Alyson Hannigan

Alyson Hannigan is an actress and television host best known for her roles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, How I Met Your Mother and the American Pie film franchise. Hannigan spent much of her childhood in Atlanta, where she began appearing in commercials before moving to Hollywood at age 11 to pursue acting. She attended North Hollywood High School and later earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from California State University, Northridge.

Hannigan landed early roles in films including My Stepmother Is an Alien (1988) and the 1989 sitcom Free Spirit. Her breakthrough came in 1997 when she was cast as Willow Rosenberg on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The role made her a fan favorite and led to her appearance on the show’s spinoff, Angel. Her performance as Michelle in 1999’s American Pie further raised her profile and established her as one of the era’s most recognizable young stars.

The actress later starred in How I Met Your Mother from 2005 to 2014, and also landed appearances in films like Date Movie (2006), Do You Take This Man (2016), Flora & Ulysses (2021) and Solo Mio (2026).

Hannigan married Alexis Denisof, whom she met while working on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, in 2003. The couple share two daughters: Satyana Denisof (born in 2009) and Keeva Jane Denisof (born in 2012).