Alyson Lee Hannigan (born March 24, 1974) is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Willow Rosenberg in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997â€"2003), Lily Aldrin on the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother (2005â€"2014) and Michelle Flaherty in the American Pie film series (1999â€"2012).
Early life
Hannigan was born in Washington, D.C., the only child of Emilie (Posner) Haas, a real estate agent, and Al Hannigan, a truck driver. Her father is of Irish ancestry and her mother is Jewish. Her parents divorced when she was two and she was raised mostly by her mother in Atlanta, Georgia. She attended California State University, Northridge, and was a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority.
Career
1978â€"96
At age four, Hannigan began appearing in commercials. She moved to Hollywood at age 11. Living with her mother and attending North Hollywood High School, she successfully auditioned for agents while visiting her father in Santa Barbara. After attending North Hollywood High School, she attended California State University, Northridge where she earned a degree in psychology.
Hannigan's first major film role was in My Stepmother Is an Alien, a science fiction comedy released in 1988; one of her co-stars in the film was actor Seth Green, who later joined her in the regular cast of Buffy as her on-screen boyfriend. Then in 1989, her first regular role on a TV series came when she was cast in the short-lived ABC sitcom Free Spirit. As a teenager, Hannigan babysat for her future How I Met Your Mother costar Bob Saget's children.
1997 onwards
In 1997, Hannigan was cast to play Willow Rosenberg, Buffy Summers' best friend, on the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The show became a success, and Hannigan gained recognition, subsequently appearing in several notable films aimed at teenage audiences, including American Pie, American Pie 2, Boys and Girls and American Wedding. She also had a guest spot on the Buffy spin-off, Angel, reprising her role of Willow in a few episodes (including most notably "Orpheus," during the fourth season of Angel and the seventh season of Buffy), but none after Buffy finished production.
In early 2004, Hannigan made her West End debut, starring in a stage adaptation of When Harry Met Sally... at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, opposite Luke Perry. In 2005, Hannigan returned to starring in a regular television series, appearing in the hit comedy How I Met Your Mother as Lily, and also playing a recurring guest role on Veronica Mars as Trina Echolls. In February 2006, Hannigan starred as Julia Jones in Date Movie, a parody of romantic comedies. She was also a guest star on the ABC animated sitcom The Goode Family in 2009.
Hannigan joined forces with Emily Deschanel, Jaime King, Minka Kelly, and Katharine McPhee in a "video slumber party" featured on FunnyorDie.com to promote regular breast cancer screenings for the organization Stand Up 2 Cancer.
In 2012, Hannigan reprised the role of Michelle in American Reunion.
Personal life
Hannigan married her Buffy the Vampire Slayer costar Alexis Denisof at Two Bunch Palms Resort in Desert Hot Springs, California, on October 11, 2003. The couple have two daughters, Satyana Marie Denisof, born March 24, 2009, also Hannigan's birthday, and Keeva Jane Denisof, born May 23, 2012. Hannigan and her husband are godparents to Joss Whedon's son, Arden.
Filmography
Film
Television
Awards and nominations
References
External links
- Alyson Hannigan at the Internet Movie Database
- Alyson Hannigan on Twitter