Alyson Hannigan
| Alyson Hannigan | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | Alyson Lee Hannigan March 24, 1974 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Other names | Alyson Denisof |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Spouse | Alexis Denisof (2003–present) |
| Children | 1 |
Alyson Lee Hannigan (born March 24, 1974) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Willow Rosenberg in the cult classic television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Michelle Flaherty in four American Pie films, and Lily Aldrin on the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother.
Contents |
[edit] Early life
Hannigan was born in Washington, D.C. She is the only child of Emilie Posner, a real estate agent, and Al Hannigan, a truck driver.[1] Hannigan is of Irish descent on her father's side and Jewish on her mother's.[2][3] Her parents divorced when she was two and she was raised mostly by her mother in Atlanta.[4]
[edit] Career
[edit] Early career
Although Hannigan appeared in an industrial film for "Active Parenting" as a baby, as well as having starred in a commercial for the Duncan Hines cookie mix in 1978, it was not until 1985, when she moved to Los Angeles, California, that she formally began her acting career. 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 got a major in psychology.[5]
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 would later join 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.
[edit] Breakthrough career (1997–present)
In 1997, at 23 Hannigan was cast to play Willow Rosenberg, Buffy's 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. By the time Buffy ended in 2003, Hannigan was earning a US$250,000 salary for each episode. 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.[6]
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.[7]
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.[8]
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.[9]
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.[10]
Hannigan recently became the new face of Head and Shoulders Shampoo.
She is reprising her role of Michelle, in American Reunion. The film will be released on April 6, 2012.
[edit] Personal life
Hannigan has dated Ginger Fish of Marilyn Manson.[11] She married actor Alexis Denisof at Two Bunch Palms Resort in Desert Hot Springs, California, on October 11, 2003. (Denisof played Wesley Wyndam-Pryce in the Buffy/Angel franchise and also appeared in How I Met Your Mother as Robin's co-anchor Sandy Rivers in the first and sixth season). They bought a house together in Santa Monica, California. Their daughter, Satyana Marie Denisof, was born at home five-and-a-half years later on March 24, 2009, Hannigan's 35th birthday.[12][13] In December 2011, Hannigan's representative announced that the couple are expecting their second child.[14]
[edit] Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Impure Thoughts | Patty Stubbs | As Allison Hannigan |
| 1988 | My Stepmother Is an Alien | Jessie Mills | |
| 1991 | Switched at Birth | Gina Twigg, Age 13–16 | TV movie |
| 1995 | The Stranger Beside Me | Dana | TV movie |
| 1996 | A Case for Life | Iris | TV movie |
| 1996 | For My Daughter's Honor | Kelly | TV movie |
| 1998 | Dead Man on Campus | Lucy | |
| 1999 | Hayley Wagner, Star | Jenna Jakes | TV movie |
| 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 | |
| 2004 | Americana | Andrea | TV movie |
| 2005 | In the Game | Unknown | TV movie |
| 2006 | Date Movie | Julia Jones | |
| 2011 | Love, Wedding, Marriage | Courtney | Co-starred with real-life husband Alexis Denisof |
| 2012 | American Reunion | Michelle Flaherty-Levenstein | post-production |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989–1990 | Free Spirit | Jessie Harper | Main role; 14 episodes |
| 1990 | Roseanne | Jan | Episode: "Like, a New Job" |
| 1993 | Almost Home | Samantha | Episode: "The Dance" Episode: "Hot Ticket" |
| 1994 | Touched by an Angel | Cassie Peters | Episode: "Cassie's Choice" |
| 1996 | Picket Fences | Peggy Patterson | Episode: "To Forgive Is Devine" |
| 1996 | Friends for Life | Emma Daniels | Unaired TV Pilot |
| 1997–2003 | Buffy the Vampire Slayer | Willow Rosenberg | Main role; 144 episodes |
| 1999–2000 | 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd | Gigi | Episode: "Dogs Day Out" Episode: "The Return of Gigi" |
| 2000 | The Wild Thornberrys | Gerda | Episode: "Every Little Bit Alps" |
| 2001–2003 | Angel | Willow Rosenberg | Episode: "Disharmony" Episode: "There's No Place Like Plrtz Glrb" Episode: "Orpheus" |
| 2004 | That '70s Show | Suzy Simpson | Episode: "Sally Simpson" Episode: "Won't Get Fooled Again" |
| 2004 | King of the Hill | Stacey Gibson | Episode: "Talking Shop" |
| 2005 | Veronica Mars | Trina Echolls | Episode: "Ruskie Business" Episode: "Hot Dogs" Episode: "My Mother, the Fiend" |
| 2005–present | How I Met Your Mother | Lily Aldrin | Main role; 147 episodes |
| 2009 | The Goode Family | Michelle | Episode: "Graffiti in Greenville" |
| 2011 | The Simpsons | Melody | Season 22: Episode 11: "Flaming Moe" |
| 2011 | American Dad | Chelsea | Voice |
[edit] Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Role | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Saturn Awards | Best Supporting Actress in a Series | Willow Rosenberg | Nominated |
| 2002 | Willow Rosenberg | Nominated | ||
| 2003 | Willow Rosenberg | Won | ||
| 2003 | Golden Satellite Awards | Best Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Series | Willow Rosenberg | Nominated |
| 2010 | People's Choice Awards | Favourite TV Comedy Actress | Lily Aldrin | Won |
| 2011 | Lily Aldrin | Nominated |
[edit] References
- ^ "Film Reference Alyson Hannigan Bio". Filmreference.com. http://www.filmreference.com/film/58/Alyson-Hannigan.html. Retrieved 2010-03-07.
- ^ Bloom, Nate (2004-07-09). "Celebrity Jews". the Jewish News Weekly of Northern California. http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/23122/celebrity-jews/. Retrieved 2006-07-16.
- ^ Pearce, Garth (2003-07-13). "Alyson Hannigan Interview". The Sunday Times.
- ^ Biography for Alyson Hannigan at the Internet Movie Database
- ^ "Alyson Hannigan". SuperiorPics.com. http://www.superiorpics.com/alyson_hannigan/. Retrieved 2010-04-18.
- ^ "Buffyverse Dialogue Database — Willow". Vrya.net. http://vrya.net/bdb/character.php?char=4. Retrieved 2010-03-07.
- ^ "When Harry Met Sally, Review by Philip Fisher (2004)". British Theatre Guide. http://www.britishtheatreguide.info/reviews/harrysally-rev.htm. Retrieved 2010-04-18.
- ^ "Trina Echolls (Character) from "Veronica Mars" (2004)". imdb.com. http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0012937/. Retrieved 2010-04-18.
- ^ Alyson Hannigan at the Internet Movie Database
- ^ Kate Stanhope (2009-10-01). "Deschanel, Hannigan and Others Cop a Feel for a Cause". TVGuide.com. http://www.tvguide.com/News/Deschanel-Hannigan-Cop-1010367.aspx. Retrieved 2009-10-01.
- ^ "Hollywood.com biography". http://www.hollywood.com/celebrity/Alyson_Hannigan/194266.
- ^ Wihlborg, Ulrica (2009-03-31). "Alyson Hannigan Welcomes a Daughter!". People. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20268972,00.html?xid=rss-topheadlines. Retrieved 2009-03-31.
- ^ "Alyson Hannigan & Alexis Denisof Part 1". My Best Birth. 2009. http://www.mybestbirth.com/page/alyson-hannigan-alexis. Retrieved 2009-11-02.
- ^ Ravitz, Justin (2011-12-16). "Alyson Hannigan Is Pregnant -- See Her Bump!". US Weekly. http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-moms/news/pic-alyson-hannigan-pregnant-see-her-bump-20111612#ixzz1gjTSsqDf. Retrieved 2011-12-16.
[edit] External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Alyson Hannigan |
 |
Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Alyson Hannigan |
- Alyson Hannigan at the Internet Movie Database
- Verified Twitter account
- The Indy Channel interview (February 15, 2006)
- Sun Times interview (July 21, 2005)
- 1974 births
- Actors from Los Angeles, California
- Actors from Washington, D.C.
- American child actors
- American film actors
- American Jews
- American people of Irish descent
- American stage actors
- American television actors
- California State University, Northridge alumni
- Jewish actors
- Living people
- People from Washington, D.C.
