Cobie Smulders on How I Met Your Mother, Reprising Robin Sparkles and On-Set Jam Sessions

I know that Ted's character is based on your executive producer Carter Bays, and Marshall and Lily are based on your other executive producer Craig Thomas (whom Movieline interviewed last year) and his wife. Are Robin and Barney based on anyone in real life?

No, I think that they just wanted a character that was female and confidant and sort of a guys' girl and they came up with Robin. Over the years, the idea of Robin sort of morphed -- I got hired and they decided to make her Canadian after I came on the show. I think that over the course of a show, the characters shift in different ways but I think that they probably just probably wanted to have a Robin-like energy in the cast, maybe to help counteract Barney's machismo. I would love to meet Robin in real life if she existed.

Me too. There were a few scenes this season that seemed un-Robin-like to me though. She was constantly having to listen to Barney brag about all of his conquests post break-up without commenting or seeming hurt. I was glad that the writers finally addressed her feelings about the break-up.

I was glad they did that too because every episode we shot, I was sitting there like, "I am not going to be in this scene, right? Can I please be written out of this scene because this is awkward?" I was really happy when they finally shot that episode. I don't know if they had been planning it all along and just refused to tell me because they wanted it to be a surprise or if I was just complaining about it so much that they just wrote it like that. But it was nice -- it was a very validating episode.

There have been some especially crazy stories this season that have gotten mixed reviews from fans, like the episode where a monkey robbed Marshall. After five seasons with the show, did some scripts strike you as especially out-of-left-field this year?

I think [the writers] take ideas that they think are really funny, and they manifest those ideas however they can. But I feel like every episode sort of molds together, and sometimes we are doing things that feels kind of crazy. But it's a sitcom we are allowed to push the envelope and try episodes where Marshall gets robbed by a monkey. If it works, it works and if it doesn't, it doesn't, but I like being on a show where they are trying new things.

What is the atmosphere like in between scenes? When I talked to a few cast members from the Big Bang Theory, they told me that they have these high stakes ping-pong tournaments that last the entire season.

We don't have any ping-pong. We have scene changes when we move on to the next scene bu
t we are really blessed to have an amazing crew and a great cast that gets along. Basically we hang out and chat and eat food and listen to music being played -- there are a lot of live instruments being played but that's about it.

Who plays instruments?

Carter plays the piano, and Jason plays the piano too. Some other guys play the guitar, and so there are some jam sessions.

Do you ever jam?

I attempt to, but I am never as good as they are. So it's always slightly embarrassing.

What would you like to see happen to Robin next season? Do you feel protective of her?

Yeah, of course. I am going on six years with this character -- which is kind of insane, but I would like to see her get a job that she is proud of. I think that her having this job that she has had for the last five years is a very funny thing, and I love doing the fake news, but it would be cool for her to get a really great job that makes her happy. I don't think that love is anywhere on the horizon -- maybe eventually, but I don't think in this next season.

Would you like to see her end up with Barney?

I don't know! I think it could happen. People always ask, "Is it going to be Barney or is it going to be Ted?" And I don't know. I always thought that if Robin and Barney would get together, it would be at the end of the series, and now we have already had this momentary hook-up and I don't know. It is always an interesting dynamic having the consummate bachelor mixed with the consummate bachelorette.

Is there one episode or scene that you remember being really fun to shoot?

All the Robin Sparkles stuff for me has been the best stuff to do. It's the only time I have ever gotten to work in a recording studio, learn choreography and dress in '80s clothing. It's so much fun and when we did the "Sandcastles in the Sand" video, we were in Malibu for a whole day with our crew, just hanging out on the beach. There were dolphins swimming and I was thinking, "Wow, this is what I do for a living." I love doing anything that has to do with Robin Sparkles, I hope the writers come up with more episodes for her.

So just to clarify, we will not see Robin Sparkles in season 5?

Nope. Unfortunately, no.

Hopefully Robin will quit her day job next season and return to Canada for a Robin Sparkles mall tour.

[Laughs] It's possible. Anything is possible.

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