Alyson Hannigan
Alyson Lee Hannigan (born March 24, 1974)[1] is an American actress and television presenter. She is best known for her roles as Willow Rosenberg in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003), as Lily Aldrin in the sitcom How I Met Your Mother (2005–2014) for which she won a People's Choice Award in 2009, and as Michelle Flaherty in the American Pie film series (1999–2012).[2] Since 2016, Hannigan has presented the television show Penn & Teller: Fool Us. She also provides the voice of Claire Clancy in the Disney Junior animated series Fancy Nancy (2018–present).
Alyson Hannigan | |
|---|---|
.jpg.webp) Hannigan at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con | |
| Born | March 24, 1974 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Other names | Alyson Denisof |
| Education | California State University, Northridge (BA) |
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Television | |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 2 |
| Signature | |
 | |
Early life and education
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] At age four, Hannigan began appearing in commercials.[7] 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 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.[8][9]
Career
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.[10]
Buffy years
In 1997, Hannigan was cast to play Willow Rosenberg, Buffy Summers' best friend, on the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.[11]
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 (the final episode of Buffy aired May 20, 2003;[12] the Angel episode "Orpheus," the last in which Hannigan appears, aired March 19, 2003).[13]
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.[14]
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.[15] 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.[16]
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.[17]
In 2012, Hannigan reprised the role of Michelle in American Reunion.[18] Since 2016, Hannigan has hosted the television series Penn & Teller: Fool Us.[19]
Hannigan plays Ann Possible, Kim's mother, in the Disney Channel original film Kim Possible, based on the animated series.[20]
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 lives in Encino, Los Angeles[21] with their two daughters: Satyana Marie, born in March 2009,[1] and Keeva Jane, born in May 2012.[22]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Impure Thoughts | Patty Stubbs | Credited as Allison Hannigan[23] |
| 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 | |
| 2006 | Farce of the Penguins | Hottie Penguin | Voice |
| 2011 | Love, Wedding, Marriage | Courtney | |
| 2012 | American Reunion | Michelle Levenstein | |
| 2016 | Do You Take This Man | Rachael | |
| 2018 | You Might Be the Killer | Chuck | |
| 2021 | Flora & Ulysses | Phyllis Buckman | Post-production |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989–90 | Free Spirit | Jessie Harper | Main role, 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 | For My Daughter's Honor | Kelly | Television film |
| 1996 | Picket Fences | Peggy Patterson | Episode: "To Forgive Is Divine" |
| 1997–2003 | Buffy the Vampire Slayer | Willow Rosenberg | Main role, 144 episodes |
| 1999–2000 | 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd | Gigi (voice) | 3 episodes |
| 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" |
| 2005 | Veronica Mars | Trina Echolls | 3 episodes |
| 2005–14 | How I Met Your Mother | Lily Aldrin | Main role, 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 | 2 episodes |
| 2011, 2013 | American Dad! | Chelsea / Peasant's Daughter (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 2014 | Sofia the First | Winter (voice) | Episode: "Winter's Gift" |
| 2014 | The McCarthys | Pam | Episode: "Red Sox Swap" |
| 2016–present | Penn & Teller: Fool Us | Herself (host) | 64 episodes |
| 2018–present | Fancy Nancy | Claire Clancy (voice) | Main role, 26 episodes |
| 2019 | Kim Possible | Ann Possible | Television film |
| 2019 | Pure | Esther Dunkel | 2 episodes |
| 2019 | Abducted: The Mary Stauffer Story | Mary Stauffer | TV film[24] |
| 2020 | Girl Scout Cookie Championship | Herself (host) | 4 episodes |
| 2020 | Outmatched | Annabeth | Episode: "Couple's Friends" |
Stage
| Year | Title | Role | Theatre |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | When Harry Met Sally... | Sally Albright | Theatre Royal Haymarket |
Awards and nominations
References
- Wihlborg, Ulrica (March 31, 2009). "Alyson Hannigan Welcomes a Daughter!". People. Retrieved March 31, 2009.
- "How I Met Your Mother Cast: Alyson Hannigan". CBS. Archived from the original on March 31, 2014. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
- "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 June 12, 2012.
- "Film Reference Alyson Hannigan biodata". Filmreference.com. Archived from the original on February 10, 2010. Retrieved March 7, 2010.
- Berson, Elisabeth (November 13, 2013). "10 celebrities you didn't know were Jewish". St. Louis Jewish Light. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
- "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 June 12, 2012.
- "Alyson Hannigan profile". SuperiorPics.com. Retrieved April 18, 2010.
- "Alyson Hannigan biography". Biography.com. Retrieved August 13, 2015.
- Roy, Norman (April 26, 2012). "It's Evening in America". Vanity Fair. p. 158. Retrieved March 30, 2019.
- "Where Are They Now? Buffy the Vampire Slayer". People. December 3, 2007. Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
- ""Buffy the Vampire Slayer" Chosen (TV Episode 2003)". IMDb.
- ""Angel" Orpheus (TV Episode 2003)". IMDb.
- "When Harry Met Sally, Review by Philip Fisher (2004)". British Theatre Guide. Retrieved April 18, 2010.
- "'Veronica Mars' scoop". Chicago Tribune. January 20, 2006. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
- Harrison, Stacey (July 6, 2009). ""The Goode Family" Recap: Graffiti In Greenville". Channel Guide Magazine. Archived from the original on May 17, 2018.
- Kate Stanhope (October 1, 2009). "Deschanel, Hannigan and Others Cop a Feel for a Cause". TV Guide. Archived from the original on October 1, 2009. Retrieved October 1, 2009.
- "Alyson Hannigan, Cobie Smulders and 'Mother'-hood". USA Today. April 15, 2012. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
- Abrams, Natalie (March 31, 2016). "Alyson Hannigan tapped to host Penn & Teller: Fool Us in season 3". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
- Swift, Andy (May 25, 2018). "Kim Possible Movie: Alyson Hannigan Playing Mom, 5 Other Key Roles Cast". TVLine. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
- "'Vampire Slayer' star Alyson Hannigan settles on contemporary lair in Encino". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 1, 2017.
- "Alyson Hannigan Welcomes Daughter Keeva Jane!". Us Weekly. June 12, 2012. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
- My Stepmother is an Alien at the American Film Institute Catalog
- Petski, Denise (April 3, 2019). "Lifetime Orders 2 Movies: 'Abduction Of Mary Stauffer' Starring Alyson Hannigan & 'Saving Alex'". Deadline.
