Who is Bob Saget? Josh Radnor explains why he was cast to voice older Ted Mosby in How I Met Your Mother

Filmmaker and actor Josh Radnor recently shared why Bob Saget was chosen to voice the older Ted Mosby in How I Met Your Mother. He explained this on the March 27, 2025, episode of the How We Made Your Mother podcast.

In the fast-paced, rapid-fire style bonus episode, Alek Lev, co-creator of How I Met Your Mother, asked co-host Craig Thomas about the decision to use a different actor for the older Ted Mosby's narration. While Thomas explained Saget's role from a technical and creative perspective, Josh Radnor shared his personal connection to Bob Saget.

Bob Saget was an American actor, stand-up comedian, and TV host best known for hosting America's Funniest Home Videos and playing Danny Tanner on Full House and its sequel. In the CBS sitcom, Saget voiced the older Ted Mosby, narrating the story of how Ted met his wife. Though he never appeared on screen, his voice guided the sitcom's storytelling.

In the podcast discussion, Radnor explained how he "ended up loving Bob so much" during the show's filming. He also stated that Saget himself loved the show a lot and engaged with it, making him the perfect fit for the role of older Mosby.

"I was so happy that that there was this introduction and that we got to be friends all these years...But also, it was fun to watch Bob. He became a fan of the show because he would watch it in the sound booth, and he loved it," Radnor added.

According to Radnor, beyond his role as narrator, Bob Saget also offered him personal advice about being strongly associated with a show. Drawing from his Full House experience, Saget provided guidance on navigating long-term fame.

“He and I had some real deep talks about being overly associated with a show because he had that with Full House. So he offered me some real wisdom and and more than anything, just the wisdom to keep going," Radnor remarked.

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Craig Thomas shares why Bob Saget was the perfect fit for Ted Mosby's voice, says he's "glad that we did it"

Bob Saget Saget voiced the older Ted Mosby in How I Met Your Mother (Image via Getty)

In the March 27 episode of the podcast How We Made Your Mother, co-host Craig Thomas revealed why Bob Saget was the ideal choice to voice older Ted Mosby in the CBS sitcom.

"I'm so glad that we did it", he said.

Thomas credited CBS and the studio for recognizing the importance of having a well-known and trusted voice narrating the series. Bob Saget, widely recognized from America's Funniest Home Videos and Full House, brought a sense of familiarity and warmth.

"He feels like your dad. He feels like this trusted part. He’s been in your living room before...It helped viewers feel connected to the show in a way they maybe wouldn’t.", Thomas explained.

Beyond the practical aspect, Thomas emphasized the creative reasoning behind casting Saget. He pointed out that future Ted and present-day Ted were essentially different versions of the same person, so they needed to sound different from each other.

"Future you is kind of a different guy, right? The Ted in 2005 and the Ted in 2030—they’re different people. Just like Josh [Radnor] and I are different from who we were in 2005", he said.

According to Thomas, Bob Saget wasn't just providing a voice in How I Met Your Mother —he was immersing himself in its world. Saget also maintained a connection with Josh Radnor, who played young Ted Mosby.

"He would come hang out on the set. He didn't have to do that. When he’d come do voiceovers, he’d come say hi because he wanted to feel what the show was", Thomas added.

Thomas reflected on how this connection between the two Teds—Radnor's present-day Ted and Saget's future Ted—added depth to the storytelling. While they were the same character, they were also different versions of him, shaped by time and experience.

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Bob Saget passed away on January 9, 2022, at the age of 65.