Greta Gerwig ‘How I Met Your Mother Spinoff’: 'Frances Ha' Actress Cast To Portray Penny Over Lyndsy Fonseca In 'How I Met Your Dad' Series? [VIDEO]
As How I Met Your Mother heads towards its series finale next month, more news continues to break on its spin-off show, How I Met Your Dad.
How I Met Your Mother Actress Appearing In New Spin-Off Series?
Though early rumors seemed to indicate that actress Lyndsy Fonseca, who currently plays Penny on the hit CBS series, would be cast as the lead in the new show, Yahoo! News confirms that Greta Gerwig has been signed to portray the coveted role.
The 30-year-old actress, who has made a name for herself on the indie circuit recently with her Golden Globe-nominated performance in Frances Ha, has been in several other mainstream flicks, including No Strings Attached and the Arthur remake in 2011, as well as Woody Allen's To Rome With Love in 2012.
Official Character List for How I Met Your Mother Spin-Off
According to Indie Wire, the actress could also take on producing and writing duties with the show as well if it moves beyond the pilot stage.
Gerwig will be taking on the role of Sally, the new version of How I Met Your Mother's Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor). The character has been described as a "vibrant, messy and unpredictable" woman who is a "female Peter Pan who never grew up and has no idea where she's going in life." Unlike the title character in HIMYM however, Sally is already married, but is considering it quits with her husband, Gavin.
No other actors have been confirmed for the new series, though the official cast list does include Sally's husband, Gavin; Juliet, Sally's best friend and the new, female version of Barney Stinson; Danny & Todd, Sally's older brother and his husband, who are set to portray the new Marshall Eriksen and Lily Aldrin; and Frank, the new Robin, who works in IT at Juliet's company and has a crush on Sally.
Though Fonseca could still be cast in the spin-off series, the official announcements of cast members and Gerwig's casting in the lead role torpedo any hopes fans may have had that she would continue playing Penny Mosby, and would continue her father's tradition of telling long-winded stories to her children about how she met, and fell in love with, their father.
How I Met Your Mother returns with an all-new episode Monday, Feb. 24 at 8 p.m. on CBS. The series finale is scheduled to air on March 31.
Watch a trailer for Gerwig's Frances Ha below.
