On the June 24 episode of Reclaiming with Monica Lewinsky, host Monica Lewinsky was joined by Josh Radnor, best known for his iconic role as Tod Mosby in CBS’s How I Met Your Mother.

During the podcast, the duo discussed the first time they met at American businessman and historian Jared Cohen’s birthday pre-pandemic. Monica shared that after the party, while riding in a taxi, she remembered that her mother had sent her an email about Radnor, and she went to find it.

Monica Lewinsky stated that although she shared the email with Radnor, she left out the last line in which her mother wrote that if she wanted to marry him, it would be okay. The email dated June 4, 2013, as shared by Lewinsky, read:

“So, subject line: Josh Radnor. Have you ever heard of him? I happened to see a small film he did called Liberal Arts. He wrote, directed, and starred in it. It was amazingly good. Anyway, I was curious, and in his bio, it says his sister’s married name is Vilensky. I couldn’t believe it. Let me know if you know anything about him. Also, if you want to marry him, it’s okay.”

In response to the mail, the 50-year-old actor stated:

“I’m so glad I got your mother’s seal of approval.”

“I remember being very struck” — Josh Radnor reflects on the first time he met Monica Lewinsky

Elsewhere in the podcast, Josh told Monica how much he appreciated the way she was present with him when they first met at Jared Cohen’s birthday party. He explained that he felt “struck” by her as she was genuinely engaged in the conversation with him.

“I have to say I was thinking about when we met, and I remember being very struck. I’m going to pay you a compliment. I remember feeling like you were very present with me. I’d never felt like you were looking over my shoulder for a better conversation, and I really appreciate that,” Josh Radnor stated.

He added that he values people who are present with him, and added that even though they don’t see each other, he still feels a connection with Monica.

“I’m always delighted to receive a text,” Radnor added.

In response, Monica complimented Radnor on his Newsletter called ‘Museletters,’ which he has been writing since 2016, where he shares his learnings with the viewers.

“But always super thoughtful and interesting to read, and which I love,” Monica added.

Radnor further opened up about his Jewish upbringing and going to an Orthodox school from kindergarten through eighth grade in Ohio. However, he stated that his family was not Orthodox themselves, sharing that his dad was the president of a conservative shul.

The Liberal Arts actor further expressed that his love for storytelling and theater stems from something playwright Tony Kushner once said: that Jewish people tend to dig underneath the words, rather than simply reading the surface.

“So I did grow up with that kind of academic mindset. But I also think that I grew up with stories like I grew up with Torah stories, I loved the stories in the Torah. I just find the characters to be unbelievable. The stories are so strange,” Josh Radnor added.

Also read: “You need to be humiliated,”—Josh Radnor opens up about the advice older Ted Mosby would give to his younger self in How I Met Your Mother pilot

The full conversation between Josh Radnor and Monica Lewinsky is available on Monica’s official YouTube channel.