Barney Stinson, the lovable, suit-wearing, womanizing bro from How I Met Your Mother, has left an indelible mark on pop culture. His witty dialogue, clever antics, and suave personality made him a fan favorite, even years after the show’s conclusion.
However, few fans know that the character narrowly escaped a fate worse than death – becoming a one-dimensional joke, reliant on catchphrases and gimmicks. Matthew Perry also publicly expressed his disdain for his FRIENDS catchphrase, even begging the show’s producers to remove it.
The catchphrase conundrum: How HIMYM avoided a common TV trap
Neil Patrick Harris‘s portrayal of Barney Stinson was ‘legend-wait for it-dary’ on How I Met Your Mother. Fans often remember the character by his popular catchphrase, but most don’t know the origin behind it.
That script was written by Chris Miller and Phil Lord, who have gone on to do a few things since then.
The phrase became a popular part of the TV show but it wasn’t developed by the creators, Craig Thomas and Carter Bays revealed to Entertainment Weekly. Ironically, it also went against a rule they initially set up for their characters, no catchphrases.
We both felt very strongly: ‘Let’s not turn Barney into the Fonz, and let’s not make him a guy who does a bunch of catchphrases.
But the line was so hilarious and impactful that the show proceeded with it, and it became one of the running gags. The showrunners didn’t want Barney’s entire trait to revolve around his catchphrase. Luckily the character is recalled for his hilarious personality and antiques rather than just one line.
The Fonzi Factor: Matthew Perry’s FRIENDS frustration
The Fonz aka Fonzi, played by Henry Winkler, was an iconic character from Happy Days, who suffered a similar fate. His cool, tough-guy persona was gradually reduced to a single catchphrase – ‘Ay!’- and a signature thumbs-up gesture.
Matthew Perry played Chandler Bing on FRIENDS and he faced a similar problem. In a report published by Variety (via Independent TV) the actor wrote he hated the signature line and intonation.
That particular cadence – could it be more annoying? – had been so played out that if I had to put the emphasis in the wrong place one more time, I thought I’d explode.
Though fans of the sitcom loved Chandler’s sarcastic remarks and quips, the actor himself disliked that one line. No actor would want their character, which they played for several years, to be reduced to a singular trait.
The show makers avoided turning Harris’s character into the ‘funny guy with a catchphrase’ by giving him more depth and dialogue. Ultimately the actor’s performance also helped cement Barney’s role and escape the curse of the catchphrase.
How I Met Your Mother is currently available to watch on Hulu and FRIENDS on Max.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
