20 August,2026 05:31 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Josh Radnor. Pic via X
Josh Radnor, best known for playing Ted Mosby in How I Met Your Mother, has offered an unusually candid update on his equation with his former co-stars, admitting that he is not close to them today. The revelation comes 12 years after the sitcom wrapped its nine-season run in 2014.
Speaking on the Half the Picture podcast, Radnor was asked whether he remains close to the cast. His answer was surprisingly blunt, "No. Not even a little bit." Radnor explained that there was no major fallout behind the distance. Instead, he compared his relationship with the cast to friendships formed during college, intense while they lasted, but naturally changing once everyone moved on with their lives.
"I have love for all these people," Radnor said, describing his former co-stars as more like family than active friends. He added that the experience of working together for so many years created a bond that remains meaningful, even if they no longer see each other regularly.
His comments also shed light on a previously unspoken tension with Neil Patrick Harris, who played the flamboyant Barney Stinson. Harris recently appeared on Radnor's How We Made Your Mother podcast, where the two revisited their experiences on the show.
Harris admitted that he had often wondered whether his performance frustrated Radnor. The contrast between Barney's exaggerated comedy and Ted's more emotional storyline occasionally created friction on set. Radnor acknowledged that he sometimes felt dismissed by Harris, although he later realised that the feeling was partly a result of Harris being so convincing as Barney.
"Barney was often incredibly almost dismissive of Ted," Radnor explained, adding that he sometimes felt the same dismissal from Harris himself. Looking back, however, he said he was "delighted by our weird chemistry."
Harris similarly recalled feeling a disconnect between them during the show's run and wondered if Radnor was upset with him. The two ultimately addressed the tension years later, with Radnor describing their conversation as "fascinating and kind of healing."
Radnor also admitted that becoming famous through How I Met Your Mother was difficult for him. As the show's central character, he struggled with losing his anonymity and questioned whether his more emotional approach was as valuable as the comedy delivered by his co-stars. He said it took him time to recognise that he was doing the job he had been given well and that he has since "forgiven" himself for being overly critical.
As for the rest of the cast, Josh Radnor said he and Jason Segel exchange messages occasionally but have not met in a long time. He has also interacted with Cobie Smulders mainly through his podcast, while his last meeting with Alyson Hannigan was at his 2024 wedding. For Radnor, the HIMYM gang may not be part of his everyday life anymore, but the connection remains.
