The Real Reason A Barney Cameo On How I Met Your Father May Never Happen

For nine seasons, fans couldn't get enough of the CBS sitcom "How I Met Your Mother," and given its novel premise and lovable cast, it's easy to see why. The show focuses on Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor), who, through a series of flashbacks, details to his children the long story of how he wound up meeting their mother. It takes 208 episodes before the series concludes with what some fans consider a divisive ending. Fortunately, "How I Met Your Mother" provided countless laughs and unforgettable moments along the way. So in a way, it's more about hanging out and eventually getting there instead of the destination.

On January 18, 2022, "How I Met Your Mother" received a sequel on Hulu called "How I Met Your Father," which stars Hilary Duff as Sophie, a young woman experiencing her own misadventures in love. "How I Met Your Father" is a series that aims to set itself apart with a few key differences. As Duff has noted, her character Sophie isn't anything like Ted. Still, "How I Met Your Father" isn't afraid to throw in some fun parallels and references from its predecessor, which is probably why some fans are holding out for some cameos from the "How I Met Your Mother" cast. However, when it comes to the suit-wearing womanizer Barney Stinson, his actor, Neil Patrick Harris, recently noted why a cameo on "How I Met Your Father" may never happen.

"How I Met Your Mother" might generally tug on the nostalgic hearts and funny bones of countless fans, but even some of its most diehard devotees admit that some aspects of the series haven't aged particularly well. This is especially true for Barney, who, with his general misogyny and infamous Playbook of schemes to hook up with women, has easily produced several scenes where, in retrospect, the character definitely went too far. If Barney appeared on "How I Met Your Father," the character would need to have gone through a stark change. And it seems Neil Patrick Harris agrees.

Per TV Line, on his newsletter Wondercade, Harris had the chance to discuss with Hilary Duff why Barney would likely never appear on the new show. "Barney's antics, his overt delusions of grandeur, would likely get everyone in trouble," he explained. "So, unless he's changed his ways or joined a nunnery (insert an insert joke here), not sure if it's in anyone's best interest." In the land of TV sitcoms, one can never say never, but as Duff also added in the newsletter interview, in the era of movements such as #MeToo, Barney's actions would likely land him "in jail," and rightfully so. If Barney does ever make a cameo, in one way or another, "How I Met Your Father" will have to reckon with his past reckless behavior in one way or another.