'How I Met Your Mother''s Alyson Hannigan Reveals Real Reason She Never Watched 'How I Met Your Father' (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Alyson Hannigan on ‘How I Met Your Mother’ in 2010 and in 2023.Photo:Eric McCandless/FOX, Unique Nicole/FilmMagic

Eric McCandless/FOX, Unique Nicole/FilmMagic

ForAlyson Hannigan, the nostalgia of theHow I Met Your Motherspinoff was too much to bear.

Speaking exclusively with PEOPLEin partnership with Kevin’s Natural Foods, Hannigan, 50, said that her original costarCobie Smuldersshot an episode ofHow I Met Your Fatherduring its 2022 to 2024 run, “and she showed me a bunch of pictures from the set.”

But looking at the images, “it kind of made my heart hurt,” Hannigan said. “And I was like, ‘I don’t think I’m ready to watch.' "

Smulders, 42, starred as Robin Scherbatsky alongside Hannigan,Josh Radnor,Jason SegelandNeil Patrick Harrisin the original series. The actress made acameo in the season 1 finale ofHIMYF.

Jason Segel, Alyson Hannigan, Cobie Smulders, Neil Patrick Harris and Josh Radnor in ‘How I Met Your Mother’ in 2012.Monty Brinton/CBS via Getty

Monty Brinton/CBS via Getty

Additionally,HIMYMdirector Pamela Fryman came on board to direct many of the spinoff’s episodes. “So I should have [watched],” Hannigan added. “But I just couldn’t. It just made me sad because I’m like, oh, that’s the same set.”

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Theseries only lasted two seasons, without ever revealing who the titular father was.

Jason Segel, Alyson Hannigan, Josh Radnor, Cobie Smulders and Neil Patrick Harris in 2013.Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty

Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty

Elsewhere in the interview, Hannigan spoke about how special it was filming the final season ofHIMYM. “I just remember being pretty emotional during it because there were a lot of ‘last,’ " she recalled. “We all took the year to really appreciate all the moments that, we’ve had so many of, in the however many seasons we did it.”

Hannigan marked a decade since the show ended in April with anInstagrampost, packed with stills from the sitcom.

“Truly can’t believe it has been 10 years now since the final episode 🥹,” she wrote.

source: people.com