Ted Mosby is the lead character in How I Met Your Mother and is featured more than any other character on the show. However, that doesn't mean that fans know everything about the character, despite him being incredibly beloved by many.
Josh Radnor plays the iconic role throughout the series and there are facts and bits of trivia that even the most dedicated How I Met Your Mother fans aren't aware of. But fear not as we have you covered! Because in this list, we are going to break down 10 things you didn't know about Ted Mosby.
Have You Met Ted?
The "Have you met Ted?" line is arguably the most famous and well-known line from the entire series of How I Met Your Mother. It is something Barney constantly says to other girls as he attempts to be the perfect wingman to Ted throughout the show.
However, this isn't just a clever little gimmick line that the writers came up with for laughs. It was actually something the show's writers learned while working on Letterman. The co-head writer of the show, Justin Stangel, used to say "Have you met Carter?" and therefore, they took that line and used it in the show.
Ted's Kids
Even though the ending of How I Met Your mother was very controversial with many of the show's fans not being impressed with it, however, nobody knew about it as it was a heavily guarded secret. There were very few exceptions to this, and the actors who played Ted's kids were part of that.
Lyndsy Fonseca and David Henrie shot all of their scenes in season one because they didn't want them to look any different. That all makes perfect sense, but it also meant they had to shoot the final scenes at that time as well. Because of that, they both knew how the show would end, and had to sign confidentiality agreements to keep quiet, and to their credit, they did just that.
Dog Allergy
When Ted finally ends up getting to date Robin during the show, he ends up telling her to get rid of her five dogs in what was a surprising moment for people. On the show, the argument given is that the dogs all remind Ted of Robin's ex-partners.
It is explained in one episode that each of Robin's dogs were gifted to her by some of her previous boyfriends, and because of that, Ted feels uncomfortable. However, in reality, the writers had no plans to get rid of the dogs as it was a big part of Robin's character.
But when they learned that Josh Radnor was actually allergic to dogs, a decision had to be made due to the fact he would be in the apartment a lot, so the dogs were out.
The Blue French Horn
Actors taking props from the movies and television shows they are in is commonplace, especially if they are involved in a project for a very long period of time. That was the case for the actors of the How I Met Your Mother cast, and many of them took some props for themselves.
In the end, Josh Radnor walked away with the iconic blue French horn, which he steals and gifts to Robin to show his love in the show. He took the prop away and kept it for himself after asking the writers kindly to be allowed to keep it for himself, which they allowed.
Narrator Ted
How I Met Your Mother tells the life story of Ted Mosby from a set point to, how he meets his children's mother (obviously). Because of that, the show added a narrator to tell the story and have a voice-over throughout that reminded people he was talking to his children.
Some people do actually believe that is Josh Radnor telling the story, as it does have a similar tone to his own voice, but that isn't the case. It is actually the legendary, Bob Saget who was cast to play older Ted, and he is the one who voices the character in the narration moments throughout the show.
How I Met Your Father
When any popular television show ends, there are always rumors about a reunion episode, a movie, or a spin-off show, and that came with How I Met Your Mother as well. The idea was actually a good one and it would have had Ted Mosby be the mystery character this time around.
Obviously, it wouldn't have been a mystery as we had seen this, but the idea of How I Met Your Father was considered. Obviously, this would tell the story from Tracy's side and show her experiences, eventually leading to her being with Ted.
Making Ted Sound Bad
Throughout the show, it is pretty clear that Barney is a fairly sleazy guy. He is a womanizer, and he treats people inappropriately. Even though he has a kind heart underneath the suit, he can be a little bit of a jerk. But, you have to remember that the story is being told from Ted's perspective to his children.
In an interview with Digital Spy, Neil Patrick Harris revealed that Ted made Barney sound extra sleazy on purpose. The idea was that in doing so, the kids wouldn't judge him for eventually falling for Barney's wife, and their Aunt, Robin. While it didn't make Barney look great to them, it certainly helped him look better.
Back-Up Mother Plans
While the show ended up being on the air for nine seasons, with an impressive 208 episodes, originally there were concerns that the show would be canceled. Even though the writers had planned out an incredibly long and detailed story that ended with the mother being revealed.
Because of that fear, a back-up plan was written in just on the off chance that the show was axed. The initial 13-episode order ended with 'Drumroll, Please,' where Victoria is introduced. The plans were that Victoria would have been the mother had any issues ended up happening, which is why their connection seems so strong.
Scott Foley
When you think about the role of Ted Mosby, it is impossible to imagine it being played by anybody other than Josh Radnor. He is so iconic in that role, and it is what Radnor is best-known for. However, he wasn't the first person to be offered the part.
Originally, the writers wanted Scott Foley to play the role of Ted, offering him the role. But thankfully for Radnor, Foley turned down the chance to play the character. Ted wasn't the only character the writers wanted someone else for either, as Robin's role was originally offered to Jennifer Love Hewitt, while Jim Parsons actually auditioned to play Barney.
Based On Reality
Something many people aren't aware of is the fact that Ted Mosby is actually based on a real person, as is Marshal and Lily. Ted himself is actually based on one of the writers, Carter Bays, with the other writer, Craig Thomas being the inspiration for Marshall.
Bays used to spend a lot of time at Thomas's apartment with his girlfriend Rebecca (Lily), and that's the basis of the story. Other real-life moments were included as well, such as when Ted invites a plus-one to a wedding when he isn't allowed one, which is something Bays also did in his real life.