Alyson Hannigan
Alyson Lee Hannigan (born March 24, 1974) is an American actress and television presenter. She began her film career with supporting roles in the comedy films Impure Thoughts (1986) and My Stepmother Is an Alien (1988), receiving a Young Artist Award nomination for the latter. In 1999, she began starring in the American Pie film series as Michelle Flaherty, the films' primary love interest, appearing in every film in the series from 1999 to 2012.
Also recorded as Alyson Lee Hannigan · Alyson Lee Hannigan Denisof · Allison Lee Hannigan · Allison Hannigan
Alyson Hannigan

Greg Hernandez · Alyson Hannigan · CC BY 2.0
- Born
- 1974.
- Nationality
- United States.
- Occupation
- actor, stage actor, television actor and film actor.
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Alyson Lee Hannigan (born March 24, 1974) is an American actress and television presenter. She began her film career with supporting roles in the comedy films Impure Thoughts (1986) and My Stepmother Is an Alien (1988), receiving a Young Artist Award nomination for the latter. In 1999, she began starring in the American Pie film series as Michelle Flaherty, the films' primary love interest, appearing in every film in the series from 1999 to 2012.
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In this article
Early life and education
Early life and education
For her role in the series, she was nominated for three Teen Choice Awards and won a Young Hollywood Award. She went on to star in the parody film Date Movie (2006), the slasher film You Might Be the Killer (2018), and the superhero film Flora & Ulysses (2021). Hannigan got her start in television starring in the short-lived sitcom Free Spirit from 1989 to 1990, for which she earned a Young Artist Award nomination. After several minor roles in television films and other series, she appeared in her breakout role as teenage witch Willow Rosenberg in the supernatural drama series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, appearing in every episode from 1997 to 2003. Her role on the show was critically acclaimed and won her the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress on Television and a Teen Choice Award. From 2005 to 2014, she starred as Lily Aldrin in the sitcom How I Met Your Mother, for which she won two People's Choice Awards. Hannigan hosted the television show Penn & Teller: Fool Us (2016–2023), and provided the voice of Claire Clancy in the Disney Junior animated series Fancy Nancy (2018–2022).
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. Her father is of Irish ancestry and her mother is Jewish. 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.
1986–2004: Career beginnings and breakthrough
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: How I Met Your Mother
2005–2014: 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
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. Hannigan played a supporting role in the 2026 romantic comedy Solo Mio.
Personal life
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.

Alyson Hannigan
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Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Alyson Hannigan. TV Guide.
- 2.Wihlborg, Ulrica. Alyson Hannigan Welcomes a Daughter!. People. March 31, 2009.
- 3.CBS. How I Met Your Mother Cast: Alyson Hannigan.
- 4.Berson, Elisabeth. 10 celebrities you didn't know were Jewish. St. Louis Jewish Light. November 13, 2013.
- 5.Hollywood Now: Alyson Hannigan, Jewish Male Actors, Fall Feature. September 3, 2013.
- 6.Interview: Alyson Hannigan on American Pie. Scotland on Sunday. April 22, 2012.
- 7.Former Atlantan Alyson Hannigan interview for 'How I Met Your Mother'. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. September 21, 2009.
- 8.Roy, Norman. It's Evening in America. Vanity Fair. 158. April 26, 2012.
- 9.SuperiorPics.com. Alyson Hannigan profile. March 2022.
- 10.Biography.com. Alyson Hannigan biography.
- 11.Where Are They Now? Buffy the Vampire Slayer. People. December 3, 2007.
- 12.American Pie Cast Reunites After 20 Years! Watch Them Discuss the Infamous Band Camp Line. Peoplemag.
- 13.Thompson, Simon. Seann William Scott Talks 'Goon' Sequel, More 'American Pie' And 'Dude, Where's My Car?'. Forbes.
- 14.Leigh, Clarissa. Why the American Pie Movies Were So Popular and Successful. MovieWeb. 2023-02-22.
- 15.British Theatre Guide. When Harry Met Sally, Review by Philip Fisher (2004).
- 16.'Veronica Mars' scoop. Chicago Tribune. January 20, 2006.
- 17.Harrison, Stacey. "The Goode Family" Recap: Graffiti In Greenville. Channel Guide Magazine. July 6, 2009.
- 18.Kate Stanhope. Deschanel, Hannigan and Others Cop a Feel for a Cause. TV Guide. October 1, 2009.
- 19.Alyson Hannigan, Cobie Smulders and 'Mother'-hood. USA Today. April 15, 2012.
- 20.American Reunion. Box Office Mojo.
- 21.Abrams, Natalie. Alyson Hannigan tapped to host Penn & Teller: Fool Us in season 3. Entertainment Weekly. March 31, 2016.
- 22.Swift, Andy. Kim Possible Movie: Alyson Hannigan Playing Mom, 5 Other Key Roles Cast. TVLine. May 25, 2018.
- 23.Fancy Nancy To End After 3 Seasons On Disney Junior. Tumblr.
- 24.'Dancing with the Stars': Mauricio Umansky, Jason Mraz and Alyson Hannigan Among Cast for Season 32. Peoplemag.
- 25.Alyson Hannigan Says She Lost 20 Lbs. of 'Both Weight and Emotional Baggage' on Dancing with the Stars. Peoplemag.
- 26.Alyson Hannigan shares before-and-after pics from 'DWTS': '20 pounds of both weight and emotional baggage'. TODAY.com. 2024-01-12.
- 27.'Vampire Slayer' star Alyson Hannigan settles on contemporary lair in Encino. Los Angeles Times.
- 28.Alyson Hannigan Welcomes Daughter Keeva Jane!. Us Weekly. June 12, 2012.
- 29.Alyson Hannigan Reveals 'This Is Us' Used Her Home As a Shooting Location. Entertainment Tonight. October 9, 2021.
- 30.AFI film 58978 title=My Stepmother is an Alien
- 31.Hayley Wagner, Star.
- 32.Angel Studios Sets Release For 'Solo Mio' With Kevin James, Alyson Hannigan, Jonathan Roumie. Deadline.
- 33.CW Press | THE CW NETWORK ANNOUNCES ITS SEVEN-NIGHT PRIMETIME SCHEDULE FOR 2023-2024. May 18, 2023.
- 34.Petski, Denise. Lifetime Orders 2 Movies: 'Abduction Of Mary Stauffer' Starring Alyson Hannigan & 'Saving Alex'. Deadline. April 3, 2019.
- 35.Chubb, Hannah. Martha Stewart Gets 'Down and Dirty' in New Show with A-List Celeb Friends. People. June 3, 2021.
- 36.Ossad, Jordana. MTV is About to Get a Dose of Adorableness. MTV. June 21, 2021.
- 37.'Dancing With the Stars' season 32 cast revealed: Alyson Hannigan, Mira Sorvino and more. 2023-09-13.
- 38.Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Behind the Voice Actors.
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