10 Best Performances In How I Met Your Mother
2. Josh Radnor - Ted Mosby
Ted Mosby gets a bad rep. Now, there can be no denying he's quite cheesy and that some (many) of his life decisions are questionable, but it's a testament to the performance of Josh Radnor that, despite all his hang-ups and mess-ups, he still manages to be so endearing and easy to root for in the big moments.
Ted is the main character of the show. It's his story. And whilst focus does move between the gang, it's Ted's journey from hopeless romantic to married with kids that forms the entire basis of the show, and it's a difficult, epic tale.
Radnor has to be charming enough to pull of Ted's cheesiest monologues, dramatic enough to make us feel his pain, and funny enough to remind us that HIMYM, for all its drama, is still a sitcom at heart. Radnor is all of these things and more, making even his most cringe-inducing moments seem heartfelt and genuine.
Playing Ted was never going to be an easy task, but Radnor made it work and then some.