Jason Segel on Reuniting with “HIMYM” Costar Cobie Smulders on “Shrinking” — and Facing 'Tough S---' Together in Their 'Most Formative Years'

Jason Segel and Cobie Smulders go way back!

Shortly after reuniting with his How I Met Your Mother costar in Shrinking season 2, Segel, 44, told Variety that having the opportunity to share the screen with Smulders, 42, again "was a dream."

"We did nine years of How I Met Your Mother and that was never part of the Marshall/Robin dynamic so it was this gap in our acting experience together," the actor said of their beloved HIMYM characters.

Related: Jason Segel and Cobie Smulders Have a Legendary How I Met Your Mother Reunion on Shrinking: First Look! (Exclusive)

When it comes to Smulders' cameo on the Dec. 11 episode of Shrinking, Segel said, "I think the reason people are reacting to it, the reason it feels like, ‘Oh, I would like to see them together again’ is this is a scene where two people are meeting for the first time, but you’re supposed to have some other sense of, ‘Whoa, what’s going on there?’"

The actor described their reunion as a full circle moment and called their return on screen "so cool."

"I think what is going on there, which is so cool and how acting works, is that we knew each other for 10 years in our most formative years, through thick and thin and becoming who you are," he explained. "And then to be standing across from each other as full-grown adults saying, ‘Look at us still here, still standing.’"

Related: 'How I Met Your Mother' Star Cobie Smulders Has Surprise Cameo in 'How I Met Your Father' Season 1 Finale

He added that both their Shrinking characters, Jimmy (Segel) and Sofi (Smulders) have "been through some tough times," not unlike their real-life selves.

"Cobie and I have each separately been through some tough s--- side by side," he said.

From 2005 to 2014, Segel and Smulders starred as Marshall and Robin, respectively, on the hit CBS sitcom for nine seasons.

On this season of Shrinking, Jimmy stopped by Sofi's home to purchase a used yellow Volkswagen vehicle as a birthday gift for his daughter, Alice (Lukita Maxwell). He was joined by his next-door neighbor Derek (Ted McGinley), who privately pointed out to Jimmy how Sofi is a "single" and "very cute mom."

Related: Jason Segel Says He's Open to a 'How I Met Your Father' Cameo: 'Those People Changed My Life'

There did appear to be sparks flying between the two, with Sofi even taking the initiative to text Jimmy after their initial meeting. But as Jimmy prepared his response, he got interrupted by his daughter Alice, who confronted him about a major no-no on his end.

Calling herself "lucky" getting to be a part of the show, Smulders says: "I just got a call from [creator] Bill Lawrence about it. I don't know how involved Jason was in putting it together behind the scenes, but I was so happy."

"First of all, I'm such a huge fan of the show," she continues. "It's such a beautiful show, and it was such an honor to be able to come into this amazing cast and play for a couple of scenes. Like what an absolute dream! And then also, I get to work with Jason again, which I very much miss doing."

Smulders also said that the vibe of working alongside Segel again "immediately" felt like it was "one of my buddies," adding, "The show is so well written, and when anyone comes into a project and the character is already alive from the script, it makes everything so easy."

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Shrinking season 2 is available to stream on Apple TV+.

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