Which actress portrayed Stella Zinman, Ted's dermatologist?

Sarah Chalke portrayed Stella Zinman, Ted Mosby's dermatologist, on How I Met Your Mother.

Stella enters the story when Ted visits her medical office to have an unwanted butterfly tattoo removed. Ted quickly becomes interested in her, but Stella initially resists dating because she is focused on raising her daughter, Lucy. Their relationship develops after Ted persuades her to try a famously brief two-minute lunch date.

Stella becomes one of Ted's most consequential girlfriends. Their romance leads to an engagement, but she leaves Ted at the altar to reunite with Tony, Lucy's father. The decision devastates Ted, yet he later sees Stella, Tony, and Lucy functioning happily as a family and chooses not to confront them.

Chalke was already widely known for playing Dr. Elliot Reid on Scrubs. On How I Met Your Mother, Stella is sometimes confused with other major women in Ted's life, especially Zoey Pierson and Victoria. Those characters were played by Jennifer Morrison and Ashley Williams, respectively.