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Francia Raisa lands one of the lead roles in upcoming Hulu comedy ‘How I Met Your Father’

The Mexican-Honduran descent actress will join Hilary Duff, Chris Lowell, and Suraj Sharma


Shirley Gomez
Senior Writer
AUGUST 11, 2021 12:08 PM EDT

From 2005 to 2014, CBS broadcasted the popular sitcom How I Met Your Mother, which revolved around Ted Mosby’s character and his group of friends in New York City’s Manhattan. During the nine seasons, Mosby shares with his son, Luke, and daughter, Penny, the events that led him to meet their mother.

Years after the season finale, Hulu is coming up with How I Met Your Father, a 10-episode comedy series spin-off starring Hilary Duff, Chris Lowell, Suraj Sharma, Francia Raisa among many others.

Hilary Duff, Chris Lowell, Suraj Sharma, Francia Raisa© Getty Images
Hilary Duff, Chris Lowell, Suraj Sharma, Francia Raisa

The Mexican-Honduran descent actress, known for her roles in Bring It On: All or Nothing, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, and Grown-ish, will play Valentina, Sophie‘s (Hilary Duff) roommate, who is also an aspiring stylist.

According to the press release, Raisa’s role is “impulsive and adventurous, and Sophie relies on Valentina‘s ability to cheer her up when she gets down. Valentina has just come back from London Fashion Week with the gorgeous British Charlie.”

After her participation in the show became official and public, the actress took social media to address rumors that she would be leaving Grown-ish. However, the 33-year-old LA native said she’s “not going anywhere,” and her followers will be able to see her in both shows.

Freeform's "Grown ish"   Season Two© GettyImages

“Suit up! I am on cloud 9!!! THANK YOU GOD! In tears and beyond excited to be working alongside this amazing talented cast. Let’s make this show legen-wait for it… dary!!! 😆😆,” she wrote on Instagram. “And thank you to @hulu @freeform & @20thcenturystudios for allowing me to still be a part of my @grownishfamily. I’m not going anywhere friends! Your girl is on TWO SHOWS!!! 😭😭😭😭 .

Hulu shared more details on the rest of the characters. According to the subscription video-on-demand service, Sharma plays Sid, “a new bar owner and plays the optimist to Jesse‘s cynicism.“

Tom Ainsley will portray Charlie, “an aspiring model who fell in love with Sophie‘s roommate Valentina at London Fashion Week and followed her to New York. The son of conservative aristocrats, Charlie’s a great guy, but he’s been living in a rich person’s bubble his whole life.” And Ellen (Tien Tran) “Jesse’s adopted sister, who just moved to New York from a small farming town after separating from her wife. Ellen’s more comfortable on an organic lettuce field than in a Brooklyn dive bar.”

Like the original show, How I Met Your Father will be set in the future with flashbacks of Hilary Duff’s character sharing with her son the story of how she met his dad.

“I mean, the script was so good,” Duff said on SiriusXM’s The Jess Cagle Show. “I literally called, and I was like, ‘Please, yes, please have them pick me.’ I don’t want to give it all away, and the script is definitely being changed a little bit. But it does tie in, and, you know, hopefully, we’ll have some fun guest appearances from the original cast.”