Several new sitcoms premiere on various networks each year. However, few go on to have the enduring success of “How I Met Your Mother.” Now, 12 years after HIMYM ended its run on CBS, Neil Patrick Harris is opening up about what made it a hit.
According to PEOPLE, Harris appears on a new episode of the “How We Made Your Mother” podcast, hosted by his former HIMYM co-star Josh Radnor and the series’ co-creator, Craig Thomas. In discussing why the show resonated with audiences, Harris stated, “We never felt secure.”
He continued, “We thought we might get canceled all the time. That hunger kept everyone sharp — writers, actors, everyone. We weren’t coasting.”
Neil Patrick Harris Discussed Playing Barney on HIMYM
GettyHarris continued the discussion about “How I Met Your Mother,” explaining why he felt “insecure” while playing Barney on the show. He said, “I was needy and insecure as an actor back then. I never finished a scene thinking, ‘Mic drop, nailed it.’ I was always asking, ‘You think that’s good? Pam, are you happy? Do you want to do it again?’ That insecurity absolutely played into the bravado.
After that, Harris said he always felt a connection to his HIMYM character, noting that despite his arrogant exterior, he was sensitive underneath it all. According to him, “I’ve always felt Barney was kind of broken. He wore armor. The suit was armor. He hid sincerity and vulnerability behind bravado because that’s how he survived.”
Harris also spoke to PEOPLE in 2025 about “How I Met Your Mother.” He said of the early years, “For the first really four seasons of that show, we did not think there would be another season, so every time we finished, we thought we were done.”
The actor added, “And then, it was a nice surprise when we were coming back.”
The Former ‘How I Met Your Mother’ Star Remains Busy
“How I Met Your Mother” ended in 2014, with Harris, as well as the rest of the cast, remaining busy in Hollywood. For him, his latest movie, “Sunny Dancer,” was screened at the Berlin International Film Festival in February 2026. Currently, it’s unclear when it will be released worldwide.
One of his upcoming projects is the action/thriller “The Last Temptation of Becky,” which is a part of a trilogy. According to Deadline, Jenn Wexler directed the film. It also features actors such as Lulu Wilson, Brandon Flynn, James Urbaniak, and Kate Siegel.
The movie is distributed by Quiver Distribution and is expected to be released in the summer of 2026.
