Cobie Smulders reveals the secret "fun thing" she did with Josh Radnor before filming How I Met Your Mother sex scenes

How I Met Your Mother star Cobie Smulders revealed one of her secret rituals she did with co-star Josh Radnor before filming intimate scenes with him in the sitcom. Radnor and Smulders starred opposite each other as Ted Mosby and Robin Scherbatsky in the iconic CBS sitcom for nine seasons between 2005 and 2014.

In the May 19 episode of the sitcom's rewatch podcast, How We Made Your Mother, Cobie Smulders appeared as a guest star alongside hosts Josh Radnor and co-creator Craig Thomas. In the episode, Smulders narrated one of the fun rituals she practiced with Josh Radnor on the sets of HIMYM before filming intimate scenes. She said,

"So one of the fun things I like to do with Josh is there was a lot of, sort, you know, Josh and I had quite a few intimate scenes. And so I would try to as much as humanly possible before, sort of, you know, we would roll - I would try to whisper something to Josh that was just extremely inappropriate."

Smulders added that her ritual is a part of a practice in acting called "the moment before" and said,

"And sometimes we have something in acting called "the moment before", which is typically used in an audition to get you sort of, you know, you have to land as soon as they hit roll. There's been a whole life, so you have to create this moment before. So I felt, as a good scene partner, I should lay out what was (Josh: typically was what we just did), and usually it was sexual."

Cobie Smulders referred to some popular scenes featuring Ted and Robin, where they have just woken up together or finished being intimate with each other.

"I feel like I'm an amazing scene partner, and I'm just thinking about the other person and making sure that they're comfortable, making sure that there's a connection there. So I would just set us up before we actually started the scene, and our speaking roles, just with like this is what just transpired between us. And usually, Josh would not be able to say anything, and his face would turn that color," Smulders said.

In the YouTube video segment of the podcast, Craig Thomas and Cobie Smulders then pointed at Josh Radnor on screen, who had turned "beet red" thinking of the scenes.

Josh Radnor's Ted Mosby and Cobie Smulders' Robin Scherbatsky had an on-and-off relationship throughout How I Met Your Mother. Robin also had a similar dynamic with Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris), but eventually ended up with Josh Radnor's character.

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When Cobie Smulders defended How I Met Your Mother's controversial ending, where Robin ends up with Josh Radnor's Ted

Cobie Smulders Visits The IMDb Show - Source: Getty

Despite being one of the most loved and iconic sitcoms of the 2000s, How I Met Your Mother has always faced mixed reviews for its controversial finale. Many fans are of the opinion that the conclusion was rushed, unexplained, and does not do justice to the characters.

Viewers usually have qualms about how Cobie Smulders' character, Robin, ends up with Josh Radnor's Ted Mosby over Neil Patrick Harris' Barney Stinson. They also believe Ted should have ended up with the titular 'Mother' or Tracy McConnell (Cristin Milioti), who was introduced in the show's final season.

However, Cobie Smulders had an explanation for fans who were unhappy with the ending, where Ted returns to Robin years after Tracy's death. The actress felt the ending could be much better in retrospect than it was while it was airing. In an interview with Metro in 2020, she said,

"People are going to feel how they're going to feel about that. But I think that there's been enough time. Watching it as a streaming show now, you get a little bit more of a connection for other relationships."

She added,

"I think at the end of the series between Robin and Barney, that was sort of the relationship everyone was rooting for. But when you go back to the very beginning of the show, it was Robin and Ted. So, I think that it's a different way to watch the show now when you see it in its entirety."

Throughout How I Met Your Mother, fans see Robin date both Ted and Barney in an on-and-off way. Cobie Smulders' character has always been portrayed as commitment-phobic. In a previous episode of the rewatch podcast, Josh Radnor described Robin as having an "avoidant attachment style". Throughout the nine seasons, Robin remained unsure of either Ted or Barney.

Even in the final season, Robin was doubtful about getting married to Barney Stinson. However, Ted convinced her otherwise, and she married Barney. However, Ted was always clear about being in love with Robin, which also explains why he was never able to find true love despite dating multiple other women in the show.

In the final episode, fans see Robin and Barney's relationship fall apart as both have commitment issues. While the makers did not delve deep into their divorce, it appeared that it was because they were not ready for something serious. Finally, the show portrays Cobie Smulders' character focusing on her career and becoming famous, while Josh Radnor's Ted married Tracy and had two children.

However, while Tracy appeared to be tailor-made for Ted, Robin remained the one with whom he was truly in love. In the end, the makers hinted that Robin's priorities changed, and she longed for a more settled life and was ready for commitment. Therefore, it was perhaps the right time for Ted and Robin to get together in the finale, which took place in the future after Tracy's death.