Josh Radnor clears up major 'How I Met Your Mother' misconception

Josh Radnor is setting the record straight about one of the biggest misconceptions How I Met Your Mother fans seem to have about the show.

Speaking on the April 24 episode of his rewatch podcast How We Made Your Mother, Radnor — who played protagonist Ted Mosbey — told fans that despite the show's playful energy, there was little to no improvisation on the hit sitcom.

"It was really tightly scripted," Radnor, 50, explained, per People magazine.

In fact, even the club dance scene in the season 1 episode Okay Awesome was “choreographed to a T,” even though it might have looked like Marshall Eriksen’s actor Jason Segel “just started dancing, and we caught that.”

HIMYM creator Craig Thomas backed Radnor up, revealing that Segel worked closely with the show's choreographer to nail every move.

Radnor emphasised that the show’s structure left no room for ad-libbing, with episodes packed with 40 to 60 precisely coordinated scenes. 

"You can't do that," he said, describing how four cameras, a crew of extras, and a tight 22-minute runtime demanded full precision.

As for Ted’s most controversial moments, Radnor reminded fans, "I was contractually obligated to do those things," stressing that he was there to serve the story, not rewrite it. "I had my actor hat on," he said.