Josh Radnor says HIMYM cast is 'not even a little bit' close

Josh Radnor told the "Half the Picture" podcast that the How I Met Your Mother cast is "not even a little bit" close anymore, though he stressed there is no drama behind it. The Ted Mosby actor mapped out where he stands with Neil Patrick Harris, Jason Segel, Cobie Smulders, and Alyson Hannigan after nine seasons on the CBS sitcom.

Radnor, 52, made the candid admission during Sunday's episode of the podcast. He quickly added, "I don't mean that in any dramatic way," before walking through his current relationships with the Emmy-winning ensemble that starred together from 2005 to 2014.

Key Takeaways

• Josh Radnor said the HIMYM cast is no longer close in daily life, comparing the bond to an intense college experience that naturally disperses.
• He still texts Jason Segel occasionally and hosted Neil Patrick Harris on his rewatch podcast in March, but has not seen Alyson Hannigan since his January 2024 wedding.
• Radnor described the group's love as "deep and rich and probably everlasting," but "not an active love."
• Earlier this year, Radnor and Harris addressed past on-set tension on the "How We Made Your Mother" podcast.

Why did Josh Radnor say the HIMYM cast drifted apart?

Radnor compared the experience to college, where an intense shared period ends and everyone moves on. "It's like college where you have this very intense time together and you think you're going to be… you can't imagine not seeing each other every day," he said. "And then it just disperses and you just go out and live your life."

He also noted the cast was assembled rather than chosen as friends. "It's a little more like family than friends in that you don't get to choose your family. We were cast. We didn't choose each other," Radnor explained.

Where does Josh Radnor stand with each co-star today?

Radnor said he and Jason Segel "send each other texts every once in a while," but he has not seen the Shrinking star in a long time. He saw Cobie Smulders twice on Zoom when she appeared on his HIMYM rewatch podcast.

Radnor has not seen Alyson Hannigan since his wedding to Jordana Jacobs in January 2024. In March, he brought Neil Patrick Harris onto the rewatch show for what he called "an interesting conversation about some of the tension" from the set.

Did on-set tension play a role in the cast's distance?

On the "How We Made Your Mother" podcast earlier this year, Harris admitted he felt his Barney Stinson performance sometimes "annoyed" Radnor during filming. Radnor confirmed he sensed tension at the time but suggested some of it may have blurred actor and character.

Radnor also said he felt insecure because Harris and other co-stars were more famous when shooting began. "I think that I was just trying to manage a lot of different things and emotions, and they came out sideways sometimes," he said.

What does this mean for fans who wanted a real-life friend group?

Radnor acknowledged fans have long hoped the cast shared the same bar-hopping bond as their characters. "People really want to believe that, like, me and Neil and Jason are hitting bars in New York City together," he said.

For more on cast reunions and Hollywood friendships, see our Celebrity Breaking News coverage. Radnor's full comments aired on the Half the Picture podcast, as reported by Page Six.