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How I Met Your Mother Characters
In How I Met Your Mother, Ted Mosby tells his kids the very long story of how he met their mother.
In the year 2030, Ted Mosby sits his two teenagers down to tell them how he met their mother, and the story takes nine seasons. Back in the 2000s, Ted is a hopeless romantic architect in New York, looking for the one.
His friends spend most nights in a booth at MacLaren's Pub: his college roommate Marshall Eriksen and Marshall's longtime girlfriend Lily Aldrin, Canadian news reporter Robin Scherbatsky, and Barney Stinson, the suit-wearing schemer with a playbook for everything.
Told out of order, with flashbacks and an unreliable narrator, the show loved a long setup and a callback. It ran for nine seasons on CBS.
New to the show, or planning a rewatch? Start with the essential How I Met Your Mother episodes, led by the 9 that matter to more than one character. Already a superfan? Try the 30-question How I Met Your Mother trivia quiz.
How I Met Your Mother main cast(6)
- Ted MosbyLeadPlayed by Josh RadnorThe hopelessly romantic New York architect whose years-long search for the woman he will marry is the story he tells his two teenage kids across all…
- Barney StinsonMain castPlayed by Neil Patrick HarrisThe suit-obsessed, catchphrase-spewing womanizer and self-appointed best friend to Ted, whose outrageous schemes hide a lonely…
- Lily AldrinMain castPlayed by Alyson HanniganMarshall's sweet-faced, secretly scheming wife, a kindergarten teacher and aspiring painter who is the group's emotional center and its most…
- Marshall EriksenMain castPlayed by Jason SegelTed's big-hearted best friend from Minnesota, a law student turned lawyer and eventually a judge, whose devotion to his college sweetheart Lily is…
- Robin ScherbatskyMain castPlayed by Cobie SmuldersThe career-driven Canadian TV journalist Ted falls for in the pilot, a scotch-drinking, gun-loving former teen pop star who becomes the gang's fifth…
- Tracy McConnellMain castPlayed by Cristin MiliotiThe title character of How I Met Your Mother, a warm, funny, ukulele-playing musician with a yellow umbrella who finally meets Ted after eight…
How I Met Your Mother side characters(1)
Recurring characters who were never part of the main cast. See side characters from every show.
How I Met Your Mother couples and catchphrases
- Marshall and LilyMarshall Eriksen and Lily Aldrin
- Ted and RobinTed Mosby and Robin Scherbatsky
- Barney and RobinBarney Stinson and Robin Scherbatsky
See how they compare with the best sitcom couples from every show, or find all 3 How I Met Your Mother catchphrases in our list of famous sitcom catchphrases.
Think you know How I Met Your Mother? Today's mystery character could be from any of our 34 shows.
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