Why You Rarely See Cobie Smulders On Screen Anymore

Cobie Smulders is well-known for her breakout role on the CBS sitcom "How I Met Your Mother." For nine seasons, the actress played Robin Scherbatsky, a Canadian who moved to New York to start her life as a journalist. Her character met a group of great friends along the way, revealed her secret past life as a teen pop star, and landed a dream job.

Smulders also had a significant movie career during her time on CBS, joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2012 as Maria Hill, one of the top agents of SHIELD, in "The Avengers." As she appeared throughout the MCU, she continued to add other films to her resume, like the mockumentary "Killing Gunther," the romantic comedy "Results," satirical comedies like "They Came Together" and "Grassroots," and dramas like "Unexpected" and "Safe Haven."

Though the actress appeared in other TV series after her time as Robin Scherbatsky came to a close, like the Netflix series "Friends from College" and "Arrested Development," it may feel like you haven't seen Smulders on screen in a bit. If you've been wondering where she is since hanging up her hockey stick and putting her days with Nick Fury behind her, here's everything to know about what Cobie Smulders from "How I Met Your Mother" is up to now.

Cobie Smulders opened up about her battle with ovarian cancer in 2018. She shared publicly for the first time in a 2015 interview with Women's Health that she was diagnosed at age 25 while filming the third season of "How I Met Your Mother." "I had tumors on both ovaries," Smulders said. "The cancer had spread into my lymph nodes and surrounding tissues." Over the span of two years, she underwent several surgeries to remove the tumors.

"I'm a survivor — and grateful for that. I will say it has brought me to this place of more strengths," the actress told USA Today. In a 2018 text post on her Facebook page, Smulders shared a PSA she directed with TESARO and Not On My Watch to help raise awareness about ovarian cancer, encourage people to receive regular check-ups, and to highlight different treatment options available to those in remission.

"I was feeling general pressure and I was very lethargic. I went to the doctor and everything seemed to be okay," Smulders said in an interview on the Build series about her diagnosis. "A couple of months later there was a giant tumor I then had to have removed." During the discussion, she stressed the importance of listening to your body and to get anything checked out, just in case.

After brief cameos in "Avengers: Endgame" and "Spider-Man: No Way Home," Cobie Smulders' next and most recent movie came in 2020 with the release of the romantic drama "Cicada." The film follows two men coming to terms with different events in their lives as they grow closer together. It's based on the personal experiences of writers and stars Matthew Fifer and Sheldon D. Brown. Smulders portrays a secondary character named Sophie.

"Cicada" was originally meant to premiere at the BFI Flare: London LGBTIQ+ Film Festival in 2020, but the festival was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The movie later premiered in August 2020 at the Outfest Film Festival. It wasn't until a year later, in October 2021, that "Cicada" got a theatrical release. The film grossed more in South Korea than domestically, earning $13,370 in the United States.

Despite its limited release, "Cicada" received rave reviews from critics, sitting at 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. "In a normal year, 'Cicada' would have completed a comprehensive tour of the LGBTQ festival circuit, picking up a word-of-mouth following along the way," noted Variety, highlighting how the pandemic impacted the movie's release, and ultimately why Smulders fans may not remember this part of her recent filmography.

"Cicada" wasn't the only Cobie Smulders project impacted by the pandemic. Though TV fans know her for "How I Met Your Mother," the actress attempted to create a new chapter in her television career as the lead and co-executive producer of the ABC crime drama "Stumptown." Smulders starred as Dex Parios, a private investigator trying to get out of debt.

The series received positive reviews and a second season renewal, but the tides turned with the pandemic. Just four months after giving the show the green light, ABC announced it would not move forward with another season due to production delays. Instead of being ready for a fall 2020 premiere, the second season wouldn't be ready until the spring, leading ABC to shop the series elsewhere. Unfortunately, it was not picked up by another network.

"Stumptown" wasn't the only well-received series to be canceled by the pandemic after an initial renewal, but this one hit fans particularly hard. It marked the first time Smulders was credited as a producer, and her first acting award nomination since her "How I Met Your Mother" days. She was nominated for best actress in a superhero series for playing Dex in the first-ever Critics Choice Super Awards, but lost to Aya Cash, who won for playing Stormfront, the supe who fought Queen Maeve (and lost), in "The Boys."

Cobie Smulders, a Canadian, became a citizen of the United States in time to vote in the 2020 presidential election. Smulders resides in California with her husband, fellow actor Taran Killam, and children, and purchased a home in Los Angeles in 2020. Being married to an American citizen and working and living in the country, it's not surprising that she wanted to participate in local and national politics.

In an Instagram post, Smulders shared what becoming a United States citizen meant to her. "I have been living in the US for 16 years now working and paying taxes, making little humans, creating a family and making this Country my home," the actress wrote. "But I have been unable to Vote. I am excited to do so in this coming election in November."

Smulders regularly posts about the importance of voting on her Instagram. From selfies with her "I Voted" stickers to encouraging her followers to register to vote, the actress continues to vote and post about the importance of participating in the process. She has also made her stance on different American political issues known. When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, she posted twice on her social media to show her support for the #BansOffOurBodies movement. The posts gave her followers information on how to take action by contacting representatives and donating to different organizations.

Though "Stumptown" got the axe prematurely, Cobie Smulders' career in television continued as she joined the cast of the third season of "American Crime Story." The season followed the infamous Clinton–Lewinsky scandal. Smulders portrayed recurring character Ann Coulter, a member of the conservative media who was particularly critical of Bill Clinton's administration and wrote a book about his impeachment.

The show received mixed reviews from critics, sitting at 69% on Rotten Tomatoes. Upon release, there were discussions about everything "Impeachment: American Crime Story" got right, while the show also came under fire for Sarah Paulson's portrayal of Linda Tripp. Though the actress was nominated for a Primetime Emmy for best actress, reviewers criticized the choice to have Paulson wear a fat suit in the role instead of a plus-sized actor being cast.

"Paulson dominates but there are also other fine performances around the edges, including a disarming Annaleigh Ashford as Clinton accuser Paula Jones and a surprisingly note-perfect Cobie Smulders as a vicious Ann Coulter," said The Guardian in its review. Despite the compliment, the series was the start of continued recurring and secondary roles for Smulders on television, pushing her from the spotlight into the background.

Just because you haven't seen Cobie Smulders on screen doesn't mean you haven't heard her voice in something recently. The actress has lent her voice to a variety of television series, including long-running adult comedies and popular children's shows.

Fans of "The Simpsons" may recognize Smulders' voice from the Season 31 episode "Bart the Bad Guy." She voiced Hydrangea, a superhero who shows Bart that superheroes are actually real. The actress was also part of the cast of "Lightning Wolves," a seven-episode animated series from Comedy Central that aired on its YouTube and Facebook pages, voicing Manitoba. Smulders also appeared in an episode of "The Boss Baby: Back in the Crib," voicing Stella Chimeric in the Season 1 finale. 

Like others in the MCU, Smulders has voiced her live-action character in animated projects. She returned as Maria Hill in an episode each for the first and second seasons of "What If...?," which explores different timelines and alternate universes, and also voiced the character in two episodes of "Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur" so far. One of Smulders' first voice roles was in "The Lego Movie," although only adults might have noticed her presence. She played Wonder Woman, a character she reprised in the 2019 sequel. The actress also lent her voice to an episode of the 2016 adult animated comedy "Animals." and four episodes of the PBS series "Nature Cat."

Cobie Smulders' next TV project was "High School," a series adaptation of a memoir by musical act and twin sisters Tegan and Sara. The 2022 coming-of-age drama followed the lives of the pop duo as teens in the '90s, dealing with everything that high school brings their way. Smulders portrayed Simone, the twins' mom.

"High School" didn't see Smulders embody any Robin Daggers energy because she played a matriarch and not a teen pop star, but the underrated series received stellar reviews from critics. The show boasts a 100% critics score and a 94% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The New York Times and Rolling Stone included "High School" on their list of best TV shows of the year, placing the series in the top 10. "Primary director Clea DuVall effectively puts viewers into the head not only of the sisters, but at times their beleaguered mother (Cobie Smulders) and various friends, in a way that almost instantly puts 'High School' in the pantheon of TV coming-of-age stories," Alan Sepinwall wrote for Rolling Stone.

Despite the great reviews, the series flew mostly under the radar during its release because it aired on Freevee, Amazon's free streaming service. The streamer only made a big splash when its Ronald Gladden-led fake reality series "Jury Duty" gained national attention in 2023, the year after "High School" debuted.

Cobie Smulders continued doing voicework by participating in a narrative audio story, similar to the likes of Zachary Quinto in "Sorry Charlie Miller" and Keke Palmer in "Hit Job." Smulders starred as one of the main characters in the Audible exclusive "Mistletoe Murders." The series has two seasons available for listening.

Joined by fellow Canadian actors Raymond Ablack ("Ginny and Georgia," "Degrassi: The Next Generation") and Anna Cathcart ("XO, Kitty"), Smulders played Emily Lane, a woman trying to solve murders happening during the holidays while running her seasonal store. The series featured one mystery across two episodes before moving on to another case for Emily to crack, while looking closer into the relationship blooming between her and Ablack's Sam.

"'With 'Mistletoe Murders,' I think listeners will be extremely entertained because it's a wonderful blend of both humor and mystery," Smulders said in a behind-the-scenes video for Season 2. Those listeners agreed, giving both seasons of the series great reviews on the Audible website. However, as an Audible Original, it's likely that many are missing out on Smulders' performance unless they are Audible subscribers, despite her social media promotion for the project.

When she isn't on-screen, Cobie Smulders is working for causes she believes in. The actress works with Save The Children, an organization committed to helping better the lives of children around the globe. She regularly posts about her time with them on her social media pages, including heading to Washington, D.C. to help promote the passing of legislation for education and volunteering with her local food banks. The actress ties her activism into the holidays as well, making Valentine's Day cards to send to politicians and holiday packages for mothers in her area.

Smulders is also partnered with Oceana, an organization that works to protect Earth's oceans. She also posts about this cause on social media, including videos about whales and the dangers of entanglement, and filmed a promotional video with them to promote the protection of reefs off the coast of Belize. In keeping with her work to educate her followers on the importance of environmental preservation, she regularly posts on Earth Day and has previously supported nature cleanup efforts.

During the WGA and SAG strikes of 2023, Smulders posted her support of the organizations, including pictures of herself on the picket lines. The actress even posted photos of herself from the 2007 WGA strike picket line.

When she isn't posting about her chosen social or political causes or her projects, Cobie Smulders is showing her support for her family, friends, and home country. When her husband Taran Killam appeared in the Broadway run of "Spamalot," the actress made sure to give him a shoutout on her Instagram. Smulders also promoted her uncle's pottery store in Germany, posting a photo with him and linking to his website so her followers could check out his work.

She also posts in support of her colleagues. Smulders shared her congratulations to director Clea Duvall, who she worked with on the 2016 film "The Intervention," for the 2020 holiday movie "Happiest Season," while showing off a promo package she'd been sent by Hulu. The two teamed up again on "High School." In a throwback to her previous work, Smulders posted about director Edward Zwick's book, which shares stories about his life and career. The actress worked with Zwick on the 2016 movie "Jack Reacher: Never Go Back," in which she co-starred with Tom Cruise.

Smulders does not let anyone forget that, even though she lives in the United States, she is a Canadian at heart. The actress regularly posts photos of her time in Canada, from different landscape and nature photos to enjoying local restaurants and Tim Horton's. She even dressed up as a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for Halloween in 2020.

In 2023, Cobie Smulders returned to the live-action MCU with an appearance in the Disney+ series "Secret Invasion." The show followed Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury as he tries to uncover Skrulls posing as humans in a plot to take over Earth. While Maria Hill does her best to help Fury root out who they can trust, she dies in the opening episode.

Smulders wasn't surprised by Maria Hill's fate. "I knew from the get-go, from the first call from [Marvel co-president] Louis D'Esposito," the actress said to Variety. "It's been a wonderful ride." She added that she was happy that her character's demise stayed a secret until the premiere. "I'm so glad that nothing got spoiled. I kind of can't believe it," she continued. "Even talking about it out loud feels like I'm doing something wrong."

However, just because audiences watched Hill die on screen doesn't necessarily mean she's gone for good. "It's such a vast, complicated, multiverse world that Marvel is living in. So I suppose anything is possible," the actress told Variety. Smulders also confirmed in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that she recorded more episodes of "Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur," meaning Maria Hill will continue to appear in the animated series for now. "So I have no idea how or when she's going to come back around to me, but I'm always welcoming the call," she said.