How USC Met Josh Radnor

By: Ann Nguyen ‘22

Haaaaaaaaaaaave you met Josh Radnor, a.k.a. Ted Mosby from the popular sitcom series How I Met Your Mother (HIMYM)?

If you were able to join the USC Academic Culture Assembly’s special speaker event as part of Mental Health Awareness Month on October 24 at Bovard Auditorium, then you did! If you weren’t able to, here’s a recap of the lovely experience, in which Radnor shared his thoughts on passions, personal development, success, struggles, and self-image. It was absolutely legen-wait for it-

Actor, filmmaker, and musician Josh Radnor began with a simple “Hello,” immediately creating a space for conversation. He wasn’t afraid to jump into heavier topics. Having spent nearly a decade on network television with HIMYM, Radnor described what it’s like aging in public. “You know, people ask me:

What’s your favorite thing about aging?

And it’s all about knowledge from experience.” Aging gracefully is the goal for Radnor. “It’s hard in the public eye. How do you age in a dignified way? I mean, I hope with age I’ve become a softer person - a wiser person who’s more open, available, friendly, compassionate.” He then shared his number one life lesson, which he drew from reflecting on his own life and from the tenets of Buddhism.

“Life is suffering. You’re going to die.”

As grim as that sounds, Radnor delved into how remembering these two statements helps put everything into perspective. It’s okay to go through rough times because suffering is an inherent part of life. Life is a cycle in which everything comes to pass - both the good and the bad. Life - especially life in Hollywood - is filled with ups and downs. “If [life] were a movie and it was just a series of happy moments, the movie would suck! We want to see people go through struggles. We want to see them move past those struggles. That’s what makes it worth it."  Struggling doesn’t mean something is wrong with you; it just means you’re normal. Spend time on what matters. Life truly is short, so don’t get too hung up on the trials and tribulations. As Radnor said, "You will figure things out.”

Radnor then shared his own struggles as a young actor. “It was my first big TV thing. I was waiting to hear back when my agent called me.” It turns out that the show got picked up, but he didn’t. They didn’t want him leading it. He continued saying, “I felt like a failure at 26.” But that’s okay too. Everything happens for a reason, and Radnor comments that “Success is fun, but failure is what really teaches us.” The show that moved on without him ultimately received poor reviews, with critics who knew of the casting switch literally saying “Josh is the lucky one.”

After his introductory stories, Radnor opted to keep the night casual and opened up the floor to questions from the audience, unlike a nervous Professor Mosby on his first day teaching in “Definitions.”

Is there anything you regret?

Radnor was quick to answer, “Regret? No. No regrets - you have to bless everything that came up because it got you to this good place here. ” He continued, noting that he doesn’t like to answer questions about where he thinks he will be ten, or even five, years into the future for a similar reason. “If you asked me ten years ago where I thought I’d be now, I never could have guessed this or anything that led up to all this. You just really don’t know.”

How do you cope when life gets difficult?

Remaining an open book, Radnor responded, “I can convince myself on a bad day that I am very unsuccessful. The demon of comparison gets to me. A voice gets me thinking I should be somewhere other than where I am. When that happens, you have to quiet that voice and remind yourself that you are where you are.” It is often difficult to slow down and ground yourself, but it’s necessary whether you’re moving uphill or downhill.

Radnor then explained how like many of us, he thought fame would in some way lead to happiness. “I thought fame, comfortability, success - they would save me from something. But the first two years of HIMYM were some of my most depressed years. Honest truth, I only recently started talking about it. We’re always chasing something.”

To combat this longing for something we won’t ever really get, Radnor shared, “I’m constantly reprioritizing. I’m not good at taking a break and it makes me restless. What kept me sane was turning myself into a writer. Writing and has been extremely therapeutic.”

On the topic of his love for writing, Radnor transitioned into his evolving passions. “You have to be open to everything and try new things, especially when you’re older. You can’t be rigid. You have to stay loose and keep figuring out what you love.” Radnor then describes how he only recently started learning the guitar at age 42 and has now become a songwriter and performing artist with his friend Ben Lee. They are releasing their first album this year.

To wrap up our intimate conversation, Radnor shared rapid-fire advice and fun facts as students came up to the mics for questions.

How do you deal with self-doubt and imposter syndrome?

“Time.” Radnor elaborated saying, “You have to keep modulating success — redefining what is successful for you. The voices in our heads can get really toxic and can bring us down. Choose what thoughts serve you and which ones don’t. Keep reassuring yourself. Have some faith that something is going right. Because if you keep getting roles that are right for you — if you keep finding rewarding work, you’re no imposter.” He also reminded the audience that there will always be someone in your corner.

“When we don’t believe in ourselves, there are still people who do. You just have to listen to them. Trust in their opinion and find good mentors whose opinions you can trust.”

How do you deal with your struggles?

“Struggle at things you love. Struggle is inevitable, so it better be something you care about.”

What are your best real-life friendships?

“The best friendships are filled with laughter and kindness. They’re with people who have a shared world sensibility and with people who will be with your pain and not try to fix it.”

What do you think made HIMYM so special?

“I feel like I’ve done much better work as an actor than Ted. But sometimes people come up to me and say, ‘I was going through a terrible painful time, but How I Met Your Mother was the only thing I could watch and get through it all.’ That’s when I take a step back and realize what an impact we made. I think the show has really heartfelt moments. It’s a coming of age story. It relates to friends and family and friends who are family. There’s just some anti-depressant quality to it.”

What’s your favorite episode of HIMYM?

“Tick Tick Tick”

Honorable Mention: “Arrivederci, Fiero”

“Honestly, I haven’t watched all episodes yet. I haven’t gone through them all. I know what my parts are, and I know the story, but yeah. I guess — you know that episode where Jason (Segel) and I — Ted and Marshall — just had sandwiches and are trying to hide it from Lily. That was really fun to shoot - going around the stadium. The Fiero one was pretty great too.”

Josh Radnor left no pineapples unanswered, and gave truly wonderful advice that echoed many of How I Met Your Mother’s most important lessons. Be sure to add his tips on life to your everyday playbook. Hope you’ve gotten a kick slap out of this recap!

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