Alyson Hannigan

Early life and education

Hannigan was born on March 24, 1974 in Washington, D.C., the only child of Emilie (Posner) Haas, a real-estate agent, and Alan Hannigan, a Teamsters trucker. At age four, Hannigan began appearing in commercials. After spending her childhood in her mother's hometown of Atlanta, Georgia, Hannigan moved to Hollywood at age 11 after securing an agent. As a teenager, Hannigan babysat for the children of her future How I Met Your Mother co-star, Bob Saget.

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.

Career

1986–2004: Career beginnings and breakthrough

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 the Vampire Slayer as her on-screen boyfriend. In 1989, her first regular role on a television series came when she was cast in the short-lived ABC sitcom Free Spirit.

In 1997, Hannigan was cast to play Willow Rosenberg, Buffy Summers' best friend, on the supernatural television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The show became a success, and Hannigan gained recognition, subsequently appearing in several films aimed at teenage audiences, including Boys and Girls (2000). She had a supporting role as Michelle Flaherty in the comedy film American Pie (1999), and appeared in a much larger role in its sequels American Pie 2 (2001) and American Wedding (2003). In 2017, Forbes reported that the American Pie films have grossed $989.5 million at the worldwide box office, and became a pop culture phenomenon.

She also had a recurring guest spot on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer spin-off, Angel, reprising her role of Willow. 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.

2005–2014: Success with ''How I Met Your Mother''

In early 2005, she had a recurring guest role as Trina Echolls in three episodes of UPN's teen mystery series Veronica Mars. In September 2005, Hannigan returned to starring in a regular television series, taking the main role of Lily Aldrin in CBS's sitcom How I Met Your Mother. The series followed architect Ted Mosby and his group of friends in New York City. Ted recounts to his children the events that led him to meet their mother. Hannigan's character Lily was a kindergarten teacher and amateur painter, who eventually married lawyer Marshall Eriksen, portrayed by Jason Segel. Hannigan won the People's Choice Award for Favorite TV Comedy Actress in 2010. Known for its unique structure, humor, and incorporation of dramatic elements, How I Met Your Mother was popular throughout its run. The series ran for nine seasons and the one-hour series finale aired on March 31, 2014.

In February 2006, she 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. Hannigan reprised the role of Michelle in the comedy film American Reunion (2012). The film followed the friends attending a high school reunion thirteen years after graduating from high school. The film was a success at the box office, and grossed $235 million worldwide. For her role in the film, she was nominated for Choice Movie Actress: Romantic Comedy award at the 2012 Teen Choice Awards.

2015–present: Television hosting

Hannigan hosted the television series Penn & Teller: Fool Us from 2016 to 2023. Hannigan played Ann Possible, Kim's mother, in the Disney Channel original film Kim Possible (2019), based on the animated series. She voiced the role of Claire Nancy in Disney Junior's animated series Fancy Nancy (2018–2022). The show ran for three seasons, and the series finale aired on February 18, 2022.

In September 2023, Hannigan was announced as one of the contestants on season 32 of Dancing with the Stars, partnering with Sasha Farber. The couple made it to the finals and finished in fifth place.

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. Their home was used as a set for This Is Us.

Filmography

Film

Television

Stage

Awards and nominations

References

References

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3. "How I Met Your Mother Cast: Alyson Hannigan". [[CBS]].
4. Berson, Elisabeth. (November 13, 2013). "10 celebrities you didn't know were Jewish". St. Louis Jewish Light.
5. (September 3, 2013). "Hollywood Now: Alyson Hannigan, Jewish Male Actors, Fall Feature".
6. (April 22, 2012). "Interview: Alyson Hannigan on American Pie". [[Scotland on Sunday]].
7. (September 21, 2009). "Former Atlantan Alyson Hannigan interview for 'How I Met Your Mother'". [[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]].
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19. (April 15, 2012). "Alyson Hannigan, Cobie Smulders and 'Mother'-hood". [[USA Today]].
20. "American Reunion".
21. Abrams, Natalie. (March 31, 2016). "Alyson Hannigan tapped to host Penn & Teller: Fool Us in season 3".
22. (May 25, 2018). "Kim Possible Movie: Alyson Hannigan Playing Mom, 5 Other Key Roles Cast".
23. "Fancy Nancy To End After 3 Seasons On Disney Junior".
24. "'Dancing with the Stars': Mauricio Umansky, Jason Mraz and Alyson Hannigan Among Cast for Season 32".
25. "Alyson Hannigan Says She Lost 20 Lbs. of 'Both Weight and Emotional Baggage' on Dancing with the Stars".
26. (2024-01-12). "Alyson Hannigan shares before-and-after pics from 'DWTS': '20 pounds of both weight and emotional baggage'".
27. "'Vampire Slayer' star Alyson Hannigan settles on contemporary lair in Encino". [[Los Angeles Times]].
28. (June 12, 2012). "Alyson Hannigan Welcomes Daughter Keeva Jane!". [[Us Weekly]].
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32. "Angel Studios Sets Release For ‘Solo Mio’ With Kevin James, Alyson Hannigan, Jonathan Roumie".
33. (May 18, 2023). "CW Press | THE CW NETWORK ANNOUNCES ITS SEVEN-NIGHT PRIMETIME SCHEDULE FOR 2023-2024".
34. Petski, Denise. (April 3, 2019). "Lifetime Orders 2 Movies: 'Abduction Of Mary Stauffer' Starring Alyson Hannigan & 'Saving Alex'".
35. Chubb, Hannah. (June 3, 2021). "Martha Stewart Gets 'Down and Dirty' in New Show with A-List Celeb Friends". [[People (magazine).
36. Ossad, Jordana. (June 21, 2021). "MTV is About to Get a Dose of Adorableness". [[MTV]].
37. (2023-09-13). "'Dancing With the Stars' season 32 cast revealed: Alyson Hannigan, Mira Sorvino and more".