becomes an art consultant.
Alyson Hannigan plays the award-winning role of Lily Aldrin. Hannigan is best known for her role in Buffy The Vampire Slayer and as Michelle Flaherty in the American Pie series, both of which she won an award for. She has also played small roles in Veronica Mars and That 70’s Show, among other popular series, and has been hosting Penn & Teller: Fool Us since 2016. Hannigan's latest appearance was in the superhero fantasy comedy Flora & Ulysses in 2021.
Neil Patrick Harris as Barney Stinson
He wears suits like his second skin (and even has suit pajamas!), swears by his “bro code”, and plays laser tag and chases women with equal passion. Wild and carefree, Barnabus “Barney” Stinson is his own definition of “awesomeness”. He’s also written the Bro Code and The Playbook, relationship guidebooks for men (which have subsequently been published in real life). His most serious and longest relationship is with Robin, eventually leading to them getting married and ultimately divorced. By the end of the story, Barney gets to raise his own daughter as a single dad, which as it turns out was what he had been longing for all along.
Barney’s role is played by award-winning actor Neil Patrick Harris, also a singer, writer, producer, television host, and philanthropist. He debuted as a child actor in Clara’s Heart and since then, has appeared in popular movies and television shows like Doogie Howser, M.D., A Series of Unfortunate Events, and movies like The Smurfs series, the Harold & Kumar series, Gone Girl, etc. His latest projects include The Matrix Resurrections in 2021 and The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. He is currently set to star in the Netflix series Uncoupled.
Cobie Smulders as Robin Scherbatsky
Ted’s story wouldn’t be complete without Robin. It turns out, despite Ted eventually finding “the one”, Robin is the woman he was always meant to be with (despite the hopes of a lot of fans). Robin Charles Scherbatsky Jr. is a former teen pop icon and struggling journalist from Vancouver, Canada. After a series of odd and unpleasant reporting jobs, she finally gets her big break as an international journalist. But despite how far she goes in her career, she always has it tough when it comes to love and relationships. She briefly dates Ted, marries and divorces Barney, and ends up living by herself with her dogs.
Cobie Smulders plays Robin, a role for which she gained widespread recognition. Before HIMYM, she had smaller roles in The L Word, Andromeda, etc. She is now best known for playing Maria Hill in Marvel Cinematic Universe movies and has appeared in numerous television series like Friends from College, Stumptown, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Room 104, etc. She has recently reprised the role of Robin Scherbatsky in the final episode of the HIMYM spin-off show How I Met Your Father and will soon be seen in the upcoming Disney+ series Secret Invasion.
Cristin Milioti as Tracy McConnell
The titular “mother”, the love of Ted’s life, and his wife, Tracy is the woman on whom the story is primarily based and the one who finally brings it all together. Through several hints in flashbacks, it’s shown that Ted had indirectly interacted with Tracy at the college where he teaches, at her apartment when he dates her roommate, and so on. Towards the end of the series, all of Ted’s friends meet Tracy individually, in different situations. Eventually, Ted and Tracy get married, have kids, and live happily ever after... until Tracy dies. After that, Ted raises the kids on his own and eventually starts telling them about how he met their mother.
Tracy is played by actor and singer Cristin Milioti. She has previously appeared on popular television shows like The Sopranos, 30 Rock, and Nurse Jackie, among others. After HIMYM ended, she appeared in a major role for the short-lived NBC show A to Z, followed by roles in Fargo, The Mindy Project, Black Mirror, etc. Since 2021, she’s been the lead in Made for Love and will be seen next in the upcoming Peacock series, The Resort.
Wayne Brady as James Stinson
James is Barney’s African-American half-brother and they have been each other’s wingmen all their lives. But when James meets his future husband Tom, his relationship with Barney starts to strain. James and Barney had some misunderstandings about each other’s love life but later move past that. At one point, he learns his father's true identity and ends up meeting him. By the end of the story, future Ted tells his kids about how James cheated on Tom but eventually managed to get back together with him.
Wayne Brady, who plays James on the show, is a beloved television personality, comedian, actor, and singer. The five-time Emmy Award winner is best known for his improvisational comedy on Whose Line Is It Anyway?. After HIMYM, Brady has appeared on television shows like American Dad!, Psych, The Bold and the Beautiful, Black Lightning, The Good Fight, etc. He is also a regular host and guest judge/guest on several reality shows, and in 2022, he had a voice role in the animated streaming series The Cuphead Show.
Frances Conroy as Loretta Stinson
Loretta is probably the most important person in Barney’s life. A single mother to James and Barney, Loretta has lived a promiscuous life but doesn’t regret a bit of it. In fact, she adores her boys and loves them with the equal affection of a father and a mother, so much so that she creates ridiculous stories about their fathers so they never get hurt by the truth (which is something Barney inherits from her). Barney loves his mother so much that he hires actors to make Loretta feel that her son is married and has a happy family. Eventually, Loretta tells the kids about their respective fathers.
Frances Conroy, who portrays Loretta, is an award-winning actor who’s best known for her role as Ruth Fisher on Six Feet Under. She also appeared in shows like ER and Desperate Housewives before joining the cast of HIMYM. After that, she appeared on shows like The Mist, Arrested Development, and Dead to Me, among others. Since 2011, Conroy has been a regular on the American Horror Story franchise, portraying different roles in each season of the anthology series. Her roles in movies like Joker and The Power of the Dog are some of her recent popular appearances.
Chris Elliott as Mickey Aldrin
Mickey is Lily’s father and the two don’t have a good relationship. He was a responsible father until Lily’s kindergarten years when he caught onto a gambling addiction and became aloof towards his family. The man is obsessed with creating board games but his game business remains unsuccessful, until he launches Slapbet, his only successful project. He also has a few annoying hobbies and habits, one of which burns down Lily and Marshall’s Long Island home, which Lily got from her grandparents. Towards the end of the story, Mickey tries to redeem himself and becomes a caring grandfather to Lily’s son.
Mickey Aldrin is played by actor, writer, and comedian Chris Elliott. He is best known for his comedy sketches on Late Night with David Letterman, and also for creating and starring in the movie Cabin Boy, for which he won four Emmy Awards. Elliot has also had roles in Everybody Loves Raymond, Cursed, Eagleheart, etc. Elliott has also appeared in other popular movies like Groundhog Day, Scary Movie 2, and Scary Movie 4. Some of his prominent work post-HIMYM include Schitt’s Creek and Graves.
Sarah Chalke as Stella Zinman
Ted has been with a long list of women while searching for his “one and only”. Then why is Stella so significant? Well, when someone leaves you at the altar on your wedding day, that person is bound to have a deep impact on your life and Stella is that woman in Ted’s life (also his dermatologist). A single mother, Stella is very focused on her career and taking care of her daughter. After a lot of back and forth, she agrees to give the relationship a shot, even agreeing to Ted’s marriage proposal. But when she sees her ex-husband at the wedding, she finds it difficult to go ahead with the wedding and leaves Ted, which leaves him heartbroken for a long time.
Sarah Chalke plays the role of Stella. A Canadian actor and model, Chalke is best known for her role in Scrubs, followed by major roles in Cougar Town, How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life), and Beth in Rick and Morty. After HIMYM, Chalke has also gone on to star in the Netflix series Firefly Lane.
Marshall Manesh as Ranjit
Here’s one truly underrated character without whom the gang of HIMYM would not be able to carry on with their big-city adventures. Meet the man behind the wheel, the star cabbie, and the group’s real friend outside the group, Ranjit Singh. A cab driver from Bangladesh, Ranjit always manages to drive someone or the other from the group whenever they are looking for a cab and appears at important moments in their lives. Ranjit is also the only recurring character on the show who appears in all nine seasons.
Iranian-American acto, Marshall Manesh plays the role of Ranjit. Manesh is best known for his roles in movies like True Lies, The Big Lebowski, and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. He has also appeared in recurring roles and some guest roles in popular television shows like Will & Grace, Scrubs, Hot in Cleveland, and Boston Legal, among others. His post HIMYM work includes Madam Secretary, Jimmy Vestvood: Amerikan Hero, Cooper Barrett's Guide to Surviving Life, The Brink, etc. More recently, Manesh appeared in the Iranian drama movie Playing with Stars and will be seen in the upcoming movie The Greatest of All Tina.