The show was a rage right from the get go. A group of hilarious friends going through impossible and adorable misadventures, hanging out at their favourite bar in a long-ass flashback about how a man met the love of his life. How I Met Your Mother had the perfect formula to win us over – and it totally did.
But have you ever wondered what they were doing before they were the gang that all of us dreamed about being a part of? Let us tell you!
1. Josh Radnor AKA Ted Mosby
Radnor studied acting at NYU and had already made his Broadway debut before HIMYM ever happened. Some of his early roles on screen included small stints in television series like Welcome To New York and Law & Order and he was also part of the young ensemble in Not Another Teen Movie in 2001 starring biggies like Chris Evans.
2. Cobie Smulders AKA Robin Scherbatsky
A trained actor and professional model at the time, Smulders was offered her first role as a guest in a post-apocalyptic science fiction series called Jeremiah in 2002. She followed this up with other small television roles and subsequently landed a recurring part in Veritas: The Quest – a mystical teen adventure series aired in 2003-04. It wasn’t long before she was discovered as the perfect Robin Scherbatsky.
3. Neil Patrick Harris AKA Barney Stinson
We’ve all seen young Harris wow the world as Doogie Howser M.D., teen doctor and boy genius. The show was aired between 1989 and 1993 and it was an instant hit with the audience. His acting debut, however, was in 1988’s Clara’s Heart starring Whoopi Goldberg. The man has since gone on to become one of the biggest, most talented Broadway and television stars in recent times. And let’s not forget, he gave the world it’s most legendary bro.
4. Jason Segel AKA Marshall Eriksen
Segel’s first major role was as a ‘stoner freak’ in the short-lived NBC dramedy series, Freaks And Geeks (1999). But his first film appearance was actually in 1998’s Can’t Hardly Wait as the obscure watermelon guy! Little did we ever know, that the watermelon guy would go on to become the idealistic, environment-loving, bear-huggable Marshall Eriksen.
5. Alyson Hannigan AKA Lily Aldrin
Yes, yes. American Pie (1999) probably is what we remember her most from! But I bet not many of you knew that her first acting part was actually way back in the 1986 film Impure Thoughts at the age of 14. Amazing right! We then saw Hannigan in all the American Pie films and a whole bunch of television roles, including Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, before the HIMYM cast snagged her up in 2005.
One does have to admit, though, that they will forever be remembered as the goofy misfits we loved for so many years. ‘Cause they really were utterly legen – wait for it – *breaks into tears* WE MISS YOU GUYS!