Cobie Smulders “didn’t feel weird” playing Jason Segel’s love interest on Shrinking — but she is curious to know what the How I Met Your Mother fans will think.
“It’ll be interesting to hear if people have opinions about that,” Smulders, 42, exclusively told Us Weekly about her guest spot on the Wednesday, December 11, episode of the hit Apple TV+ show.
After sharing the screen with Segel, 44, for nine seasons of HIMYM, Smulders could see why it might be hard for some of the show’s most passionate fans to separate the past from the present when watching Shrinking.
“People are going to know us — or know me at least — from Robin [Scherbatsky],” she explained.“This is the second season of Shrinking — and it’s such a great show. So now they’re watching it and they’ve maybe transitioned Jason to Jimmy.”
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Smulders and Segel, however, found it very easy to play opposite each other in new roles.
“Jason and I grew up together. We spent nine years together and so we have shared memories and interests and have just spent a lot of life together,” she noted. “So it didn’t feel weird to just try out a different shade of different energy on camera. I think it came quite naturally to us.”
Shrinking, which premiered in 2023, introduces Segel as a grieving therapist who decides to become drastically more involved in his patients’ lives as he mourns the death of his wife and learns to parent as a single father. The show also stars Jessica Williams, Luke Tennie, Michael Urie, Lukita Maxwell, Christa Miller, Harrison Ford and Ted McGinley.
During Wednesday’s episode, Smulders made an appearance as Sofi, who crosses paths with Segel’s character when he tries to find the perfect car to buy his daughter. Sofia and Jimmy hit it off after bonding over their marital issues — and their meet cute is ultimately left open-ended.
“When a scene [like the one is Shrinking] is already that good, there’s no heavy lifting to try to make this work. There’s not much changing of dialogue and it’s already set in motion, which is so lovely. Then I found it to be quite emotional because I’ve talked to Jason and we’ve hung out. But it was like, ‘Oh my gosh, we get to play together again,’” Smulders recalled. “I found these two characters to be just these beautiful lost people who are just trying to get through it. They were written so honestly.”
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Smulders went on to call Sofi and Jimmy’s connection “beautiful,” adding, “I just feel like the show demonstrates such wonderful humanity on screen. I was able just to fall into the rhythm of the show and really bring another shade to the show. It’s so hard to be a guest star so I was so grateful that Jason was my scene partner. But it’s so hard to be a guest star and fall into something and continue on the story as accurately and as beautifully as you can. I am glad I was able to do so with Jason by my side.”
Their time as How I Met Your Mother, Smulders explained, paved the way for the former costars to seamlessly pick up where they left off.
“The energy for both of us is always, ‘I would work with you any time.’ Working with Jason is just absolutely fun and so much joy. I was just thrilled. I just know that for Jason and I, we would always want to work with you on anything,” she continued, before teasing a potential season 3 return. “I am so open to [returning]. I would love to. I don’t know what their plan is for the third season but I’d be so happy to get to hang out with that cast again — especially Jason.”
Smulders is the only star from How I Met Your Mother to appear on Shrinking — so far. (How I Met Your Mother also starred Josh Radnor, Neil Patrick Harris, Alyson Hannigan and Cristin Milioti.)
“One out of four? I feel very honored to be asked to come and play. It makes me feel nice,” she shared with Us. “I would love to work with [everyone else] at the same time individually. We’re living in this reboot era and it’s a really interesting nostalgia moment. There’s no conversations happening about anything like that. But of course I would love to work with them all again in any capacity.”
Earlier this year marked the 10-year anniversary since HIMYM’s premiere aired, but the show continues to find new fans thanks to streaming services like Netflix and Hulu. Smulders has been incredibly grateful for the support from people who have connected — or reconnected — with the show.
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“We were so lucky to do it for nine years and tell the story that our creators always intended. Because as we saw from How I Met Your Father, sometimes shows just disappear. And you’re like, ‘Well, who was the dad?’ So I feel already grateful that we chose when the ending came. Now I am so shocked and feel really a part of something special,” she noted. “I’m also always interested because the first couple of seasons there were no cell phones. And this is a show about finding love. So I’m like, ‘Is there some kind of correlation to the comfort we’re finding because there’s no dating apps?’”
Smulders has found herself intrigued by how the experience has aged.
“It’s sort of an archaic way of dating, I’m fascinated by what the fans think about it when they come up to me and talk to me about it. But it’s heartwarming and I love it. It’s so amazing to have affected anybody by what we do. Because you think you’re just throwing it out there and when people come to you and they genuinely tell you the impact it’s had, I find it very moving,” she told Us. “I am very grateful to have impacted anybody positively through our art and through what we’re creating. It took an entire team of people. But it’s such a wonderful thing to have been a part of — and I am truly such a small part of it. It just feels wonderful that it’s still out there making people feel good.”
New episodes of Shrinking premiere on Apple TV+ every Wednesday.
