Neil Patrick Harris and Josh Radnor Reveal On-Set Struggles During ‘How I Met Your Mother’ Filming

Neil Patrick Harris and Josh Radnor candidly addressed their sometimes tumultuous relationship during a recent podcast episode.

Harris, 52, joined Radnor, 51, and co-creator Craig Thomas on the March 23 episode of How We Made Your Mother, where he shared his feelings about their on-set interactions.

“I always kind of felt that my performance annoyed you, Josh,” Harris revealed, prompting a surprised response from Radnor: “What? Tell me more. Tell me more.”

Harris elaborated, stating he was “laser-focused” on delivering comedy, often overlooking the emotional depth that Radnor’s character, Ted Mosby, required. “I was very indifferent to the heart and the pathos of it because I wasn't written that way,” he explained.

In the series, Harris portrayed Barney Stinson, a flamboyant womanizer known for his outrageous humor, while Radnor’s Ted was the hopeless romantic in search of true love.

Harris recalled sensing Radnor's frustration during filming. “I remember often when we were filming, and I sensed frustration from you because you wanted the scene to be like a good scene and I was looking at you like, ‘Motherf---er, I'm doing spit takes,’” he said.

Thomas chimed in, suggesting that their contrasting styles contributed to the show's success. “I'm not airing dirty laundry or anything,” Harris clarified. “But I think it required multiple perspectives of all of us to create it.”

Radnor acknowledged feeling tension as well. “I think it might have been a little bit of confusion between actor and character,” he noted. “Like Barney was often incredibly almost dismissive of Ted, and you were so good at playing that.”

Reflecting on their chemistry, Radnor expressed delight in their unique dynamic. “I never doubt that Barney is obsessed with Ted,” he said. “We were like inhabiting different worlds, but they were all under this larger umbrella world.”

Harris appreciated the opportunity to discuss these feelings now, noting that during filming, it felt like there was a “disconnect.”

“I remember thinking ‘Is Josh mad at me?’ a lot,” he admitted. “Like ‘Am I doing something to annoy him?’”

Radnor shared his own struggles during the show’s production. He mentioned that while Harris and others had prior experience in television, he was still adjusting to newfound fame. “This was my fourth pilot. I was not a famous person,” he said. “I think that I had a harder adjustment with losing my anonymity.”

He apologized for any perceived aloofness during filming. “If I was like a little pissy or something, I'm sorry,” he said. “I think that I was just trying to manage a lot of different things and emotions.”

Radnor also recalled their previous collaboration in a play called The Paris Letter, where they portrayed lovers. “We were doing this very intense, intimate theater piece and then suddenly we were Ted and Barney literally like four months later,” he explained.

Thomas emphasized that their differing roles ultimately enhanced the show’s appeal. “I think your guys' specific combination as a duo was fantastic,” he remarked.

Radnor reflected on his initial insecurities regarding his role compared to Harris’ comedic style. “It took me a long time to realize that the task that I was given, I was doing it really well,” he said. “I've actually gone back and kind of forgiven myself for being so hard on myself in those years.”

He praised Harris for his outstanding performance on the show. “So, I'm glad to even say these words to you. Like, it feels good because I think in the last analysis, we just made something really cool together,” he concluded.