The brilliant CBS sitcom “How I Met Your Mother” aired from September 19, 2005 until March 31, 2014. Created by Carter Bays and Craig Thomas, it comprised 208 episodes over nine seasons.
It followed Josh Radnor’s Ted Mosby and his love life as a single man in New York City, with the specific aim of ultimately introducing audiences to the mother of his future children.
Other members of the show’s brilliant cast included Jason Segel, Cobie Smulders, Neil Patrick Harris, and Alyson Hannigan.
21 years after the show began, and 12 years after it ended, wouldn’t it be good to compare how the core cast members look now to how they looked when they first appeared on it? Let’s do exactly that…
Josh Radnor (Ted Mosby)
GettyActor, filmmaker, author, and musician Josh Radnor played Ted Mosby in “How I Met Your Mother.” Ted is a New York City-based architect, college professor, and the central character of the series, whose adventures ultimately lead to him meeting the mother of his children.
Age on first “How I Met Your Mother” appearance: 31.
Selected television credits before “How I Met Your Mother”: The Court, ER, Six Feet Under.
Above is a 2025 social media post by Josh Radnor with a recent picture of him.
Age now: 51.
Selected television credits after “How I Met Your Mother”: Mercy Street, Hunters, Centaurworld.
Filmography info per IMDb.
Jason Segel (Marshall Eriksen)
GettyActor, screenwriter and producer Jason Segel played Marshall Eriksen in “How I Met Your Mother.” Marshall is a lawyer (and eventually a judge), Ted Mosby’s best friend, and the husband of Alyson Hannigan’s Lily Aldrin.
Age on first “How I Met Your Mother” appearance: 25.
Selected television credits before “How I Met Your Mother”: Freaks and Geeks, Undeclared, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
GettyAge now: 45.
Selected television credits after “How I Met Your Mother”: Dispatches from Elsewhere, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, Shrinking.
Filmography info per IMDb.
Cobie Smulders (Robin Scherbatsky)
GettyCanadian actress Cobie Smulders played Robin Scherbatsky in “How I Met Your Mother.” Robin is a former teenage Canadian pop sensation and a news anchor looking to make it as a journalist. She dates both Josh Radnor’s Ted Mosby and Neil Patrick Harris’ Barney Stinson in the series.
Age on first “How I Met Your Mother” appearance: 23.
Selected television credits before “How I Met Your Mother”: Veritas: The Quest, Andromeda, The L Word.
Above is a 2025 social media post by Cobie Smulders with a couple of recent pictures of her.
Age now: 43.
Selected television credits after “How I Met Your Mother”: Friends from College, Stumptown, High School.
Filmography info per IMDb.
Neil Patrick Harris (Barney Stinson)
GettyActor, singer, writer, producer, and television host Neil Patrick Harris played Barney Stinson on “How I Met Your Mother.” Barney is a serial playboy whose well-paying job remains a mystery throughout most of the series. Ultimately, he’s revealed to be the fall guy for his company’s nefarious activities — a role he’s been carrying out as a secret FBI informant.
Age on first “How I Met Your Mother” appearance: 32.
Selected television credits before “How I Met Your Mother”: Doogie Howser, M.D., Stark Raving Mad, Spider-Man: The New Animated Series.
Above is a 2025 social media post by Neil Patrick Harris with a couple of recent pictures of him.
Age now: 52.
Selected television credits after “How I Met Your Mother”: American Horror Story: Freak Show, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Uncoupled.
Filmography info per IMDb.
Alyson Hannigan (Lily Aldrin)
GettyActress and television presenter Alyson Hannigan played Lily Aldrin in “How I Met Your Mother.” Lily is the wife of Jason Segel’s Marshall Eriksen, a kindergarten teacher, and an aspiring artist.
Age on first “How I Met Your Mother” appearance: 31.
Selected television credits before “How I Met Your Mother”: Free Spirit, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, That ’70s Show.
Above is a 2025 social media post by Alyson Hannigan with a couple of recent pictures of her.
Age now: 51.
Selected television credits after “How I Met Your Mother”: Penn & Teller: Fool Us, Fancy Nancy, Pure.
Filmography info per IMDb.
Cristin Milioti (Tracy McConnell)
GettyActress and musician Cristin Milioti played Tracy McConnell in “How I Met Your Mother.” Tracy is a musician and essentially the framing device of the entire series, as she’s the future wife of Josh Radnor’s Ted Mosby and the mother of his children. She doesn’t appear until season 8 in 2013.
Age on first “How I Met Your Mother” appearance: 27.
Selected television credits before “How I Met Your Mother”: The Sopranos, The Unusuals, 30 Rock.
Above is a 2025 social media post by Cristin Milioti with a few recent pictures of her.
Age now: 40.
Selected television credits after “How I Met Your Mother”: A to Z, Made for Love, The Penguin.
Filmography info per IMDb.
Bob Saget (Narrator/Older Ted Mosby)
GettyComedian, actor, director, and television host Bob Saget voiced the older version of Ted Mosby in “How I Met Your Mother.” The older version of Mosby acted as the narrator of the series.
Age on first “How I Met Your Mother” appearance: 49.
Selected television credits before “How I Met Your Mother”: Full House, America’s Funniest Home Videos, Raising Dad.
Above is a 2022 social media post by Bob Saget showing a picture of him, specifically from the day he tragically passed away.
Age now: Sadly passed away in 2022 aged 65.
Selected television credits after “How I Met Your Mother”: Robot Chicken, Fuller House, Nashville Squares.
Filmography info per IMDb.
While it was sometimes compared unfavorably to “Friends,” “How I Met Your Mother” was undoubtedly a fun, intelligent, and well-written series with memorable characters portrayed by a talented cast.
A spin-off sitcom, “How I Met Your Father,” aired from 2022 until 2023. It wasn’t anywhere near as successful (or anywhere near as good).
May Bob Saget rest in eternal peace.
