HIMYF's Hilary Duff Knows Exactly Who She Wants The Father To Be

If spending nine seasons of "How I Met Your Mother" theorizing just who exactly Ted Mosby's ultimate love interest could be wasn't enough for fans, the mystery has been reborn in a new form for "How I Met Your Father." Per its name, this sequel series focuses on Hilary Duff's Sophie as she tells her future kids the story of how she met their father. Of course, audiences doesn't know the identity of the father yet, and if "How I Met Your Father" aims for a similarly lengthy run to its predecessor, it's likely going to be a good long while until that changes.

Just from its first couple of seasons, "How I Met Your Father" has already introduced a slew of candidates for who the mysterious father might end up being. Some picks are much more likely based on their history and chemistry with Sophie, but it's tough to say whether any of the characters introduced so far are actually going to be the one. As for Duff, however, the lead actress already has a strong opinion on who she hopes the father is out of these numerous options.

It seems that Hilary Duff still thinks that one of Sophie's first romances in "How I Met Your Father" is the one that's meant to be for the character. In an interview with Elite Daily, the actress named former "Drake & Josh" star Josh Peck's character of Drew as the one she hopes is the mysterious father. "He's wonderful to work with," Duff explained. "I think because we have both children and were child stars, we have a really nice connection."

Sophie and Drew actually do spend much of the show's first season as a couple. Unfortunately, the pair face a slew of relationship-related growing pains that eventually causes Sophie to cut things off. The pair's breakup may have slimmed down Drew's chances of being Sophie's ultimate soulmate for now, but as the identity of the mother on "How I Met Your Mother" demonstrated, there's always room for surprises and unexpected returns.

As for Peck, he's also on-board with the idea of Sophie and Drew ending up together by the time the series reaches its conclusion, but he knows that some viewers may not be as keen on the idea. In an interview with Comic Book Resources, the "How I Met Your Father" actor explained his feelings: "If, one day, we find out Drew is the dad, I think it would be awesome. I'm sure there will be certain people on the message boards who think it is a travesty."