Josh Radnor reveals reason cast of HIMYM are not even a 'little bit' close anymore

For nine seasons, How I Met Your Mother fans watched Ted, Barney, Robin, Marshall, and Lily spend virtually every waking moment together around the booth at MacLaren’s Pub.

But in reality, star Josh Radnor has revealed that the cast are "not even a little bit" close anymore.

Appearing on the Half the Picture podcast with host Billy Barnell, the 52-year-old actor gave a candid update on his relationship with former co-stars Neil Patrick Harris, Jason Segel, Cobie Smulders, and Alyson Hannigan.

When asked directly whether the core ensemble are still as tight-knit as they were during their nine-year run on the CBS sitcom, Radnor did not sugarcoat his response.

"No. Not even a little bit," Radnor confessed. "I don't mean that in any dramatic way."

Josh opened up about the relationship he has with his former castmates (Half the Picture / Youtube)

'It's Like College'

Explaining why the group drifted apart after the cameras stopped rolling in 2014, Radnor compared their decade on set to an intense university experience.

"It's like college where you have this very intense time together and... you can't imagine not seeing each other every day because you've seen each other every day for so long," he explained.

"And then it just disperses, and you just go out and live your life."

Radnor acknowledged that many fans cling to the fantasy that the actors share the same inseparable bond as their on-screen counterparts.

"People really want to believe that, like, me and Neil and Jason are like hitting bars in New York City together," he continued.

"They really want to believe that. Acting is like a lot of love affairs you have, and then you move on."

While no longer close, Josh admitted he still has a lot of love for the entire cast (CBS)

Where the Cast Stands Today

While they no longer hang out as a tight friend group, Radnor noted that there is no lingering bad blood.

He recently welcomed both Neil Patrick Harris and Cobie Smulders as guests onto his rewatch podcast, How We Made Your Mother, where he and Harris had an open and "healing" conversation clearing the air over minor on-set friction and differing acting styles from their sitcom days.

As for the rest of the gang, Radnor stays in touch with Jason Segel via occasional funny text messages, while he last saw Alyson Hannigan when she attended his wedding to Jordana Jacobs in 2024.

"I have love for all these people," he clarified, even if their schedules and personal lives meant they didn't often cross paths.

In fact, Radnor even went so far as to describe them as his 'family' - complete with all the complexities of an enduring family dynamic.

“It’s a little more like family than friends, in that you don’t get to choose your family. We were cast - we didn’t choose each other," he explained.

"And family dynamics come out to play when you’re in an environment like that for so long. You have love that is quite deep and rich and probably everlasting. But it’s not an active love.”