From September 2005 when it initially started down to March 2014 when it ended its run, How I Met Your Mother raged as one of the highest-rated fan-favorite sitcoms to have aired on CBS. While its star-studded cast consisting of the likes of Neil Patrick Harris was one thing, what further guaranteed the series’ success was the slew of other celebrities who made their cameo in the saga.
One of these very celebrities included the pop music icon Britney Spears as well. However, when it came to the particular case of the now-42-year-old singer, not everyone was happy. If anything, the first one to raise an objection about it publicly was reportedly Harris, who had a fair critique of the same. But that’s not all, for her inclusion even allegedly led to the exit of one other DC star.
Neil Patrick Harris Was Against Britney Spears’ Cameo in HIMYM
While Britney Spears is often viewed under a rather controversial limelight for one reason or another, she is also an incredibly famous face in the entertainment industry, being one of the world’s best-selling music artists. This was presumably why she was offered a cameo in the hit sitcom How I Met Your Mother as well.
However, her fame granting her a two-time appearance as Stella’s receptionist, who was blatantly obsessed with Ted, on the series didn’t sit well with the Barney Stinson portrayer Neil Patrick Harris. If anything, the actor found it to be a not-so-good idea to have famous guest celebrities like the Princess of Pop over so often.
As per the coverage in an LA Times article (via ScreenRant), the Barney portrayer reportedly claimed that he was “in a small minority that thinks the show doesn’t need stunt casting.” To put it simply, he meant to say that by inviting guests over so often, the show may have become too reliant on star power over some serious quality writing.
He also allegedly claimed to hope the network “don’t Will & Grace us too much.” While the former critique was rather understandable, this latter part was like a direct jab at Spears since the only other show where she made a cameo for a character who wasn’t herself was Will & Grace. Plus, he didn’t raise objections to having guest celebrities over before Spears either.
That being said, it’s inevitable to conclude that Harris had a very personal reason to not let the Oops!…I Did It Again singer have a cameo in the fan-favorite series. However, he reportedly wasn’t the only person to feel this way, considering how Spears’ entry also seems to have compelled one DC star to drop her cameo role.
Britney Spears’ Cameo Allegedly Bothered Alicia Silverstone As Well
While Harris’ opposition was one thing, Spears making her cameo as the Ted-obsessed receptionist also seemed to bother actress Alicia Silverstone. The 47-year-old actress, who is famous for her iconic role of Batgirl in 1997’s major critical miss Batman & Robin, was reportedly tapped and brought on board to play Stella in the series.
However, according to reports from WatchMojo, Silverstone ended up dropping her role because she “seemingly wasn’t thrilled by the casting” of Spears as the flirty receptionist, and thus, bailed out so as to “not be overshadowed by Spears.” That said, it seems like the Toxic singer reportedly had the disapproval of two actors for her cameo in HIMYM.
Even then, this “small minority” cast’s wishes and disapproving voices were seemingly ignored, considering how Spears appeared for a cameo in not only one but two episodes, i.e. episode 13, Ten Sessions, and episode 19, Everything Must Go of season 3. This was because she notably brought in an additional one million views to the show (as per WatchMojo).
Additionally, her comedic role and appearance were also reportedly taken fairly well by critics and viewers alike, so we guess it was only for the better that Patrick Harris and the “small minority’s” displeasure was set aside while confirming Spears for the cameo.
You can stream How I Met Your Mother on Hulu.
