2008-07-13
Cobie Smulder's Biography
Willowy brunette Cobie Smulders turned the heads of TV viewers and critics alike as high-strung reporter Robin Scherbatsky on “How I Met Your Mother” (CBS, 2005- ). Robin’s relationship with the lovelorn Ted (Josh Radnor) and how it may – or may not – have resulted in a happy ending, was the engine that drove the charming show, and Smulders’ knack for both comedy and romantic drama helped earn the series a faithful audience.
Born April 3, 1982, in Vancouver, B.C., Smulders (who speaks fluent French) grew up dreaming of becoming a doctor or marine biologist when she was not busy playing sports, but these plans were set aside once she got a taste of performing in various high school plays. A second career venue opened up while she was still in her teens, when an agency contracted her for modeling work. Despite a whirlwind tour of Europe and Asia on assignments, Smulders still managed to graduate with high honors in 2000. After a brief return to modeling, she relocated to Los Angeles to pursue acting full time.
Her TV debut came in the form of a guest role for the short-lived fantasy-action program, “Special Unit 2” (UPN, 2001-02) in 2002; her first turn as a series regular came with the ambitious “Veritas: The Quest” (ABC, 2003), for which she played a member of an adventure team investigating historical mysteries. Like “Special Unit 2,” the show’s lifespan was brief. Guest shots on “Tru Calling” (Fox, 2003-05) and “Smallville” (The WB, 2001- ) preceded a four-episode recurring role on “The L Word” (Showtime, 2004- ) as a photographer who entices Jennifer Beals’ Bette. Smulders also appeared in her first lead role in a short film, “Candy from Strangers” (2002), which was directed by fellow Canadian performer (and “Smallville” actor) Eric Johnson.
The 2004-05 season saw Smulders make moves onto the big screen, though the roles she landed were either minor parts in big movies (“Walking Tall,” 2004) or supporting roles in little-seen films (“The Long Weekend,” 2005, with Chris Klein). But her visibility changed dramatically when she joined the cast of “How I Met Your Mother.” A sweetly comic series with a hint of bite in its dialogue and supporting cast (especially Neil Patrick Harris as Radnor’s sidekick Barney), the show’s premise posited that Radnor’s character would explain to his children how he met their mother, which would then cue episodes to unveil as flashbacks. The catch to the whole set-up was that while the audience was led to believe that Radnor would end up with Smulders’ Robin, the fact was that the couple did not stay together. How past/present and future were reconciled was another element to maintain viewer loyalty, but credit for the latter was also due to Smulders’ believability as a smart, attractive woman for which a man might give up his fiancé to pursue.
Since the launch of “Mother,” Smulders only appeared in the short, “Escape” (2006, as “Psychotic Brunette”), which won an audience award at the Beverly Hills Film Festival.
source :http://tv.yahoo.com/