Alyson Lee Hannigan Biography

Name:Alyson Lee Hannigan

doate of Birth:  March 24, 1974

Place of Birth:  Washington, D.C.

Alyson Lee Hannigan  is an American actress. Alyson Hannigan is known for her roles as Willow Rosenberg in the cult classic television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Michelle Flaherty in three American Pie films, and Lily Aldrin on the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother.

Early life

Hannigan is the only child of Emilie Posner, a real estate agent, and Al Hannigan, a truck driver. Hannigan is of Irish descent on her father's side and Jewish on her mother's. Alyson Hannigan parents divorced when she was two and she was raised mostly by her mother in Atlanta.

Career 

Early careerAlthough Hannigan had 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.

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.

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 had ended in 2003, Hannigan was earning a US$250,000 salary for each episode. Alyson Hannigan 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. Alyson Hannigan  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 recently became the new face of Head and Shoulders Shampoo.

With husband Alexis Denis of Personal life

Hannigan has dated Ginger Fish of Marilyn Manson.Alyson Hannigan 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.

Filmography

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 Stranger Beside Me, TheThe Stranger Beside Me Dana TV movie

1996 Case for Life, AA 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 with real-life husband Alexis Denisof

2012 American Reunion Michelle Flaherty-Levenstein post-production

Year Title Role Notes

Television 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 Wild Thornberrys, TheThe 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 Goode Family, TheThe Goode Family Michelle Episode: "Graffiti in Greenville"

2011 Simpsons, TheThe Simpsons Melody Season 22: Episode 11: "Flaming Moe"

2011 American Dad Chelsea Voice