The sitcom was told in flashbacks by lead character Ted Mosby in 2030, who is detailing to his children the long journey to meet their mother and sharing his life with friends Marshall, Lily, Robin and Barney (a philandering lothario played by Harris) in New York City.<\/p>\n
On a new, two-part episode of the How We Made Your Mother<\/a> podcast, which is produced in partnership with Audacy and The Office Ladies Network, hosts Josh Radnor<\/a> (who starred as Ted) and co-creator Craig Thomas<\/a> spoke to Harris about the show and its continued resonance.<\/p>\n \u201cWe never felt secure,” Harris, 52, said of himself and his fellow cast and crew members. “We thought we might get canceled all the time. That hunger kept everyone sharp \u2014 writers, actors, everyone. We weren\u2019t coasting.\u201d<\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. \u00a0<\/p>\n Neil Patrick Harris as Barney Stinson on How I Met Your Mother Elsewhere on the podcast, Harris noted that he felt “insecure” while playing Barney, saying, \u201cI was needy and insecure as an actor back then. I never finished a scene thinking, \u2018Mic drop,\u00a0 nailed it.\u2019 I was always asking, \u2018You think that\u2019s good? Pam, are you happy? Do you want to do it\u00a0 again?\u2019 That insecurity absolutely played into the bravado.\u201d<\/p>\n And though Barney was known for his confident (bordering on arrogant) demeanor, Harris said he felt a connection to the character, whom he viewed as secretly sensitive. “I\u2019ve always felt Barney was kind of broken. He wore armor. The suit was armor. He hid sincerity\u00a0and vulnerability behind bravado because that\u2019s how he survived.\u201d<\/p>\n The show premiered on Sept. 19, 2005, and the cast looked back in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE<\/a> in 2025, with Harris recalling how they “were all just having the best time” filming the hit show’s first season.<\/p>\n “For the first really four seasons of that show, we did not think there would be another season, so every time we finished, we thought we were done,” the actor added at the time. “And then, it was a nice surprise when we were coming back.”<\/p>\n The first part of the two-part How We Made Your Mother episode featuring Harris will be released on Monday, March 16, and the second installment will drop on Monday, March 23.<\/p>\n![\"Neil](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/988637db082918bae7b8243573ff0f35.jpeg\"\/)
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Credit: Eric McCandless\/FOX<\/p>\n