# How I met your mother - who should play the mother? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 23, 2012, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-met-your-mother-who-should-play-the-mother/629184 "2012-07-23T23:43:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![well\_he\_s\_back](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3ab097/32.png) [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2012, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-met-your-mother-who-should-play-the-mother/629184/1 "2012-07-23T23:43:49Z")
I don’t think this show has jumped the shark, but Ted is my least favorite character, & I seriously don’t care how he met their mother. But I’m having fun imagining Lady Gaga as the mother. Who would you like to. See as the mother - either seriously or humorously ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-met-your-mother-who-should-play-the-mother/629184/2 "2012-07-24T00:05:05Z")
Kristen Bell ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-met-your-mother-who-should-play-the-mother/629184/3 "2012-07-24T00:23:37Z")
Doesn’t matter. The show’s over when she’s revealed. No actress can stand up to the expectations placed on this role. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-met-your-mother-who-should-play-the-mother/629184/4 "2012-07-24T05:21:43Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Doesn’t matter. The show’s over when she’s revealed. No actress can stand up to the expectations placed on this role. In that case I nominate Josh Radnor in drag. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-met-your-mother-who-should-play-the-mother/629184/5 "2012-07-24T05:30:00Z")
I still think it’s that chick that Ted (literally) bumped into at “Low Point”. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-met-your-mother-who-should-play-the-mother/629184/6 "2012-07-24T07:08:23Z")
Betty White. ---
**Author:** ![Disheavel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@Disheavel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disheavel)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-met-your-mother-who-should-play-the-mother/629184/7 "2012-07-24T08:08:01Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Doesn’t matter. The show’s over when she’s revealed. No actress can stand up to the expectations placed on this role. This. So I propose don’t show her- or maybe just her back. Let Ted say, “Hi”, and cut back to the kids and seal up the punch line and then go to the credits. They have been generally pretty consistent with the ages of the characters along with the actors (not actually ever mentioned in the show and obviously Lily and Marshall should be within a year of ted for the college aspect): Barney born 1973 Ted born 1974 Lily born 1974 Marshall 1980 Robin 1982 But Barney is definitely older and Robin younger. So Gaga is too young. And Kristen Bell (eliminated due to the overlap with the Marshalls [movie and character] is on the younger end of the believable window in my opinion. So my short list is: Rachel Leigh Cook Claire Daines Kate Hudson Rachel McAdams Maggie Gyllenhall Sarah Michelle Gellar Katie Holmes\* (obviously the best choice ever- too bad they already carved out her role) Out of these and the love of nostalgia that the writers have, I am going to narrow to: Maggie Gyllenhall (very slight reflections of Robin’s look) and Sarah Michelle Gellar (strong similarity to Lily which I think is significant due to this year’s concern about Lily and Ted making out in college) Both are both NYers and loved/remembered by the target demographic and I think both would have fun with the part. But I am going to go with a hedged bet based on complexion: Maggie is my choice for the Mother (she matches the kids quite well) unless, and this is a big unless, John Lithgow is the Mother’s Father, in which case, I am going to got with Sarah Michelle Gellar due to the similarity to Barney and Lithgow. Wow that was fun! What do I win? ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-met-your-mother-who-should-play-the-mother/629184/8 "2012-07-24T08:21:01Z")
Wikipedia has dates of birth for the characters. Barney was born in '76; Lily, Ted and Marshall in '78; Robin in '80. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-met-your-mother-who-should-play-the-mother/629184/9 "2012-07-26T11:44:29Z")
I want Emmy Rossum, just because she’s the epitome of hotness. ---
**Author:** ![Disheavel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@Disheavel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disheavel)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-met-your-mother-who-should-play-the-mother/629184/10 "2012-07-26T18:27:28Z")
One other idea which would totally throw a wrench in the works and would be a great stunt casting: Lyndsy Fonseca (She’s almost old enough now 8+ years after the original scenes were filmed) and the clue about her being in the class that Ted accidentally taught would work. It would be a great surprise and leave open a big question about who the mother should have been. But to be clear, I am sticking with Gyllenhall especially in light of her recent begging to be cast on Downton Abbey. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-met-your-mother-who-should-play-the-mother/629184/11 "2012-07-26T22:58:29Z")
> [@Disheavel](#): > > One other idea which would totally throw a wrench in the works and would be a great stunt casting: > Lyndsy Fonseca (She’s almost old enough now 8+ years after the original scenes were filmed) and the clue about her being in the class that Ted accidentally taught would work. It would be a great surprise and leave open a big question about who the mother should have been. I like that one. A bunch of fans would freak, but it’s the only way I’ve heard that won’t make the end a disappointment. ---
**Author:** ![well\_he\_s\_back](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3ab097/32.png) [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-met-your-mother-who-should-play-the-mother/629184/12 "2012-07-27T00:08:33Z")
I agree with TriPolar and Disheaval: "Doesn’t matter. The show’s over when she’s revealed. No actress can stand up to the expectations placed on this role… This. So I propose don’t show her- or maybe just her back. Let Ted say, “Hi”, and cut back to the kids and seal up the punch line and then go to the credits. " unless Kristen Stewart plays her, and she cheats on Ted [low blow, I know] ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-met-your-mother-who-should-play-the-mother/629184/13 "2012-07-27T01:27:25Z")
I love the idea of the mother being Sarah Michelle Gellar! It’s not like they haven’t gone back to the Buffy well repeatedly. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-met-your-mother-who-should-play-the-mother/629184/14 "2012-07-27T01:42:17Z")
[Ellan Williams](http://how-i-met-your-mother.wikia.com/wiki/Patrice)