It’s easy to guess the top five names on anyone’s list for who should make a guest starring appearance onHow I Met Your Father. If they aren’t the actors responsible for giving us Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor), Lily Aldrin (Alyson Hannigan), Marshall Erickson (Jason Segel), Robin Scherbotsky (Cobie Smulders), and Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris), we’d question if you’ve ever watched the original series. But, in case those actors are reluctant to revisit those characters (fans ofThe Originalsknow this pain well), there is an endless list of guest stars and recurring characters that could make the jump fromHow I Met Your MothertoHow I Met Your Fatherwith little to no explanation. Here are fifteen to start with.
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Marshall Manesh as Ranjit
Perhaps one of the easiest characters to weave into the new show, Ranjit appeared onHow I Met Your Motherat seemingly random times, so having him show up as the ultimate limo driver would feel organic, and wouldn’t even require any explanation. Fans ofHIMYMwould know in an instant who this iconic character is, and would be a super fun Easter Egg to throw in for some of the most diehardHIMYMfans.
Ashley Williams as Victoria
While Victoria played her part in Ted’s life and moved on (twice), she could still make an impact onHIMYFin small ways. She’s a baker, so a quick pop into the right bakery could present a perfect opportunity to add Victoria to yourHIMYMEaster Egg bingo card. Even if we last saw her in Germany, she had way too many ties to the States to stay overseas forever.
Alexis Denisof as Sandy Rivers
When we last saw Sandy Rivers, scandal had sent him packing overseas to continue his career in broadcast news. He had definitely had his fair share of chances in the US, but he could make a re-emergence thanks to the internet and TikTok in general. The tough question is, wouldAlexis Denisofwant to return to set without his real world wife, Alyson Hannigan?
Kyle Machlachlan as The Captain
Perhaps one of the most misunderstood, but hilarious roles onHIMYM, The Captain would be a great character to have as a guest star for the new series. He’s obsessed with boats, so there’s always a possibility there with a show set in NYC, but the pineapple angle would be more satisfying. You see, there was a lingering pineapple joke onHIMYMthat lasted far into the final Season. There’s an old maritime tradition of using a pineapple to represent hospitality, and ifHIMYFwanted to connect their show to The Captain, tossing a pineapple into the equation would definitely have a lot of fans smiling.
Laura Bell Bundy as Becky
She may have become a more mature version of herself by the end, but Becky will always be the “Boats! Boats! Boats!” girl to us. And knowing that, it’s possible that being married to The Captain is freeing enough for her to get back into the anchor business, maybe popping up on a local news station or two as time goes on. IfHow I Met Your Fatherreally wants to link itself to its predecessor, including someone who is the offspring of The Captain and Becky would be a perfect addition to theHIMY-Universe.
Laura Prepon as Karen
She may have been Ted’s most toxic relationship in the entirety of theHIMYM’s run, which is really saying something. Anyone as predisposed to cheating and manipulation as Karen would probably still be single after all these years. IfLaura Prepon’s character popped up as an older love interest for one of theHIMYFguys or girls, it wouldn’t be hard to believe in the least. And it would be funny to see her antics play out all over again.
Bryan Cranston as Hammond Druthers
Hammond Druthers was a total pain in the ass for Ted Mosby, but, eventually, he moved on from all his own disappointments by relocating to a windier city. Ted gets a job offer from Druthers in the final season, hoping to lure Ted away from the shiny beacon that is NYC. In the end, the offer wasn’t enough, but if Druthers found himself back in the Big Apple, an appearance byBryan Cranstonwould be a huge surprise and a major get for the new Hulu spinoff.
Martin Short as Garrison Cootes
When we left Garrison Cootes, he was tucked away in his survival bunker, waiting out end of the world. There’s a good chance he’s still there. If his sanity was challenged enough after the first few years, though, he may have returned to NYC to yell at Marshall for not saving the world like he said he was going to, especially ifHIMYFdecides to acknowledge the world events of the last 5-10 years.
James Van Der Beek as Simon
The last time we saw Robin’s first boyfriend, he was all cleaned up and engaged to Louise Marsh. Yes,thatLouise Marsh. While there is no way in hell Robin needs to get involved with this guy again, if he popped up with his thick Canadian accent and back in his tour van, there is no wayHIMYMfans would be upset. It’s way too much fun havingJames Van Der Beekaround.
Enrique Iglesias as Gael
He came and went in a two episode arc, but Gael definitely made an impression. You never know when someone inHIMYFis going to need to take a vacation to Argentina, and if they ran into everyone’s favorite bongo playing Argentinian, there would be so many great throwbacks to include. Maybe even a drum circle in the living room?
