Over the past decade, Greta Gerwig has made a name for herself on the indie scene, so she's not exactly who we might have expected to take the lead role in CBS' planned How I Met Your Mother spinoff pilot How I Met Your Dad. And yet, that's the news. Gerwig has been cast to play the role of Sally, the vibrant female lead who's destined to meet her future kids' father.
Some recently shared casting news revealed that the lead character of Emily Spivey, Carter Bays and Craig Thomas' How I Met Your Mother spinoff is a woman named Sally who's strongly considering splitting with her husband of a year and looking to her friends on advice and support through the inevitable divorce. That in itself gave us some insight into the set-up for this potential series. And now we have a face to go with the character. EW says Gerwig has signed on for the lead, noting that it's a surprising choice, given her background in indie film, which fills in a big part of her CV.
But not all of it. In addition to films like Frances Ha and Lola Versus, she also starred as Russell Brand's love interest in the Arthur remake, and was among Natalie Portman's friends in No Strings Attached. On the TV side, she voiced Pony Merks in Adult Swim's animated series China, IL. So, while mainstream television isn't exactly in her wheelhouse, comedy is. And if she's looking for a bit more exposure, this could be the way to get it. It worked out well for Jason Segel on HIMYM. He kept the steady gig at CBS while also making a name for himself on the big screen.
It's not surprising if Spivey, Bays and Thomas are looking to cast recognizable actors either. How I Met Your Mother was part of Neil Patrick Harris's re-rise to fame, and Segel was known for some of the comedies he did. People also knew Alyson Hannigan from her Buffy the Vampire Slayer days. So Gerwig may not be the only familiar face to fill out this group. That brings us to the remaining roles. We know that, in addition to Sally, the characters include Sally's sexy and flamboyant BFF Juliet, along with Danny, Sally's older gay brother, and Todd, Danny's husband. The last character on the list -- besides the narrator -- is Frank, the head of IT for Juliet's fashion blog. He's described as a hot nerd and from the sound of it, he could end up being a love interest for Sally.
With the lead role cast, we'll have to wait and see who's brought in to fill out the rest of the ensemble. A good mix could be crucial to the success of this project, just as it likely was for the original series, which relied heavily on the friends-dynamic to drive the show while we waited for Ted to meet his kids' mother.
