Alyson Hannigan
| Alyson Hannigan | |
|---|---|
 Hannigan at the May 2015 Phoenix Comicon | |
| Born |
Alyson Lee Hannigan March 24, 1974 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Residence | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Other names | Alyson Denisof |
| Alma mater | California State University, Northridge |
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Television |
How I Met Your Mother Buffy the Vampire Slayer |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 2 |
Alyson Lee Hannigan (born March 24, 1974)[1] is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Willow Rosenberg on the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003), Lily Aldrin on the sitcom How I Met Your Mother (2005–2014), and Michelle Flaherty in the American Pie film series (1999–2012).[2]
Early life
Hannigan was born in Washington, D.C., the only child of Emilie (Posner) Haas, a real estate agent, and Alan Hannigan, a Teamsters trucker.[2][3][4] Her father is of Irish ancestry and her mother is Jewish.[5][6][7]
Career
Childhood and early years
At age four, Hannigan began appearing in commercials.[8] She moved to Hollywood at age 11.[3]
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 was a member of the Alpha Chi Omega sorority and earned a degree in psychology.[9][10]
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.[2] 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 the children of her future How I Met Your Mother costar, Bob Saget.[11]
The Buffy years
In 1997, Hannigan was cast to play Willow Rosenberg, Buffy Summers' best friend, on the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.[12]
The show became a success, and Hannigan gained recognition, subsequently appearing in several films aimed at teenaged audiences, including American Pie (1999), Boys and Girls (2000), American Pie 2 (2001), and American Wedding (2003).[2] 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.
Stage, television, and movie work
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.[13]
In 2005, Hannigan returned to starring in a regular television series, taking the main role of Lily Aldrin in the hit comedy How I Met Your Mother, and also playing a recurring guest role on Veronica Mars as Trina Echolls.[14] In February 2006, she starred as Julia Jones in Date Movie, a parody of romantic comedies.[2] She was also a guest star on the ABC animated sitcom The Goode Family in 2009.[15]
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.[16]
In 2012, Hannigan reprised the role of Michelle in American Reunion.[17] Since 2016, Hannigan has hosted the television series Penn & Teller: Fool Us.[18]
In 2018, TVLine revealed that Hannigan will play Ann Possible in a live action TV movie based on the Disney Channel cartoon Kim Possible.[19]
Personal life
Hannigan married her Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel co-star Alexis Denisof at Two Bunch Palms Resort in Desert Hot Springs, California, on October 11, 2003. The couple live in Encino, Los Angeles with their two daughters.[1][20][21]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Impure Thoughts | Patty Stubbs | |
| 1988 | My Stepmother Is an Alien | Jessie Mills | |
| 1998 | Dead Man on Campus | Lucy | |
| 1999 | American Pie | Michelle Flaherty | |
| 2000 | Boys and Girls | Betty | |
| 2001 | American Pie 2 | Michelle Flaherty | |
| 2001 | Beyond the City Limits | Lexi | |
| 2003 | American Wedding | Michelle Flaherty | |
| 2006 | Date Movie | Julia Jones | |
| 2007 | Farce of the Penguins | Hottie Penguin | Voice |
| 2011 | Love, Wedding, Marriage | Courtney | |
| 2012 | American Reunion | Michelle Flaherty-Levenstein | |
| 2016 | Do You Take This Man | Rachael | |
| 2018 | You Might Be the Killer | Chuck |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989–90 | Free Spirit | Jessie Harper | 14 episodes |
| 1990 | Roseanne | Jan | Episode: "Like, a New Job" |
| 1991 | Switched at Birth | Gina Twigg (Age 13–16) | Television film |
| 1993 | Almost Home | Samantha | 2 episodes |
| 1994 | Touched by an Angel | Cassie Peters | Episode: "Cassie's Choice" |
| 1995 | The Stranger Beside Me | Dana | Television film |
| 1996 | A Case for Life | Iris | Television film |
| 1996 | For My Daughter's Honor | Kelly | Television film |
| 1996 | Picket Fences | Peggy Patterson | Episode: "To Forgive Is Devine" |
| 1996 | Friends for Life | Emma Daniels | Pilot |
| 1997–2003 | Buffy the Vampire Slayer | Willow Rosenberg | 144 episodes |
| 1999–2000 | 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd | Gigi | Voice 2 episodes |
| 1999 | Hayley Wagner, Star | Jenna Jakes | Television film |
| 2000 | The Wild Thornberrys | Gerda | Voice Episode: "Every Little Bit Alps" |
| 2001–03 | Angel | Willow Rosenberg | 3 episodes |
| 2002–03 | Rugrats | Cynthia P.I. / Young Starlet | Voice 2 episodes |
| 2004 | That '70s Show | Suzy Simpson | 2 episodes |
| 2004 | King of the Hill | Stacey Gibson | Voice Episode: "Talking Shop" |
| 2004 | In the Game | (Role unknown) | Pilot (Unaired) |
| 2004 | Americana | Andrea | Pilot |
| 2005–06 | Veronica Mars | Trina Echolls | 3 episodes |
| 2005–14 | How I Met Your Mother | Lily Aldrin | 206 episodes |
| 2009 | The Goode Family | Michelle | Voice Episode: "Graffiti in Greenville" |
| 2011 | The Simpsons | Melody | Voice Episode: "Flaming Moe" |
| 2011, 2018 | Robot Chicken | Various voices | Voice Episodes: "Big Trouble in Little Clerks 2"; "Shall I Visit the Dinosaurs?" |
| 2011, 2013 | American Dad! | Chelsea / Peasant's Daughter | Voice 2 episodes |
| 2014 | More Time with Family | Cindy Rizzo | Pilot |
| 2014 | Sofia the First | Winter | Voice Episode: "Winter's Gift" |
| 2014 | The McCarthys | Pam | Episode: "Red Sox Swap" |
| 2016 | The First Wives Club | Maggie | Pilot |
| 2016–present | Penn & Teller: Fool Us | Herself (host) | 26 episodes |
| 2018 | Man of the House | Jessie[22] | Pilot |
| 2018 | Fancy Nancy | Claire Clancy | Voice Episode: "La Danse of Friendship/Show La La!" |
| 2019 | Kim Possible | Ann Possible | Television film, in preproduction |
Stage
| Year | Title | Role | Theatre |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | When Harry Met Sally... | Sally Albright | Theatre Royal Haymarket |
Awards and nominations
References
- 1 2 Wihlborg, Ulrica (2009-03-31). "Alyson Hannigan Welcomes a Daughter!". People. Retrieved 2009-03-31.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "How I Met Your Mother Cast: Alyson Hannigan". CBS. Retrieved 2012-06-12.
- 1 2 "Former Atlantan Alyson Hannigan interview for 'How I Met Your Mother'". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. September 21, 2009. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved 2012-06-12.
- ↑ "Film Reference Alyson Hannigan biodata". Filmreference.com. Archived from the original on February 10, 2010. Retrieved 2010-03-07.
- ↑ Berson, Elisabeth (November 13, 2013). "10 celebrities you didn't know were Jewish". St. Louis Jewish Light. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
- ↑ Bloom, Nate (2004-07-09). "Celebrity Jews". the Jewish News Weekly of Northern California. Retrieved 2006-07-16.
- ↑ "Hollywood Now: Alyson Hannigan, Jewish Male Actors, Fall Feature". Retrieved October 27, 2014.
- ↑ "Interview: Alyson Hannigan on American Pie". Scotland on Sunday. April 22, 2012. Retrieved 2012-06-12.
- ↑ "Alyson Hannigan profile". SuperiorPics.com. Retrieved 2010-04-18.
- ↑ "Alyson Hannigan biography". Biography.com. Retrieved August 13, 2015.
- ↑ "It's Evening in America". Vanity Fair, May 2012, p. 158.
- ↑ "Where Are They Now? Buffy the Vampire Slayer". People. December 3, 2007. Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved 2012-06-12.
- ↑ "When Harry Met Sally, Review by Philip Fisher (2004)". British Theatre Guide. Retrieved 2010-04-18.
- ↑ "'Veronica Mars' scoop". Chicago Tribune. January 20, 2006. Retrieved 2012-06-12.
- ↑ Harrison, Stacey (2009-07-06). ""The Goode Family" Recap: Graffiti In Greenville". Channel Guide Magazine. Archived from the original on 2018-05-17.
- ↑ Kate Stanhope (2009-10-01). "Deschanel, Hannigan and Others Cop a Feel for a Cause". TVGuide.com. Archived from the original on October 1, 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-01.
- ↑ "Alyson Hannigan, Cobie Smulders and 'Mother'-hood". USA Today. April 15, 2012. Retrieved 2012-06-12.
- ↑ Alyson Hannigan tapped to host Penn & Teller: Fool Us in season 3, ew.com; accessed May 2, 2018.
- ↑ Swift, Andy (25 May 2018). "Kim Possible Movie: Alyson Hannigan Playing Mom, 5 Other Key Roles Cast". TVLine. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
- ↑ "Alyson Hannigan Welcomes Daughter Keeva Jane!". usmagazine.com. June 12, 2012. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
- ↑ "'Vampire Slayer' star Alyson Hannigan settles on contemporary lair in Encino". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 1, 2017.
- ↑ "Alyson Hannigan to Star in ABC Comedy From Kerry Washington". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2018-08-25.
