Cobie Smulders

Jacoba Francisca Maria "Cobie" Smulders (born April 3, 1982) is a Canadian actress.

Smulders made her professional acting debut in 2002, with guest appearances in the UPN science fiction comedy series Special Unit 2 and the Showtime science fiction drama series Jeremiah.

She subsequently made multiple appearances on television, including in the Fox supernatural drama series Tru Calling (2003), the WB superhero series Smallville (2003), and the Global space opera series Andromeda (2005).

Smulders' first role as a series regular was in the short-lived 2003 ABC adventure drama series Veritas: The Quest, which ran for one season.

She made her film debut in 2004 with a supporting role in the action film Walking Tall.

She is known for her starring role as Robin Scherbatsky in the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother (2005–2014) and as S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Maria Hill in Marvel Comics, and in media based on the comics, such as the Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero franchise, starting with the film The Avengers (2012).

She then had a supporting role in the 2005 comedy film The Long Weekend.

That same year, she had a recurring role as Leigh Ostin in the Showtime drama series The L Word.

In 2005, Smulders was cast as television reporter and former teen pop star Robin Scherbatsky in the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother.

In 2009, she appeared in the comedy film The Slammin' Salmon.

Smulders made her theater debut in the off-Broadway production of the Nora Ephron play Love, Loss, and What I Wore in 2010.

She then appeared in the 2010 pilot episode of the HBO comedy-drama series How to Make It in America.

In June 2010, Smulders made her off-Broadway debut in Delia and Nora Ephron's play Love, Loss, and What I Wore at the Westside Theatre.

She went on to star in the 2012 political comedy film Grassroots.

Smulders gained further recognition for starring as S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Maria Hill in the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise, beginning with the 2012 superhero action film The Avengers.

She received training from a Los Angeles SWAT team trainer to handle guns to portray the character.

Smulders' other films include Safe Haven (2013), The Lego Movie (2014), Results (2015), The Intervention (2016), Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016), and The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (2019).

Smulders reprised the role in three episodes of the ABC superhero television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013–2015), and in the films Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019), and Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019).

In 2013, she appeared in an episode of the comedy series Comedy Bang! Bang!.

Smulders also starred in the romantic drama Safe Haven (2013), the comedy-drama Delivery Man (2013) and the romantic comedy They Came Together (2014).

The series concluded in 2014 after nine seasons, winning 10 Emmy Awards throughout its run.

For her performance, she garnered wide recognition and earned a People's Choice Award nomination.

Smulders voiced a Lego version of Wonder Woman in the 2014 animated film The Lego Movie.

It was the first time the Wonder Woman character had a theatrical film appearance.

In July 2015, she was reported to have exited the television film Confirmation because she had broken her leg; Zoe Lister-Jones was then confirmed to replace her in the role of Harriet Grant.

In 2015, Smulders starred in the drama film Unexpected and the romantic comedy Results.

She also appeared in the documentary film Being Canadian and guest starred in the NBC variety series Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris.

In 2016, she appeared in the comedy-drama The Intervention starring Melanie Lynskey, Natasha Lyonne, and Alia Shawkat as well as the action adventure film Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, the latter opposite Tom Cruise.

Smulders had guest voice roles in the HBO animated series Animals (2016) and the PBS Kids animated series Nature Cat (2017–2018).

She also starred in the Netflix comedy drama series A Series of Unfortunate Events (2017), the Netflix comedy series Friends from College (2017–2019), the ABC crime drama series Stumptown (2019–2020), and the FX true crime series Impeachment: American Crime Story (2021).

She then made her Broadway debut in the revival of the Noël Coward comedy Present Laughter (2017) earning a Theater World Award.

Smulders was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, to a Dutch father and a British mother.

She was raised in White Rock, British Columbia, and later moved to the affluent West Point Grey neighbourhood to attend high school at Lord Byng Secondary School.

She was named after her great-aunt, from whom she gained the nickname "Cobie".

Smulders describes herself as "a fluent listener" of French.

She has four sisters.

Smulders was also a member of the Girl Guides of Canada as a child, participating as a Brownie (Girl Guide program for 7- to 10-year-olds).

In her youth, Smulders aspired to be a marine biologist.

She took an interest in theatre throughout high school and briefly studied at the University of Victoria before returning to acting.

Smulders worked in modeling, which she later said she "kind of hated", adding that the experience made her hesitant about pursuing acting as a career: "You know, you go into these rooms, and I've had the experience of people judging you physically for so long and I was over that but, then it was like... 'Oh no, I have to actually perform. I have to do well, and I have to have a voice... and I have to have thoughts now.'