Alyson Hannigan is an American actress, best known for her role as ‘Willow Rosenberg’ on the supernatural drama series ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ (1997 2003). She is also quite popular for playing ‘Lily Aldrin’ on the comedy sitcom ‘How I Met Your Mother’ (2005-2014). She won a ‘People’s Choice Award’ for her role, in 2009. Hannigan started acting in commercials from the age of 4.Â
Alyson made her big-screen debut in ‘Impure Thoughts’ (1986) where she played the role of ‘Patty Stubbs.’ She was then seen in the 1988 sci-fi/comedy film ‘My Stepmother Is an Alien.’ The movie was panned down by the critics and was a commercial failure. She made her television debut in the sitcom ‘Free Spirit’ (1989-1990). Alyson played the character of ‘Jessie Harper’ and was a part of the main cast of the show. She went on to appear in popular Television series such as ‘Roseanne’ (1990), ‘Switched at Birth’ (1991), ‘Almost Home’ (1993), ‘Touched by an Angel’ (1994), ‘The Stranger Beside Me’ (1995), ‘For My Daughter's Honor’ (1996), and ‘Picket Fences’ (1996).
In 1997, Alyson Hannigan starred in the supernatural drama series ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer.’ She played the character of ‘Willow Rosenberg’ which proved to be her breakthrough role and earned many nominations including four ‘Teen Choice Award’ nominations for ‘Choice TV Sidekick,’ one of which she won.Â
The year 1999 saw the release of the famous adult comedy film ‘American Pie’ where Alyson played the role of ‘Michelle Flaherty.’ She became a recipient of the ‘Young Hollywood Award’ for the ‘Best Ensemble Cast.’ The following year, she appeared in the Robert Iscove-directed comedy film ‘Boys and Girls.’ The movie opened up to negative reviews and was a commercial failure. In the year 2001, Alyson Hannigan featured in ‘American Pie 2’, the sequel of American Pie,’ where she reprised her role as ‘Michelle Flaherty.’Â
Alyson was seen in ‘Angel,’ a spin-off series from ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ in 2001 where she again appeared as ‘Willow Rosenberg.’ Alyson only appeared on the show for 3 episodes. She went on to star in many other TV series such as ‘Rugrats’ (2002–03), ‘That '70s Show’ (2004), ‘King of the Hill’ (2004), and ‘Veronica Mars’ (2005).
In 2005, Alyson Hannigan got under the spotlight when she was cast as ‘Lily Aldrin’ in the famous sitcom series ‘How I Met Your Mother.’ The show ran for 9 seasons and aired its final episode in March 2014. Alyson won two ‘People's Choice Awards’ for her performance in the series.Â
Alyson appeared in the parody comedy film ‘Date Movie’ in 2006. While the movie received negative reviews from critics, it still turned out to be a box office success. She was then seen in movies like ‘Love, Wedding, Marriage’ (2011), ‘American Reunion’ (2012), ‘You Might Be the Killer’ (2018), and ‘Flora & Ulysses’ (2021).
Alyson Hannigan is currently the host of the magic competition television program ‘Penn & Teller: Fool Us’ (2016-present). She also voices ‘Claire Clancy’ in ‘Fancy Nancy’ (2016-present).
