Cobie Smulders: From HIMYM to Marvel, Family, and Cancer

Few actors pull off the trick of making a sitcom character feel like a real friend while also holding their own alongside Avengers. Cobie Smulders did both, playing Robin Scherbatsky for nine seasons on How I Met Your Mother and S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Maria Hill across the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Behind the scenes, she faced a health battle she never saw coming, built a family with fellow actor Taran Killam, and quietly became one of the most grounded stars in Hollywood.

Born: April 3, 1982 ·
Birthplace: Vancouver, British Columbia ·
Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) ·
Known for: Robin Scherbatsky (HIMYM) ·
Spouse: Taran Killam (m. 2012) ·
Children: 2

The pattern: her career and personal life are deeply intertwined with a few key relationships and roles.

What happened to Cobie Smulders?

Cobie Smulders was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in her mid-20s, during the run of How I Met Your Mother. She told Women’s Health (lifestyle and wellness publication) in an April 2015 interview that she had tumors on both ovaries and that the cancer had spread into her lymph nodes and surrounding tissues. She underwent multiple surgeries over about two years to remove the tumors.

“I had tumors on both ovaries and it had spread into my lymph nodes and surrounding tissues.”

– Cobie Smulders, Women’s Health (lifestyle and wellness publication), April 2015

The implication: Smulders kept her treatment largely private while continuing to work on How I Met Your Mother and her first Marvel appearances. Within a year of her surgeries, she also became a mother for the first time. Today she is cancer-free and credits early detection and medical support for her recovery.

Does Cobie Smulders have kids in real life?

Yes, she has two daughters with her husband, actor Taran Killam. Their first daughter was born in 2015, and their second in 2018, according to People (celebrity news outlet). Smulders has spoken about the challenge of balancing motherhood with a demanding acting schedule, especially while shooting Marvel movies that required physical training and travel.

The trade-off: Smulders has said that becoming a mother reframed her priorities, but she never stepped away from acting. She continued filming The Avengers sequels and later took on the lead role in Netflix’s The Lincoln Lawyer.

Is Cobie Smulders half English?

Yes. She was born to an English mother and a Dutch father, making her of English and Dutch descent. She was raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, and holds Canadian nationality. Her full name – Jacoba Francisca Maria Smulders – reflects her Dutch heritage on her father’s side (IMDb Biography (film database)).

What this means: her ethnicity is sometimes a topic of fan curiosity, but she identifies primarily as a Canadian actress who found her break in the U.S. television and film industry.

Who is Cobie Smulders married to?

She married actor Taran Killam in 2012 (IMDb, film database). The two met on the set of How I Met Your Mother – Killam had a guest role in an episode. They have two daughters together and have kept their relationship relatively low-profile, occasionally sharing family photos on social media.

The pattern: both Smulders and Killam are working actors with young children, and they often coordinate schedules to ensure one parent is home. In interviews, Smulders has called Killam a supportive partner, especially during her cancer treatment and recovery.

Are Cobie Smulders and her ‘How I Met Your Mother’ co-stars real-life friends?

Yes, the cast of How I Met Your Mother – Neil Patrick Harris, Jason Segel, Alyson Hannigan, and Josh Radnor – have remained close. Harris has described having a “talent crush” on Smulders in interviews, and the two often joke about their characters’ on-again, off-again romance. Segel and Smulders share a close friendship, with Segel praising her comedic timing and chemistry. Hannigan and Smulders have been photographed together at events and on social media, confirming a real-life bond. Segel was reportedly unhappy on set at times, but he and Smulders have maintained a cordial relationship. (IMDb (film database) and celebrity news reports)

“Cobie is one of those people who makes everyone around her better. She’s a joy to work with.”

– Jason Segel, as paraphrased in multiple cast interviews

The catch: while the friendships are genuine, the demands of a nine-season sitcom created a unique work family that has endured beyond the final episode.

Timeline: Key moments in Cobie Smulders’ life and career

Clarity: What we know for sure vs. what remains uncertain

En djupgående titt på Cobie Smulders hälsa och familj avslöjar hur hon balanserade sin ikoniska roll som Robin Scherbatsky med sin kamp mot äggstockscancer.

Frequently asked questions

Related reading

• Jason Segel Movies and TV Shows – Her HIMYM co-star’s career journey
• Lincoln Lawyer Season 3 Ending – Details on her current Netflix series

Cobie Smulders’ story is one of quiet resilience. She turned a sitcom role into a cultural touchstone, joined Hollywood’s biggest franchise, survived a cancer scare, and raised two daughters – all without the tabloid drama that consumes many of her peers. For anyone watching her on screen today, the real marvel isn’t the superhero role; it’s the ordinary life Smulders protected behind it. For fans in the UK and US alike, the lesson is clear: sometimes the strongest performances happen off-camera.