How I Met Your Mother Co-Creator Reveals the Real Reason Josh Radnor Never Appeared on the Spinoff (Exclusive)

January 19, 2025 Duy191098 Blog 0

Craig Thomas was also an executive producer on ‘How I Met Your Father,’ led by Hilary Duff

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Brian Anthony Hernandez, who has nearly 20 years of journalism experience, joined PEOPLE as a writer-editor in 2023. Brian previously worked for Bustle, Billboard, MTV, Mashable and Men’s Health.

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Published on January 18, 2025 09:00PM EST

LOS ANGELES - JULY 19: Josh Radnor, Cobie Smulders, Neil Patrick Harris, Jason Segel, Alyson Hannigan of HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER. (Photo by Monty Brinton/CBS via Getty Images)
Josh Radnor, Cobie Smulders, Neil Patrick Harris, Jason Segel, Alyson Hannigan in a ‘How I Met Your Mother’ promo photo from 2005. Photo: Monty Brinton/CBS via Getty

While several How I Met Your Mother cast members guest-starred on spinoff How I Met Your Father — including Cobie Smulders and Neil Patrick Harris — Josh Radnor’s Ted Mosby never made a cameo. 

Although Mosby would say, “You can’t cling to the past because no matter how tightly you hold on, it’s already gone,” HIMYM co-creator Craig Thomas revealed the real reason why Radnor, 50, wasn’t on the spinoff.

“We weren’t really involved. Put it this way, it would’ve had to be a really good idea for me to come to Josh to say, ‘Can you be in this show?’ It didn’t end up going that way, so it’s okay,” Thomas, 53, told PEOPLE while standing beside Radnor at the Jan. 11 benefit concert for the Rady Children’s Hospital of San Diego at New York City’s Bowery Ballroom.

HIMYM Cast and Crew Had Fundraising Parties on Set After Co-Creator Craig Thomas's Son Was Diagnosed with a Rare Disorder. It's Now an Event for Fans
Craig Thomas performing at the benefit concert. Aaron Hoffman/Aegis Photography

HIMYM ran for nine seasons on CBS from 2005 to 2014, while the Hulu spinoff starring Hilary Duff lasted two seasons from 2022 to 2023.

Hulu did not renew How I Met Your Father for a third season. 

During the spinoff’s run, at least six HIMYM cast members reprised their roles as guest stars — most notably Smulders as Robin Scherbatsky in the season 1 finale and Harris as Barney Stinson in season 2. 

Before HIMYF ended, fellow HIMYM main cast member Jason Segel expressed that he was open to appearing on the spinoff. Meanwhile, Alyson Hannigan said in August 2024 that she wasn’t ready to watch the spinoff, although her husband, Alexis Denisof, guest starred as his HIMYM TV anchor character Sandy Rivers.

HOLLYWOOD, CA - MARCH 15: Creator/executive producers Carter Bays and Craig Thomas, executive producer Pamela Fryman, Actors Alyson Hannigan, Cobie Smulders, Josh Radnor and Christin Milloti on stage at The Paley Center For Media's PaleyFest 2014 Honoring "How I Met Your Mother" Series Farewell at Dolby Theatre on March 15, 2014 in Hollywood, California.
From left: ‘HIMYM’ co-creaters Carter Bays and Craig Thomas, executive producer Pamela Fryman, Alyson Hannigan, Cobie Smulders, Josh Radnor and Cristin Milioti in March 2014. Frazer Harrison/Getty

At the Jan. 11 event, Thomas and Radnor teased that they’re still spending time together, partly because they’re working on a “little project together.”

“Well, I’m thrilled that Josh moved to New York because now Josh and I will see each other a lot more,” Thomas explained. “I’ll tease that we’re going to be doing a little project together, that we’re going to be putting into the world in the spring, but I’m not going to say what it is.”

Radnor added to PEOPLE, “We’ll give you a tip-off later,” to which Thomas confirmed, “We’ll tell you first when it’s time, okay? We really will.” 

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