Actress Cobie Smulders, known for her roles in How I Met Your Mother and the Avengers franchise, took a minute to “get real” about her battle with cancer during a recent panel at the Television Critics Association. The 37-year-old actress, who was promoting her new ABC detective series Stumptown, was asked how going through tough times has influenced her acting — and she made it clear that she is not afraid to discuss her cancer battle.
“I think you’re talking about cancer,” Smulders said. “We’re going to get real right now. I love it … let’s do this. I think that going through [cancer] has made me a better person, a better mother, certainly able to tap into things in terms of creating characters, but I think the general overall gift — if cancer can give you a gift — is being grateful for being here.”
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“I think [the cancer battle] was messy mostly because I had a great fear of not being able to have kids,” Smulders said in a 2018 interview with People. “I’ve always been very maternal. I’ve always loved children and I’ve always wanted one of my own, and so having that not being an option, especially at such a young age — kids were very much not on my mind at 25, but I still wanted them one day — it was really hard and it was a really depressing thing to go through.”
Fortunately, Smulders’ surgeon was able to save enough of her ovaries for her to conceive. She and actor/comedian husband Taran Killam have two daughters, ages 10 and 4.
When asked if she believes cancer made her stronger, Smulders said “I’m a survivor — and grateful for that. I will say it has brought me to this place of more strengths.”
And about a decade after going into remission — Smulders is looking happy, healthy, and she’s at the top of her acting game. Stumptown will debut on ABC on Sept. 25.
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