Jason Segel Was 'Really Unhappy' During Last Seasons Of 'How I Met Your Mother'

Jason Segel recently opened up about his unhappiness towards the end of the hit TV show "How I Met Your Mother." He discussed the challenge of finding a balance between pursuing his creative choices and dealing with a system that often disregards personal desires. 

Segel also revealed that he experienced an existential crisis following the show's conclusion, spending five years searching for a fulfilling relationship with his work. 

The "Sex Tape" star also shared his fears and uncertainties about venturing into dramatic acting, particularly in his role as David Foster Wallace in "The End of the Tour."

Keep on reading to learn more.

During a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, actor Jason Segel opened up about his experience while on the hit TV show "How I Met Your Mother" and expressed that he didn't feel fulfilled.

Segel, who is currently starring in the Apple TV+ series "Shrinking," reflected on his journey after the sitcom and shared his honest sentiments. While the show propelled him into the spotlight and led to leading roles in movies like "This Is 40," "The Muppets," and "Get Him To The Greek," he admitted that he was "really unhappy" toward the end of his tenure on "How I Met Your Mother."

"There was a period in my life and career around the last couple years of 'How I Met Your Mother' where things were firing on both movies and TV, and everyone was telling me how well it was going and I was really unhappy," Segel shared during the roundtable discussion, per Insider. "And so I then had to grapple with like, why, what's off about this equation? Because I should be feeling like I did it."

Segel shared his insights on balancing pursuing his creative choices and knowing when to let go. 

He emphasized the challenge of navigating a system that often disregards personal desires, stating, "I think the thing that I was confronted with is that it's really great to make the decision of, 'fuck it, I do what I want,' but unfortunately, there's a system of permission in place where people will go, 'We don't give a shit [what you want to do]."

The 43-year-old star reflected on his experience with the famous ending of "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" to illustrate his point, saying, "I had to fight hard to put a Dracula puppet musical at the end of a movie." He compared the process to pushing a boulder up a hill.

Segel continued, "It's tricky. Part of the equation is getting to the point where you ask yourself, 'What is worth trading my time for? What am I going to give over nine months or three years for?'"

Following the conclusion of "How I Met Your Mother" in 2014, Segel found himself grappling with a profound sense of disorientation. He candidly described this period as an "existential crisis" during an interview with Vanity Fair in May 2023.

Segel revealed that in the aftermath of the show's conclusion, he embarked on a five-year journey to discover a sustainable and fulfilling relationship with his work. 

He acknowledged the complex nature of the entertainment industry, likening it to an unpredictable and "abusive relationship. " 

"It can be a bit of an abusive relationship too because when it loves you, it loves you so much and it feels just like love. But then when it turns on you, it's kinda absent and then it comes back and I just can't quit you acting, you know?" he explained.

During the THR roundtable discussion, Segel also opened up about his desire to explore new horizons and venture into drama after the conclusion of "How I Met Your Mother" in 2014.

The "Sex Tape" actor admitted to grappling with uncertainty about his capabilities as a dramatic actor. He recounted his experience taking on the role of David Foster Wallace in the film "The End of the Tour" stating, "the degree of difficulty of it not looking like a Saturday Night Live sketch, when you get the glasses and the bandanna and you're saying the lines, felt so high."

He continued, "I also had no system of prep because you prep differently for comedy. There was a lot of improv in how we came up, and these were big chunks of dialogue."

Segel shared that he sought inspiration from actors like Edward Norton to overcome his fears and uncertainties. "What would Edward Norton do? I got a dialect coach and I did all these things that I heard you do if you're a real actor. But man, I was scared," he added.