Cobie Smulders is making headlines for her longtime MCU role as S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Maria Hill, which she reprises in Marvel’s latest spy thriller series Secret Invasion.
Although there has only been one episode released so far, fans have already seen a significant storyline for Maria, and they are eagerly awaiting to learn what will become of her. Smulders became a beloved member of the MCU after playing Agent Hill in the The Avengers in 2012, but has starred in a plethora of other projects.
The 41-year-old actress made her professional acting debut two decades ago in 2002 at the age of 20. and thanks to her most noteworthy performance in How I Met Your Mother, she has cemented her place in the annals of popular culture. Smulders’ first credited performance was as a guest star in the science fiction comedies Special Unit 2 on UPN and Jeremiah on Showtime.
Since then, the extraordinary actress has achieved enormous heights and made an enduring impression on both small and big screen entertainment. With a long list of accomplishments to her name, Smulders’ well-known characters have been permanently imprinted in the minds of generations. Here are her top 10 films and television shows to watch right now!
Movies
Starting off with trivia: Cobie Smulders appeared in Dwayne Johnson’s 2004 film Walking Tall as an exotic beauty. However, her first recognizable film role was in the Canadian film The Long Weekend in 2005, where she played a character named Ellen. Since then, Smulders has been a part of more than 25 films. Here are the best 5 among them:
5. Delivery Man (2013)
Smulders was tapped to play the part of Emma in Delivery Man, a remake of the 2011 Canadian film, Starbuck. The comedy-drama film centers around David Wozniak, a deliveryman for his family’s butcher shop who gave 693 donations to a sperm bank under the alias “Starbuck'” and fathered 533 children as a result. Wozniak is now stuck in a class action lawsuit by 142 of his children, forcing the fertility clinic to reveal his identity.
Smulders plays his girlfriend, Emma, an NYPD officer who is pregnant with his child and decides to raise it by herself. Though the film mostly revolves around Vince Vaughn and Chris Pratt, it’s refreshing to watch her play a sensitive role in a comedy.
4. Unexpected (2015)
Unexpected stars Smulders as a high school teacher in an inner-city Chicago neighborhood. She accidentally gets pregnant and discovers that Jasmine, one of her most promising students, has also become pregnant unexpectedly. While coping with their unexpected shared dilemma and bonding over future plans, the two forge an odd relationship.
The audience was drawn in by the movie’s provocative topics and the revelation that Smulders was truly pregnant when the 2014 production was underway. The actress excels in a poignant, composed, and sensitive role in the film, in contrast to her recent action-packed flicks.
3. Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016)
In the 2016 Jack Reacher sequel, Smulders played Major Susan Turner in an action-packed role alongside Tom Cruise. The story revolves around Cruise’s title hero and Smulders’ Major Turner, who is wanted for espionage and on the run as they uncover a sinister conspiracy. Smulders is stunning in the army get-up and maintains authenticity in her role.
Even though the plot was not well-received by the critics, Smulders left a lasting impression with her action and she performed all of her stunts in the film. Though she already debuted as Agent Maria Hill in MCU before Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, the film realized and fully explored her action capacity.
2. The Intervention (2016)
The Intervention puts Smulders at the center of the plot with Vincent Piazza as her husband. The film follows a weekend getaway for four couples of old friends that takes a sharp turn when Ruby and Peter (Smulders and Piazza) learn the entire trip was planned to serve as a venue for an intervention in their marriage.
Ruby, the patient spouse of the career-driven, workaholic businessman Peter, is portrayed by Smulders. It is a lighthearted take on issues in married life that at times reads as sorrowful and relatable. The star broke her leg the day before filming while playing with her children, but director Clea DuVall decided to include it in the narrative rather than replace her or use camera angles that would cover the injury.
1. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Smulders began her Marvel Cinematic Universe journey in 2012 with The Avengers before starring in its follow-up, Avengers: Age of Ultron. In the movie, the Avengers battle the titular villain, an artificial intelligence that wants to wipe out humanity in order to bring about world peace.
Smulders reprises the role of Maria Hill, a former high-ranking S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who now works for Tony Stark. She is a sophisticated and tenacious character who ensures that operations at the Avengers’ headquarters operate as smoothly as possible. The film was well-received and gave Hill more room to grow within the MCU. Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019) came out as sequels to Age of Ultron, owing to the film’s worldwide success.
TV Shows
Smulders started her career in television before she took on movies. She has been a part of over 25 TV shows, with her first series regular role coming in just after one year of doing small gigs. To close up the list, here are her top five TV shows:
5. High School (2022)
Starring in another one of director Clea DuVall’s projects, Smulders earned the role of Simone Bates in High School, a series based on the 2019 memoir by Tegan and Sara Quin. It premiered on Freevee on October 14, 2022. The series is set in a backdrop of 90s grunge and rave culture, starring twins who struggle to find their own identities.
They strongly resemble each other as they navigate identity, love, and music on their individual self-discovery journeys while their family and friends play their part in the background. Smulders plays the mother of the twins, alongside Kyle Bornheimer as her husband. She makes for an engaging watch as she deftly conveys the family dynamics.
4. Friends from College (2017–2019)
Friends from College is a Netflix original series that premiered on July 14, 2017. The first season consists of eight half-hour episodes, followed by another eight-episode second season that debuted on Jan. 11, 2019. The show irreverently depicts the tragicomic misadventures of a close-knit group of Harvard alums in their 40s as they navigate their ambitious but bumbling and romantically-entwined lives in New York City.
Smulders stars as Lisa Turner a.k.a. Froshy, a hedgefund lawyer who is married to respected but financially-struggling writer Ethan Turner. The comedy series is easy to follow and refreshing on its right, and while critics did not fancy the series very much, audiences loved Friends from College for its brilliant comedy and relatable characters.
3. Veritas: The Quest (2003)
Veritas: The Quest was the first television program where Smulders had a regular role. The show centers around Nikko Zond, a disobedient but smart youngster, who embarks on an Indiana Jones-style quest with his archaeologist father and his colleagues in an effort to follow in his mother’s footsteps in uncovering mysterious artifacts.
One of the key relic seekers Nikko follows throughout the movie is Juliet Droil, who is portrayed by Smulders. Even though she plays an older tutor in the series, she is only one year older than Ryan Merriman, the actor portraying Nikko. The series gained much popularity among viewers, who also criticized ABC’s decision to cancel it after only four episodes.
2. Stumptown (2019–2020)
One of Smulders’ most lauded acting performances came in the 2019 ABC crime thriller Stumptown, which was based on the comic book series of the same name. Due to delays brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, ABC decided to discontinue the show after one season of 18 episodes. However, it still left a lasting impact on her career.
She portrays a military veteran Dex Parios, who struggles to take care of her younger brother and has incurred PTSD from her time as a Marine in Afghanistan. To make ends meet and pay off her massive gambling debts, she decides to become a private investigator. Both critics and viewers praised the series for its believable action, and Smulders’ star-making performance.
1. How I Met Your Mother (2005–2014)
The ten-time Primetime Emmy Award-winning series How I Met Your Mother is the highlight of Smulders’ career. She gained enormous prominence as a result of her nine-year stint as Robin Scherbatsky in the CBS sitcom produced by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays. The series uses the framing device of the main character Ted Mosby in 2030 recounting to his children the events from September 2005 to May 2013, that led him to meet their mother.
Smulders plays the Canadian news reporter, who is the wife of Ted in the present. Her independent, career-driven persona paired with a sarcastic sense of humor won over everyone. She gave Robin a special mix of charm, wit, and vulnerability that made the character distinctive and relatable to viewers.