At the time, I was working as the Arts Editor for Ohio State Universityâs student newspaper, The Lantern. Being a daily publication, it was a position that took up most, well really all of my time. But I, and the rest of the editorial staff, pushed through each long night because we knew the commitment would one day lead us to our dream jobs. But the sometimes strenuous, underpaid job, which resulted in the lack of a social life, didnât come without perks; at least I can say so for my position. As the head of an entertainment section at an award-winning newspaper, the opportunities presented to me were ones I was neither prepared for, nor expected. I had the chance to interview popular bands, actors, comedians and more â yes, I considered myself quite lucky. Justin Timberlake, Terry Crews, David Della Rocco and Steve Carell are just a few of the people I had the honor to speak with. But not even JTâs flawless face or Carellâs one-liners could compare to the interview that will remain the most memorable to me â the time I met Josh Radnor.
So now that the beloved series, âHIMYM,â is coming to an end TODAY, I wanted to share my experience with you and also reflect on not only how much the show and its characters have taught me, but also how much the actor behind the lead character has taught me.
I was an avid âHow I Met Your Motherâ binge-watcher, so when it was announced the actor, who plays Ted Mosby in the sitcom, would be visiting OSU; I jumped at the chance to get an interview. I assumed my request would either get shot down, or result in a short phone interview. To my surprise, I was told I would be able to chat with him in person before the event â commence mental breakdown.
I feel obligated to say although I was a fan of the CBS show, Radnorâs character wasnât my favorite. Truthfully out of the five-person gang, Ted was actually pretty low on the list of who I was attached to. It wasnât that I disliked Ted, I just didnât relate to the whole hopeless romantic, my-soul-mate-is-out-there-and-I-have-to-find-her mentality. Not that itâs not inspiring, or a bad personality to have â I just got more enjoyment out of Barneyâs antics and Robinâs fear of commitment â both more up my alley. Regardless, Radnor is a great actor, writer and director so I was still a nervous wreck the day of the interview.
That morning I stood in my closet, aimlessly staring while trying to decide what outfit best said âI think youâre amazing. I swear Iâm trying to be professional and not desperate, but if youâre single we should get a drink,â before deciding on a coral-shaded maxi skirt and white blazer. The rest of that day, and each class I attended, is pretty much a blur. But from the minute I made my walk across campus, notepad full of questions and voice recorder in hand, sweat seeping through my white blazer that I immediately regretted choosing to wear on such a warm day, I can remember each detail.
Making my way through the crowded Ohio Union, weaving through the sea of students, I attempt to slow my heart race down by thinking of what Iâll have to eat later, and wipe my sweaty palms on the side of my skirt â but this doesnât disguise my anxiety. I shouldnât be this uneasy; Iâve conducted hundreds of interviews successfully since my start as a journalist. But this is different. What if I stutter through my questions? What if he can see the teenage football player amount of perspiration? I shouldnât be having these thoughts â but itâs not every day you interview the star of one of the most popular shows on television, and in person, one on one for that matter.
As Iâm escorted to a back room my mind is filled with curiosity about how this will turn out. After a couple knocks on the door and a polite âItâs open,â I walk into the minuscule room in which Josh is residing prior to his campus lecture. I take a brief glance of the ambience and notice an olive-hued couch to my left then a moderately-sized table adorned by several bowls of assorted nuts alongside a familiar, scruffy face to my right. âAm I indeed meeting the actor who plays Ted Mosby?â is the only thought I can fathom before finally bringing myself to timidly mutter out âHi Josh, itâs so nice to meet you.â Thereâs a slight dose of stammering small talk before Josh leads me to that olive couch.
As I watch him slouch back into the cushions I begin to read through my first question but am stopped immediately.
âBefore you ask anything, I have a couple questions for you,â he says. I can only imagine how noticeable the shocked expression on my face is as I wait for him to continue.
âWhere are you from?â âWhere did you go to high school?â âDo you like OSU?â âWhy journalism?â âWhat do you want to do after graduation?â are among the line of questioning he fires my way. I graciously answer each inquiry and continue to my own.
After a couple of necessary âHow I Met Your Mother-â related questions I grasp that Josh is nothing like his character, Ted Mosby. But this realization isnât disheartening. In fact, the actor is much more than I expected. Fifteen minutes of natural conversation later and I forgot I was in an interview. As Josh is answering a question about his appeal to directing, we are told that our time is up and he must get ready for his appearance. Indifferent to the time, Josh finishes his response and requests that I go ahead with any questioning I had left. I thank him for his time and apologize for holding him and as I walk out and back through the Union, Iâm not just more relaxed but astonished. Josh Radnor may be most well known as Ted Mosby, but heâs also an affable, compassionate writer, director and artist. In less than a half an hour I went from being elated to meet one of the actors behind a beloved character, to tenacious about showing the world that he is so much more than that character. The talent and personality behind Ted Mosby was a story to be told, and one I was humbled to write!
And although through his longer-than-planned lecture to my alma mater, he showed each student in attendance that heâs a person to admire, I feel as though through my 15 minutes of alone time with him, I gained insight into the mind behind one of the worldâs most well-known characters.
Looking back on the experience, one thing that has stuck to me is that Josh was much nicer to me than he had to be. That might be attributed to him being in his hometown of Columbus, hell maybe he was just bored talking about himself, resulting in his own questioning of my life. Either way, it was refreshing.
Through his showâs nine seasons I have learned many things: make life legen â wait for it â dary, do what makes you happy, nothing good happens after 2 a.m., your past doesnât define your future, and probably my favorite, courtesy of Barney â when youâre sad, stop being sad and be awesome instead.
With that being said, I think meeting Josh taught me even more.
Iâd like to think the man I met in September of last year really is the down to earth, respectful, groovy person he comes off to be. But even if that isnât the case, I appreciate what I learned from him: donât judge someone based on a character they play on TV, writing and directing are just as important art forms as acting, and friendliness, a too-often forgotten courtesy, can brighten anyoneâs day.
I can still remember one thing he said in our interview that shaped my perspective on him as a person.
âI care about being friendly and open and I value that,â he told me. âI donât think that being cool or aloof is cool. I think that itâs nicer to be nice.â
Ah, yes. Totally, Josh!
And if youâre interested in reading the story that came from this interview, here it is!