Everything to Know About 'How I Met Your Father' Season 2—Including Which 'HIMYM' Stars Joined the Cast

Get ready to dive even deeper into the story of how Hilary Duff's Sophie met her son's father. The series, which doubled its number of episodes—going from 10 in Season 1 to 20 in Season 2—returns for its midseason premiere on May 23, 2023. 

“[Series creators] Isaac [Aptaker] and Elizabeth [Berger]’s inspired vision for How I Met Your Father has proven to be true appointment viewing that fans cannot get enough of week to week,” Jordan Helman, Head of Scripted Content at Hulu Originals, said upon renewing the show last year.

Ready to find out everything we know so far about Season 2? Keep reading! 

Related: Hilary Duff on How I Met Your Father and New Music

When did Season 2 of How I Met Your Father premiere?

The first episode of Season 2 premiered Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023. 

When is the midseason return of How I Met Your Father Season 2?

How I Met Your Father will return on May 23, with weekly episodes every Tuesday through the two-episode season finale on July 11.

What is How I Met Your Father about?

Set in the same universe as its CBS sitcom predecessor, How I Met Your Mother, the show’s setup is similar to HIMYM: The main character, Sophie—played by Duff in the present and Cattrall in the future—tells her son the story of how she met his father. 

The synopsis for the show reads: "In the near future, Sophie (Hilary Duff) is telling her son the story of how she met his father: a story that catapults us back to the present where Sophie and her close-knit group of friends are in the midst of figuring out who they are, what they want out of life, and how to fall in love in the age of dating apps and limitless options."

Related: 10 Fun Facts About How I Met Your Father Star Hilary Duff 

What happens in How I Met Your Father Season 2?

Viewers can expect to watch Sophie continue to date while trying to find The One. As Sophie revealed in the show’s premiere, she met the father in the first episode, but we will have to keep watching the show to figure out which male character becomes her future love.

Who’s in the How I Met Your Father Season 2 cast?

The Hulu series stars Hilary Duff, Christopher Lowell, Francia Raisa, Tom Ainsley, Tien Tran and Suraj Sharma. Kim Cattrall, Daniel Augustin, Ashley Reyes and Josh Peck are also recurring stars.

Hilary Duff as Sophie on How I Met Your Father

A film and television actress, singer, writer, producer, and entrepreneur, Duff quickly became a teen idol in the title character of the TV series Lizzie McGuire (2001-2004) and the subsequent movie.

Her film roles include Cadet Kelly, Agent Cody Banks, A Cinderella Story, and the Cheaper by the Dozen franchise. She has also been an executive producer of several projects that she starred in, including According to Greta, Beauty and the Briefcase and The Haunting of Sharon Tate. Most recently, she starred as Kelsey Peters on TV Land’s longest-running original dramedy Younger, for which she received People’s Choice nominations in 2016 and 2017.

Related:  How She Met Her Husband! All About Hilary Duff's Adorable Marriage to—and Family With—Rocker Matthew Koma 

Kim Cattrall as Older Sophie on How I Met Your Father

In the original How I Met Your Mother, Bob Saget famously played the older version of Josh Radnor‘s lead character, Ted Mosby, although the former performed his role strictly through voiceovers. However, it seems that in the reboot, the older version of Duff’s character will appear onscreen in a series of flash-forwards—and that the role will be played by none other than former Sex and the City star Kim Cattrall.

“She plays all the flash-forwards, and she’s just incredible—like, really incredible,” Duff told Entertainment Tonight soon after the casting news broke.

“She’s just a force, but she’s so kind. She’s so warm, and I’m so excited to have her on board, truly. It’s a really cool show, and I’m really proud of it and happy to have someone like her stepping in.” Duff even admitted that she sees the resemblance between the two.

“Honestly, we kind of look alike,” she said. “I never realized it, but when we were sitting there, I was like, ‘I can see this, and God, I hope I look like you!'”

Josh Peck as Drew on How I Met Your Father

Another exciting cast addition announced in September 2021? Drake & Josh and Turner & Hooch star, Josh Peck! He’ll be playing the recurring role of a vice-principal at the school where Jesse (see below) works.

Chris Lowell as Jesse on How I Met Your Father

An Atlanta native, Lowell’s early passions were theater, filmmaking, and beach volleyball. He was discovered in 2003 during his first major audition, landing the role of Jonathan Fields on the ABC teen drama Life As We Know It, which ran for 13 episodes. He was then cast in the third season of Veronica Mars, opposite Kristen Bell.

From 2007-2010, he appeared in the ABC drama Private Practice opposite Kate Walsh, playing Del, the receptionist for the Oceanside Wellness Group. Lowell also played Stuart Whitworth in The Help.

Francia Raisa as Valentina on How I Met Your Father

Valentina is Sophie’s roommate, an aspiring stylist, and her BFF. “Valentina is impulsive and adventurous and Sophie relies on Valentina’s ability to cheer her up when she gets down,” according to Deadline. “She brings British Charlie back with her from London Fashion Week.”

A native of L.A. and a former cheerleader, Francia Raisa began taking acting jobs as a junior in high school, modeling for print ads and appearing in commercials. She guest-starred in the sitcoms American Family: Journey of Dreams and Over There. She is best known for her leading role opposite Hayden Panettiere in Bring It On: All or Nothing, the two Cutting Edge movies, and the hit ABC Family drama, The Secret Life of the American Teenager. Other roles include the USA Network’s In Plain Sight, the Freeform show Grown-ish, and Life-Size 2, opposite Tyra Banks.

Raisa famously donated one of her kidneys in 2017 to her friend Selena Gomez, who has lupus.

Tom Ainsley as Charlie on How I Met Your Father

Charlie fell in love with Valentina at London Fashion Week and followed her to New York. The son of conservative aristocrats, Charlie’s a great guy but he’s been living in a rich person’s bubble his whole life.

Tom Ainsley, who hails from Scarborough, North Yorkshire, U.K., is best known for his roles as Benoit in Versailles and Nick in The Royals. He is currently based in London. He had leading roles in the Jarhead franchise, Sony’s 2017 thriller Serpent (2017), and Safe Inside (2019).

Tien Tran as Ellen on How I Met Your Father

Ellen, Jesse’s adopted sister, just moved to New York from a small farming town after separating from her wife. Ellen’s more comfortable on an organic lettuce field than in a Brooklyn dive bar—but she adjusts over time.

Tien Tran is a comedian, actress and writer from Chicago. She was a writer on both seasons of Showtime’s Work in Progress. She can be seen in Netflix’s Space Force and Easy, IFC’s Sherman’s Showcase, Pop TV’s Hot Date. She has also been featured as part of Comedy Central and Refinery29’s stand-up series Taking the Stage.