How I Met Your Mother's Barney Was Written With A Specific Actor In Mind (Not Neil Patrick Harris)

This year, the CBS sitcom "How I Met Your Mother" is celebrating its 20th anniversary. The series, which was told through the framing device of the protagonist Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor) telling the story of how he met his children's mother, consisted of 208 episodes over the course of nine seasons. Alongside Ted were his tight-knit group of friends, including his best friend Marshall Eriksen (Jason Segel), Lily Aldrin (Alyson Hannigan), Robin Scherbatsky (Cobie Smulders), and, of course, Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris).

Throughout its nine-season run, "How I Met Your Mother" explored the trials and tribulations of adulthood for Ted and his friends, all of whom have their own unique characteristics. However, Barney Stinson is widely considered the breakout character of the series. Notable for his serial womanizing, brash personality, and obsessive vanity, characterized by his signature wardrobe of expensive suits, Barney stands out as one of modern television's funniest characters, much of which can be attributed to Neil Patrick Harris' "legen, wait for it ... dary" performance. However, the character of Barney was written for someone similar to the late John Belushi.

Given the massive imprint that Neil Patrick Harris left on the role of Barney Stinson, it is difficult to imagine any other actor bringing him to life. However, "How I Met Your Mother" co-creator Carter Bays revealed at a 2010 live event at the Paley Center for Media (via The Futon Critic) that "the character was written for a large, John Belushi-type character. And Neil came in, he was not..." Co-creator Craig Thomas humorously interrupted Bays' revelation, "To be fair, he was like 350 back then," with Harris adding, "Before the stomach stapling."

Obviously, Neil Patrick Harris did not fit the bill for a John Belushi-type actor to play Barney Stinson. Before getting cast in "How I Met Your Mother," Harris was most recognized for his titular role in ABC's "Doogie Howser, M.D." and numerous stage credits ranging from "Rent," "Sweeney Todd and the Demon Barber of Fleet Street," and "Cabaret," among others. However, Harris' comedic timing and chemistry with the rest of the cast are so infectious that it is almost as if Barney was written specifically for him. This goes to show that, regardless of what a creator may initially envision, sometimes another factor will provide something they did not realize was necessary for a project's long-term success.

Earlier in 2025, Harris guest-starred  in the Paramount+ Premium series, "Dexter: Resurrection." He has been nominated for 12 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning five in total as of this writing. He reprised his role as Barney Stinson in Hulu's short-lived "How I Met Your Father." Harris and his "How I Met Your Mother" co-star Cobie Smulders were the only members of the original series' main cast to appear in the spin-off/sequel series.