In the early 2010s, David Henrie wouldn’t reveal how How I Met Your Mother would conclude — not even for free drinks — thanks to a nondisclosure agreement he signed during the show’s second season. “By the time season 6 or 7 came around, I had turned 21 and would be at bars where people would say, ‘We’ve heard you know the ending!’” the actor recounted on The George Janko Show podcast.
“They’d send me drinks, hoping to get it out of me.” While viewers had to wait nine seasons to discover who the mother was, Henrie shared that creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas had to reveal their planned ending to him and Lyndsy Fonseca as early as season 2.
David Henrie kept How I Met Your Mother’s ending secret for years due to a strict NDA
Both young actors played Ted Mosby’s (Josh Radnor) teenage children, listening to their father’s story in 2030 about how he met their mother, with Bob Saget providing the unseen narration for Ted. At just 16 when the series started, Henrie explained that once the show gained traction during season 2, producers filmed extensive stock footage of him and Fonseca for about “90 episodes.”
This was done to ensure his appearance remained consistent throughout the show, as his scenes all took place on the same day. “They were like, ‘We gotta film this kid as soon as possible,’” Henrie mentioned on the podcast with hosts Janko and Shawna Della-Ricca. “They wanted to shoot as many episodes as they could in advance.”
This filming process also included “What if…” scenes, which covered potential outcomes for the series finale. “One day, the showrunners came in and suddenly ordered everyone out of the set, leaving just the cameras rolling,” Henrie recalled. “They brought out NDAs, which Lyndsy and I had to sign, and we were left wondering what was going on.”
After signing, Henrie continued, “They said, ‘Okay, we’re going to tell you what we think the ending might be.’ This was just their idea at the time in season 2. They said, ‘We’re not sure, but somehow we have to come back to Robin.’” Although Robin (Cobie Smulders) wasn’t the mother, as viewers now know, the show ended with Ted reconnecting with her in 2030.
Henrie admitted to Janko and Della-Ricca that he managed to keep the secret for nearly eight years, despite many tempting offers for information. “I didn’t tell anyone until the show’s finale,” he said, adding that he wasn’t about to get sued for breaking the NDA.
