How I Met Your Mother featured several noteworthy Saturday Night Live cast members throughout the sitcom's nine seasons. Premiering in 2005, the CBS series aired for a total of 208 episodes before coming to a close in the spring of 2014. During that entire time, SNL was still going strong after debuting in 1975 on NBC. Despite being on different networks, a few familiar faces made the jump from Studio 8H to other popular titles, including the show created by Carter Bays and Craig Thomas.
How I Met Your Mother primarily focused on five characters played by Josh Radnor, Cobie Smulders, Jason Segel, Alyson Hannigan, and Neil Patrick Harris. Through the show's long-term run, the series introduced an array of special guest stars in the form of cameos and supporting characters. With a connection to shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Breaking Bad, and many other TV titles, the possibilities for cameos were endless.
By airing for 46 seasons and counting, SNL has acquired an extensive list of cast members, referred to as "players," featured in the show's sketch format. While some of the cast was more memorable than others, the majority acquired more acting work in TV in film. Additionally, How I Met Your Mother actors Jason Segel and Neil Patrick Harris even hosted SNL episodes in the past. Though they weren't considered SNL players, here's a breakdown of the real cast members who joined Segel and Harris on the CBS sitcom.
Taran Killam
Taran Killam joined SNL for the program's 36th season in 2010. He appeared in a total of 126 episodes in the span of six years before leaving as a regular cast member. In those years, Killam appeared in six episodes of How I Met Your Mother as Gary Blauman, a co-worker of Marshall and Barney at Goliath National Bank. Gary made his debut in season 1 when Marshall was still an intern with the company. Gary's final appearance came in How I Met Your Mother's ninth season when it was revealed he had an affair with Barney's brother, James. It's important to note Killam is married to Cobie Smulders, who played Robin for the duration of the sitcom.
Will Forte
Will Forte appeared in two seasons of How I Met Your Mother by playing Randy Wharmpess. Like Gary, Randy was a co-worker of Barney's at Goliath National Bank. The character made his debut in season 3 when he volunteered to be Barney's new wingman. Randy returned in season 6 when Marshall fired him for being a terrible employee. According to Future Ted, Randy went on to use become a successful beer brewer. Forte was in the midst of his SNL career when he made his How I Met Your Mother debut in 2008. In total, Forte served as an SNL cast member for 157 episodes from 2002 to 2010.
Bob Odenkirk
Bob Odenkirk wasn't an official cast member on SNL, but he worked as a writer on the show from 1987 to 1991. Aside from helping create numerous sketches, Odenkirk had a few acting roles alongside the cast members. He decided to leave the series to pursue acting, which was a decision that greatly paid off in his career. In 2008, Odenkirk joined How I Met Your Mother season 3 as Arthur Hobbs, Marshall's boss at a law firm who eventually gets hired at Goliath National Bank. Marshall tried to bond with Arthur despite their on-again-off-again feud.
Chris Elliot
Out of all the SNL vets to appear in How I Met Your Mother, Chris Elliot had the most significant role on the sitcom. He portrayed Mickey Aldrin, Lily's distant father, who tried to make up for his past behavior after putting his life together. After his initial cameo in season 5, Elliot reprised his role for a season 7 arc which focused on him moving in with Lily and Marshall before becoming the nanny to his grandson Marvin. Mickey was then present for a handful of episodes in the sitcom's final two seasons.
Chris Kattan
SNL served as Chris Kattan's first TV role, working as a cast member from 1996 to 2003. In that time, he became best known for his various celebrity impressions and a member of the Butabi Brothers alongside Will Ferrell. The pair notably reprised their roles for 1998's A Night at the Roxbury. In How I Met Your Mother, Kattan portrayed Jed Mosely in the fictional film titled The Wedding Bride. The movie was based on Ted and Stella's relationship, but it was told from the point-of-view of the man who Stella left Ted at the alter for. Ted was depicted as the corrupt villain in Kattan's portrayal.
Jerry Minor
Jerry Minor was only a cast member on SNL for the 26th season, but he was known for his celebrity impressions like Kattan. Aside from guest appearances on shows like Arrested Development, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Office, and Community, Minor had a cameo in How I Met Your Mother season 7. He played King Charles, the lead singer of a band performing on a boat for a party orchestrated by Robin's colleague, Sandy Rivers. Minor performed a song titled "Shame On You," which Robin and Barney felt was personally meant as a message for their recent affair.
Martin Short
Martin Short only appeared in one season of SNL as a cast member in the mid-80s, but he successfully helped revive the series after the departure of several major cast members. Following his exit, Short tends to pop into the legendary sketch show from time-to-time. As for How I Met Your Mother, Short played the role of Garrison Cootes for three episodes in season 7. Garrison was Marshall's boss and the senior partner at Honeywell & Cootes environmental law firm. He unforgettably burst into flames after putting on a beekeeper suit during Marshall and Lily's housewarming party.
Paul Shaffer
Paul Shaffer is best known for serving as the band leader for David Letterman's various late-night talk shows. Before that, the musician was a member of SNL's house band from 1975 to 1980. Shaffer memorably played himself in an episode of How I Met Your Mother season 8. When Robin let go of her Robin Sparkles alias to transform into Robin Daggers, she wrote a song called "P.S. I Love You." Barney went to great lengths to figure out who Robin originally wrote the song about, only to find it was about fellow Canadian Paul Shaffer.
Casey Wilson
Casey Wilson had a guest appearance in How I Met Your Mother season 8 in the episode titled "Something New." She played Krirsten, an annoying woman who stole Robin and Barney's table at a restaurant. To get back at Krirsten and her boyfriend, Robin and Barney attempted to break them up by creating a fake proposal with Robin's engagement ring. Before Wilson's 2013 appearance on the sitcom, she had a two-season stint on SNL between 2008 and 2009.
Abby Elliot
Like her father, Chris Elliot, who was mentioned above, Abby Elliot spent time as a cast member on SNL. She ended up joining as a castmember midway through season 34 before departing four seasons later. Shortly after her SNL exit, Elliot joined How I Met Your Mother as Jeanette Peterson, Ted's girlfriend who exhibited stalker tendencies. After appearing in a handful of season 8 episodes, Elliot reprised her role in the show's final installment. Sometime after Jeanette and Ted broke up, she began dating Robin's ex, Kevin Venkataraghavan.