How We Made Your Mother Presenting: Life in Seven Songs with Guest Josh Radnor
Sep 28, 2025
Josh Radnor, best known as Ted Mosby from How I Met Your Mother, shares his journey through music and identity. He reveals how the role affected him personally, sharing heartfelt stories from his youth, including an almost-kiss soundtracked by Aretha Franklin. Radnor discusses the transformative power of theater, how psychedelics helped him navigate fame, and his eventual shift to music in his 40s. He also reflects on the meaningful moments at home and the songs that have shaped his life and creative work.
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Identity Vertigo From A Long Role
- Josh Radnor describes feeling collapsed into Ted Mosby's identity after a decade on TV and resented being asked if he was the character.
- He says his music and films reflect his true voice because he created them himself.
Bookish, Musical Childhood
- Josh Radnor recalls a bookish, musical childhood in Columbus with lots of vinyl and library trips.
- He still resents his parents discarding their original Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel records.
A Song That Felt Like A Mountain
- Josh says his mother loved John Denver and he gravitated to "Rocky Mountain High" for its spacious, outdoorsy feeling.
- He remembers the song as simple but evocative of being outside and feeling free.