How I Met Your Father: Cast and EPs Preview the ‘Standalone Sequel’ Series

How will the upcoming Hulu series How I Met Your Father be connected to How I Met Your Mother? 

That’s a burning question many have been asking since the series was first announced. During the show’s Television Critics Association virtual press conference, the cast members and EPs made it clear that How I Met Your Father is its own show, but that there may just be some fun moments for fans of the original to look out for.

Spectacular in its own right:

“Having been on How I Met Your Mother for so long, this is not How I Met Your Mother. And I loved How I Met Your Mother. This is How I Met Your Father, and it is so spectacular in its own right,” said Director and Executive Producer Pam Fryman. “The idea that I get to do this again in a different way but in an equally special and spectacular way is a remarkable gift. And I feel really lucky to be a part of this really, really wonderful show.”

Not a reboot:

Showrunner Isaac Aptaker spoke to the difference between the two series in detail, defining pretty clearly what How I Met Your Father is… and what it is not.

“People keep referring to this show as a reboot. It’s not a reboot. I went on a deep dive on Wikipedia, and I learned this is what’s called a ‘standalone sequel,’ which means that it’s set in the world of the previous show, but it’s really its own thing,” Aptaker explained.

References to the original series:

That said, it sounds like How I Met Your Mother fans will have some special things to look forward to with the new series.

Showrunner Elizabeth Berger responded to a question about how often we might see “references” to the original series by saying, “I think fans will be really excited by things that are peppered in there throughout the season for sure.”

Aptaker hinted at this as well. “Carter [Bays], Craig [Thomas], and Pam [Fryman] are very involved in this show, and there’s going to be lots of little rewards for people who love the original if they stick with us. So, I think that will satisfy people who never have seen How I Met Your Mother and will satisfy people who are madly in love with the show.”

Hilary Duff’s role as Sophie:

Also during the panel, Hilary Duff discussed her character on How I Met Your Father and why she’s excited to be part of the series.

“I’m extremely lucky to have gotten the opportunity to play Sophie. I am so attracted to parts that are extremely relatable, and this one happens to touch on just trying to find love in this world that we live in with all the options that there are and how hard it is to meet someone face to face,” Duff said. “Even though I’m in a totally different place in my life, I just felt like I was drawn to Sophie and that we had a lot in common.”

“And everyone around her is helping boost her up, not that she’s down and out by any means, but she’s just navigating,” she said. “It’s so relatable, and I can’t tell you how many friends I have that are in that space.”

Duff also noted that this isn’t just about Sophie’s story. “We are diving into each one of these characters, and we are watching these bonds happen. The show is really about friendship and just the fact that Sophie is very effervescent and it’s hard to really get her down,” she said. “It’s a feel-good show at the same time. It’s funny, and it’s real, and we get some little tug on the heartstring moments for sure.”

Cast chemistry:

It sounds like there’s plenty of love amongst this cast as well, both on and off the screen. Tien Tran, who plays Ellen, said she hopes people are able to see how well they all get along in a real life. “I hope that that shines through because we all just like being around each other,” she said.

“In order for this kind of show to work, you really just need a group of people who you like to watch having fun together, and we all genuinely have so much fun together,” added Chris Lowell, who plays the role of Jesse. “And I think that Isaac and Elizabeth wrote all of these brilliant scenarios to put us in to watch us have fun. And Pam directed like a maverick, like she always does, and I think the result of that is very watchable.”

Francia Raisa, who plays Valentina, also chimed in. “I think we all just like to watch each other perform in each scene. I mean, there’s times where I saw in the episodes I’m cracking up laughing for real because I just think everyone here is so talented. And from the minute we all met, from the first table read, we knew we are family, we are funny, we respect each other. And I feel like that really comes across on a screen, which is why it’s so beautiful and it works from the first scene in the first episode.”

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How I Met Your Father premieres January 18th on Hulu.

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