You either spent part of yesterday participating in the great internet debate about the series finale of How I Met Your Mother (short version: many people were displeased) or ignoring it completely. Vulture’s Margaret Lyons wrote about why it’s still okay to be excited about How I Met Your Dad, the new show from HIMYM creators Craig Thomas and Carter Bays that has yet to be picked up for a full series order. HIMYD would star indie-film actress Greta Gerwig, whom we caught up with last night at the New Museum Spring Gala (the theme of which was red/racy), held at Cipriani Wall Street. She watched the HIMYM finale with the rest of us, and wanted Ted and Robin all the way.
I love your outfit! It’s red and racy.
A little bit. It’s lace … It looks like I’m naked underneath, but I’m not. I have a net. [Gestures to neckline.] It’s actually very modest. Jumpsuits make me nervous because they always have the potential to look diaper-y, but this one’s great. I’m so pleased. It’s very classy.
What’s the raciest thing you’ve ever done?
I used to work at the Box when I was like 21. The club downtown. I did really racy stuff at the Box.
Was this before you got your start in acting?
I was doing little films but I wasn’t getting paid, so it was a side gig. In my fantasy, it was like a Studio 54 moment, but I think it was much less cool than that … what I was actually doing. I was young and it was great. It was fun. It was better than tutoring!
What did you do there specifically?
Google it. I wasn’t … I wasn’t exhibiting any particular talents. But I was … naked.
Did you see last night’s How I Met Your Mother finale? What did you think?
Oh my god. Of course I saw it. I was weeping. I just spent the last three weeks with Craig and Carter begging them. They were working on editing while we were working on writing the new show. And I was like, “You guys, [don’t let her die].” Every time they started talking, I put my fingers in my ears.
So did you know it was going to happen?
No, no, no, I kept myself from it. I wanted to be able to just watch it. I loved it so much. I feel like they’re such great humanists in television and they have such big hearts even though they’re such funny people. I loved it.
So you didn’t think it was a cop out that Ted and Robin ended up together in the end?
No, I wanted them to! I’m such a schmaltzy person. It’s like, yes, I know that Annie Hall is the best ending of all time when they don’t end up together. But really, in my heart of heart of hearts … I love in When Harry Met Sally when they end up together. I’m a little too corny for the sadder version.
What did you think about Barney ending up alone?
I think it was appropriate for who he is. I felt like they stayed true to who the people were. I think that’s why they’re such good writers … They never let the story they’re running get bigger than the characters they’re writing.
Is How I Met Your Dad the same way? How does it differ?
It’s hard to talk about something that I’m not sure will exist in the world. I loved making it. I had the best time. I kept saying it was the most fun I’d had since college. It was like TV camp, TV spring break.
Does the show differ from what we’ve seen with HIMYM?
It’s going to be different than the original. When the premise of the show is that it’s a young man looking for his true love, it’s a very different feeling than a young woman looking for her true love. But I’m so nervous about it that I have trouble talking about it. I just want it to really exist. And it would shoot here in New York, which would be really special. Craig and Carter are making it, too, and Emily Spivey is so funny and great. She wrote for SNL for a long time, and wrote the show Up All Night, and I’m in love with her.
When will you know for sure?
I won’t know until May. Everyone’s saying, oh, don’t worry, it’ll happen, but I really don’t know!
