Jacoba Francisca Maria Smulders began her professional career in 2002, securing guest roles on science fiction programs like Special Unit 2 and Jeremiah. Since those early appearances, she has built a portfolio spanning network television comedies, blockbuster film franchises, and theatrical productions on Broadway, transitioning from a childhood interest in marine biology to a sustained career in performance.
Early Background and Modeling
Born in 1982 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Smulders is the daughter of a Dutch father and a British mother. Raised in White Rock, she later relocated to the West Point Grey neighbourhood to attend Lord Byng Secondary School. Before committing to acting, she spent time as a model, an experience she later described with frustration due to the intense focus on physical judgment. She briefly attended the University of Victoria before shifting her focus entirely to performing arts.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →Television Breakthroughs
Smulders gained wide recognition for her portrayal of television reporter Robin Scherbatsky on the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother, a role she held from 2005 through 2014. Following the conclusion of that series, she moved into varied television work, including Netflix projects like A Series of Unfortunate Events and Friends from College. Her television career also includes the ABC crime drama Stumptown and the FX series Impeachment: American Crime Story.
Film and Franchise Work
Her film debut occurred in 2004 with the action movie Walking Tall. She is closely identified with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where she portrayed S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Maria Hill, starting with the 2012 film The Avengers and continuing through to the 2023 miniseries Secret Invasion. Her filmography includes roles in Safe Haven, The Lego Movie franchise, The Intervention, and Jack Reacher: Never Go Back.
Stage Performances
In 2010, Smulders made her off-Broadway debut in the Westside Theatre production of Love, Loss, and What I Wore, a play by Delia and Nora Ephron. She eventually moved to Broadway in 2017 to appear in a revival of Noël Coward's comedy Present Laughter. Her performance as Joanna Lyppiatt earned her a Theatre World Award for an outstanding Broadway debut, and the production was later filmed for broadcast on PBS.
Fast facts
- Born: 1982, Vancouver
- Education: Lord Byng Secondary School, University of Victoria
- Broadway debut: Present Laughter, 2017
- Breakthrough role: Robin Scherbatsky in How I Met Your Mother
- Languages: English, French
- Marvel Cinematic Universe role: Maria Hill
Questions readers ask
What was Cobie Smulders' first professional acting role?
She made her professional debut in 2002 with guest appearances on the television series Special Unit 2 and Jeremiah.
Did Smulders ever perform on Broadway?
Yes, she made her Broadway debut in 2017 in a revival of Noël Coward's Present Laughter, for which she received a Theatre World Award.
Achievements
- Worked as film actor, stage actor and television actor
