Which actor portrayed Carl MacLaren, the bartender at MacLaren's?

Joe Nieves portrayed Carl MacLaren, the bartender and manager at MacLaren's, in How I Met Your Mother.

Carl is a recurring presence at the Manhattan bar where Ted, Marshall, Lily, Barney, and Robin spend much of their social lives. Although he is usually behind the counter, the series eventually gives him small personal details, including a son who helps at the pub. Carl appears in 20 episodes, from the pilot through the finale.

The character's full name is also a small piece of series trivia. MacLaren's is named after Carter Bays's assistant, Carl MacLaren, and the bartender is later revealed to share that name. This can cause confusion because the bar's name sounds like a standalone fictional brand rather than a reference to someone connected to the show's production.

Nieves reportedly received the role after arriving on the pilot set in a police-officer costume for a scene that had been cut without his knowledge. The producers created Carl's part instead, turning an accidental casting situation into one of the show's familiar supporting roles.