Here's Where You Know The Cast Of How I Met Your Father From

"How I Met Your Father" is Hulu's sequel to the CBS sitcom "How I Met Your Mother," which ran from 2005 to 2014. "HIMYF" follows Sophie (Hilary Duff) as she navigates life, love, and friendship in New York, all culminating in the story of how she met her son's father. The legen — wait for it — dary spin-off has been a long time in the making, with two previous versions of the show (titled "How I Met Your Dad") not making it to TV.

Notably, "HIMYF" is a standalone sequel, rather than a reboot. "I think it's important to know that we are our own show," Duff explained to Deadline. "The original show was so amazing, [but we're] trying to create something original," she added. However, Duff also dropped a hint for "HIMYM" fans. "There might be a cameo this season, but I can't say too much," she told The Hollywood Reporter. It's not clear who might make this cameo since some of the original cast members are doing their best to put their "HIMYM" days behind them. In 2018, Josh Radnor, who played Ted Mosby, told GQ he'd put the series firmly in the past. Of course, it is the season of reboots and cameos — with Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield reprising their roles for "Spider-Man: No Way Home" — so anything is possible.

However, there are some confirmed "HIMYM" Easter eggs in the show, such as the original apartment, which is the home of Jesse (Chris Lowell) and his roommate Sid (Suraj Sharma). Here's where you've seen the sitcom's cast.

"How I Met Your Mother" followed Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor) as he looked for love, but mostly he was just living and enjoying his life in New York with his best friends. "How I Met Your Father" takes the premise of the original series, while updating it and switching out some of the key plot elements — namely, having Hilary Duff in the lead role as Sophie. The series follows her as she recalls the events that led her to meet her baby daddy. "As a huge fan of 'How I Met Your Mother,' I'm honored and even a little nervous that Carter and Craig would trust me with the sequel of their baby," Duff said when she joined the cast, per Deadline.

Duff, who is also a producer on "HIMYF," is best known for her breakout role as Lizzie in the Disney Channel series "Lizzie McGuire." A "Lizzie McGuire" reboot was on the cards, but when that didn't happen, some speculated "HIMYF" was Duff's consolation. Duff rebuffed that notion and explained how the two roles couldn't be more different. "Comparing it to the Lizzie that never was, she's a totally different character, and we get to obviously have a lot more fun in what people are doing in their 30s," she told the Television Critics Association (via Us Weekly).

In the years between "Lizzie McGuire" and "HIMYF," Duff has starred in noughties classics like "Cheaper by the Dozen" and "A Cinderella Story," and starred in the comedy-drama "Younger."

Chris Lowell plays Jesse, an aspiring musician and part-time Uber driver. When Deadline announced Lowell as the co-lead in the series, Bustle suggested that Jesse may be the Robin to Sophie's Ted. "I'm never getting married because the one girl I wanted to marry broke my heart," he tells Sophie on the night they first meet. Though sparks fly between the pair, it's the beginning of a blossoming friendship — just like Robin and Ted.

While the original series followed Ted as he searched for love, "HIMYM" was ultimately a celebration of friendship. This element of the original series remains at the heart of the sequel, too. Lowell loves the friendships in the series and believes "having a core group of friends" in his real life is "paramount to living a happy life," he told the Hollywood Critics Association.

Viewers may know this leading man from "Glow," "Veronica Mars" and "The Help." Lowell reprised his role as Stosh "Piz" Piznarski from the "Veronica Mars" television series in the 2014 movie sequel. The actor admitted it was easy to come back to his character after seven years, largely thanks to Rob Thomas, the show's creator. "The way Rob writes, you just say the words on the page and the character comes out of that," Lowell explained to Collider. "He just kind of does a lot of the work for you, which is such a spectacular thing, and such a rare thing to see on the page," he added.

Sitcom romances are never straightforward, and while Sophie may have chemistry with Jesse, sparks are also flying between her and her Tinder match, Ian. Of course, fate intervenes and puts their romance on the back burner when the marine biologist moves to Australia in the series premiere — but only after they had "the best first date." Sophie rushes to the airport to tell him she wants to have a long-distance relationship, and they decide the timing isn't right, but "maybe someday."

Ian is played by Daniel Augustin, who replaced Brandon Michael Hall for the role, per Deadline. Viewers may recognize the actor from his guest roles in notable television series, such as The CW's "Dynasty" and ABC's "Grey's Anatomy." Working on the long-running medical drama was a career highlight for Augustin, who appeared in Season 17, Episode 1. "This entire experience has been surreal & the weight of my gratitude is immeasurable," he said (via Soap Opera News). "Every second I was in the make-up trailer, or on the set, I was grappling with the idea that I don't belong and none of this is real. Everyone on the set was so kind to me that I struggled believing their compliments," he added. Although the actor may have briefly struggled with imposter syndrome, his hard work has led him to even greater things, like "HIMYF," which is Augustin's biggest role to date.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.

"Grown-ish" star Francia Raísa plays Sophie's roommate Valentina in "How I Met Your Father." Raísa was initially interested in the series because she was a fan of "How I Met Your Mother." However, it was actually Hilary Duff's involvement which really excited her about the project. "I heard Hilary Duff was a part of it and I was like, 'Okay, well everything she touches turns to gold so let's see this,'" Raísa said to Insider.

However, the character of Valentina originally had the name Kate, according to the actor. This obviously changed between writing and filming. It's not clear how the name change came about, but Raísa has previously spoken about how important it is that each one of her roles embraces her Latin heritage. "[I'm] trying to figure out a way to break barriers, open conversation and have other Latinos, Latinx people growing up saying, 'I can do this too, and it's okay that I'm this way and that way and maybe not this way,'" the actor said on E!'s "Ones to Watch" series.

Raísa is best known for playing Ana Torres in "Grown-ish." Her character also appeared in the show's parent series "Black-ish" in 2018. You may recognize Raísa for her actions off-screen, too. In 2017, the star gave longtime friend Selena Gomez one of her kidneys. "She gave me the ultimate gift and sacrifice by donating her kidney to me. I am incredibly blessed. I love you so much, sis," Gomez wrote on Instagram, alongside a picture of the pair in the hospital.

British actor Tom Ainsley plays Charlie, Valentina's new boyfriend. According to Deadline, Charlie's parents are "conservative aristocrats," but he gives up his wealth to move to New York City to be with Valentina. The show is sure to make fans laugh because Ainsley and his co-stars couldn't keep a straight face while filming. "I cannot look Suraj [Sharma] in the face throughout most of [it], especially Episode 2, we were able to deliver our lines just sort of looking up at the ceiling so that we weren't laughing at each other," Ainsley revealed to the Hollywood Critics Association.

Viewers may know Ainsley as Ben Harris from British soap "Holby City," Benoît from the French historical drama "Versailles," or Nick Roane from the U.S. soap "The Royals." "How I Met Your Father" is Ainsley's biggest role to date. The actor, who has been working professionally since 2014, according to IMDb, has come a long way in his career. While speaking to Sound & Track Mag, Ainsley looked back at his career highlights and admitted there's a guest role which will always hold a special place in his heart. "I remember booking my first professional job, a guest lead on a British daytime drama called 'Doctors,' ... and I was amazed that someone was actually paying me to do this!" he recalled.

Tien Tran plays Ellen, Jesse's adopted sister who has just moved to New York after getting divorced from her wife. "This is Ellen. She is divorced and ready to shmvorce," Tran wrote on Instagram alongside pictures of herself as her on-screen counterpart. Like her TV brother, Tran loves the friendship dynamics "How I Met Your Father" portrays. "I think what's so great about this show, too, is that it is about all of us finding love, but at core it's like it is about this group of six," Tran shared with the Hollywood Critics Association.

Tran, who called "How I Met Your Father" a "dream job" (on Instagram), may be best known for playing Laura in "Hot Date" and Jane Ji in the 2021 film "Candyman." Viewers may also recognize the actor, comedian, and writer from her "Comedy Central" stand-up acts and her work with Netflix. In 2020, Tran guest-starred on the Steve Carell-led comedy series "Space Force."

Jesse's roommate and best friend Sid is portrayed by Suraj Sharma. Sid, who is in a long-distance relationship with his fiancee Hannah, owns his own bar: Pemberton's, which is the new MacLaren's. Sharma was a huge fan of the original series and revealed to E! that it was actually "the first sitcom [he] ever watched." He "was a little bit skeptical" about a remake of "HIMYM," but after he read the script and understood it was a standalone sequel, he was hooked. "From then on, everything's just been great vibes," he said.

The New Delhi-born actor is best known for his starring role in the 2012 film "Life of Pi." Suraj played the title character Pi Patel, one of two survivors of an ocean liner shipwreck. The actor had to spend a lot of time in the water for the role and revealed to The Guardian that he learned to swim in the process.

"HIMYF" viewers may also recognize Sharma as Hassan from "The Illegal," a gritty drama about an undocumented worker in the U.S. Sharma thought the story of "The Illegal" was incredibly "timely," and explained that he even brought some of his real-life experiences to the role. "He's basically this guy from Delhi who comes to America ... he's chasing his dreams. I did the same thing," the actor said, per Indian Express Online.

"Sex and the City" star Kim Cattrall narrates the series as future Sophie, like the late Bob Saget did for Josh Radnor's character Ted. "I would be lying if I told you we all didn't do like a happy dance when we found out she signed on to do the show," gushed Cattrall's co-star Hilary Duff to "Good Morning America" (via Twitter). 

Unlike Saget on "How I Met Your Mother," Cattrall will be seen on the screen while she talks to her unnamed son, who is off-screen. Having him off-screen also keeps viewers guessing about the father of Sophie's son and hides his racial heritage, Duff explained to The Hollywood Reporter. This is important because, as TVLine highlighted, the twist of "HIMYF" is that Sophie has already met the father in the first episode. "So that's it, that's the night I met your father," Cattrall announces as future Sophie at the end of Episode 1. This implies it is Jesse, Ian, Charlie, Sid (though viewers might be tempted to rule out Charlie as he's dating Sophie's bestie Valentina), or possibly another unknown guest she met at the engagement party.

Viewers will of course recognize the show's narrator as Samantha Jones from "Sex and the City," though she didn't return for the reboot, "And Just Like That." In the years since she starred in the romantic comedy-drama series and films, Cattrall has had a handful of television roles, including the psychological thriller anthology series "Tell Me a Story."

Leighton Meester plays Meredith in the "How I Met Your Father" series premiere. Meredith is Jesse's ex-girlfriend who publicly rejects his marriage proposal for the whole internet to see, per TVLine. "Now she's in Europe recording her first solo album," Jesse explains to Sophie. "And I'm known all around the city as Mr. #ProposalFail."

Meester's initial cameo is enough to leave viewers wondering where they've seen the actor before. Meester is best known for her breakout role as Blair Waldorf in "Gossip Girl." The CW series ran for six seasons from 2007 to 2012. In the years since the show ended, Meester got married to "The O.C." alum Adam Brody, and has moved on from playing characters like Blair in her career. From 2018 to 2020, she starred in "Single Parents" in a role which was "more compelling" to the actor, who is not only more mature, but a mother herself. "The stakes are exactly the kind of stakes I live in in real life — except it's not, like, quite as funny all the time," she explained to BUILD.

In an interview with Us Weekly, "HIMYF" co-creator Isaac Aptaker teased Meester's return to the sitcom: "Just having Leighton Meester in that one little viral video certainly seems like a waste of Leighton Meester. I think that it is reasonable to expect that she'll be returning at some point," he said.

Anyone who watched Nickelodeon in the mid-2000s will, of course, recognize Josh Peck as the co-star of "Drake & Josh," which also featured Drake Bell. When "Drake & Josh" ended, Peck went on to star alongside Chris Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson, and Adrianne Palicki in the American action film "Red Dawn." "I read the script and I knew I was immediately intrigued," Peck told Collider. The actor also revealed that he "became incredibly close" with his co-star Chris Hemsworth while filming. "We have a similar ethos," Peck added. The film, which is a remake of the 1984 film of the same name, spent two years in post-production because of political controversy with China, which meant villains of the film had to be changed from Chinese to North Korean (via Screen Rant). "Red Dawn" was eventually released in 2012.

Peck has also had a notable voice role in his career, portraying the possum Eddie in the "Ice Age" franchise. Comedy fans may recognize the actor from guest appearances on popular series like "The Mindy Project," "The Big Bang Theory," and "Fuller House."

Peck has a recurring role in "How I Met Your Father" as Drew, who appears to be another love interest for Sophie. In a trailer for the show, they are seen enjoying a romantic date. In Episode 2, future Sophie tells her son she's going to date plenty of guys before she meets his dad, so it's likely Drew will be one of them.

Ashley Reyes portrays the newly engaged Hannah in "How I Met Your Father." Hannah, who is a surgical resident in Los Angeles, is in a long-distance relationship with her fiance Sid. "What an absolute joy to hang around with this very wonderful cast and crew for a handful of episodes," Reyes wrote on Instagram when she shared the show's trailer.

Viewers might be wondering how they recognize the actor, who has been a regular on the small screen. Reyes played Cordelia in the third season of "American Gods," a series based on the novel of the same name by Neil Gaiman. Suspense, and not knowing all the information, was crucial to Reyes' role in the Starz fantasy drama, and she had an interesting way of preparing for her role. "When I was with each script that we got, I would go through and I would pick out moments that I didn't want Cordelia to know because I thought that it would be important for myself as an actor to not know these things," Reyes revealed to CBR. The actor explained that she didn't want to have an advance over her character, so she would find things out at the same time as Cordelia. It sounds like Reyes got pretty method while preparing for that role!

Icelandic actor Thorsteinn Sindri Baldvinsson "Stony" Blyden plays Jasper, an NYU student who works for Sid at his bar, Pemberton's. Viewers may recognize the actor and musician from his breakout role in the 2016 film "The Standoff," which also starred Olivia Holt ("Cruel Summer") and Alex Wolff ("Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle"). In 2018, the actor was set to play Wyatt in "The Edge of Seventeen" miniseries (based on the 2016 film starring Hailee Steinfeld), exclusively for YouTube Red, per The Hollywood Reporter. In 2020, fans learned from the pilot writer on Instagram that the show would not be moving forward (via SlashFilm).

Blyden then starred in the Nickelodeon comedy adventure series "Hunter Street," before graduating to NBC's legal drama "Bluff City Law." "Hunter Street" was a particularly exciting experience for the actor, who was proud of the fact that it was a completely new type of show for the channel. "I promise you, you've never seen anything like this on Nickelodeon," Blyden said when the show aired, per Hidden Remote (via Fansided). "It's so packed with mystery, adventure, and comedy that once you're in, you're in for good!" he added.