Early life

Hannigan was born in Washington, D.C., the only child of Emilie (Posner) Haas, a real estate agent, and Al Hannigan, a truck driver. Her father is of Irish ancestry and her mother is Jewish. Her parents divorced when she was two and she was raised mostly by her mother in Atlanta, Georgia.

Career

Childhood and early years

At age four, Hannigan began appearing in commercials. She moved to Hollywood at age 11. 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 was a member of the Alpha Chi Omega sorority and earned a degree in psychology.

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 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. As a teenager, Hannigan babysat for her future How I Met Your Mother costar Bob Saget's children.

The Buffy years

In 1997, Hannigan was cast to play Willow Rosenberg, Buffy Summers' best friend, on the 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 American Pie (1999), Boys and Girls (2000), American Pie 2 (2001), and American Wedding (2003). 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.

Stage, television, and movie work

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, taking the main role of Lily Aldrin in the hit comedy How I Met Your Mother, 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. 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.

In 2012, Hannigan reprised the role of Michelle in American Reunion.

On August 11, 2015, Penn & Teller: Fool Us was renewed for a third season by The CW, which will be hosted by Alyson Hannigan.

Personal life

Hannigan married her Buffy the Vampire Slayer costar Alexis Denisof at Two Bunch Palms Resort in Desert Hot Springs, California, on October 11, 2003. The couple have two daughters. Hannigan and her husband are godparents to Joss Whedon's son.

Stalking

On February 13, 2013, Hannigan was granted a temporary restraining order against New Hampshire resident John Hobbs after he began sending her threatening and obsessive messages via the Internet, in which he said that he wished to meet and possibly kill her. On March 6, 2013, the restraining order was extended for an additional four years.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1986	Impure Thoughts	Patty Stubbs
1988	My Stepmother Is an Alien	Jessie Mills
1998	Dead Man on Campus	Lucy
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
2006	Date Movie	Julia Jones
2007	Farce of the Penguins	Hottie Penguin (voice)
2011	Love, Wedding, Marriage	Courtney
2012	American Reunion	Michelle Flaherty-Levenstein
2016	Modern Love	Rachael	Upcoming role

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1989-90	Free Spirit	Jessie Harper	Main role (14 episodes)
1990	Roseanne	Jan	Episode: "Like, a New Job"
1991	Switched at Birth	Gina Twigg, Age 13-16	TV movie
1993	Almost Home	Samantha	2 episodes
1994	Touched by an Angel	Cassie Peters	Episode: "Cassie's Choice"
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
1996	Picket Fences	Peggy Patterson	Episode: "To Forgive Is Devine"
1996	Friends for Life	Emma Daniels	Pilot
1997-2003	Buffy the Vampire Slayer	Willow Rosenberg	Main role (144 episodes)
1999-2000	100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd	Gigi	Voice 2 episodes
1999	Hayley Wagner, Star	Jenna Jakes	TV movie
2000	Wild Thornberrys, TheThe Wild Thornberrys	Gerda	Voice Episode: "Every Little Bit Alps"
2001-03	Angel	Willow Rosenberg	3 episodes
2002-03	Rugrats	Cynthia P.I. / Young Starlet	Voice 2 episodes
2004	That '70s Show	Suzy Simpson	2 episodes
2004	King of the Hill	Stacey Gibson	Voice Episode: "Talking Shop"
2004	In the Game	Role unknown	Pilot
2004	Americana	Andrea	TV movie
2005-06	Veronica Mars	Trina Echolls	3 episodes: "Ruskie Business" "Hot Dogs" "My Mother, the Fiend"
2005-14	How I Met Your Mother	Lily Aldrin	Main role 206 episodes
2009	Gordon Ramsay: Cookalong Live	Herself	Guest Star Episode: "Gordon Ramsay: Cookalong Live"
2009	Goode Family, TheThe Goode Family	Michelle	Voice Episode: "Graffiti in Greenville"
2011	Simpsons, TheThe Simpsons	Melody	Voice Episode: "Flaming Moe"
2011	Robot Chicken	Steelheart	Voice Episode: "Big Trouble in Little Clerks 2"
2011, 2013	American Dad!	Chelsea / Peasant's Daughter	Voice 2 episodes
2013, 2016	Hollywood Game Night	Herself	Episode: "The One with the Friends" Episode: "Hannigan, Hale & Hunt... Oh My!"
2014	Sofia the First	Winter	Voice Episode: "Winter's Gift"
2014	The McCarthys	Pam	Episode: "Red Sox Swap"
2016	Penn & Teller: Fool Us	Herself	Host

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Nominated work	Result
1989	Young Artist Award	Best Young Actress in a Motion Picture: Comedy or Fantasy	My Stepmother Is an Alien	Nominated
1990	Young Artist Award	Best Young Actress Starring in a Television Series	Free Spirit	Nominated
2000	Young Hollywood Awards	Best Ensemble Cast	American Pie	Won
2000	Teen Choice Awards	Choice TV Sidekick	Buffy the Vampire Slayer	Nominated
2001	Saturn Awards	Best Supporting Actress on Television	Buffy the Vampire Slayer	Nominated
2001	Teen Choice Awards	Choice TV Sidekick	Buffy the Vampire Slayer	Nominated
2002	Saturn Awards	Best Supporting Actress on Television	Buffy the Vampire Slayer	Won
2002	Satellite Awards	Best Supporting Actress - Television Series	Buffy the Vampire Slayer	Nominated
2002	Teen Choice Awards	Choice TV Sidekick	Buffy the Vampire Slayer	Won
2003	Saturn Awards	Best Supporting Actress on Television	Buffy the Vampire Slayer	Nominated
2003	Teen Choice Awards	Choice TV Sidekick	Buffy the Vampire Slayer	Nominated
2004	Teen Choice Awards	Choice Movie Actress - Comedy	American Wedding	Nominated
2004	Teen Choice Awards	Choice Movie Liplock	American Wedding	Nominated
2008	Teen Choice Awards	Choice TV Show: Comedy	How I Met Your Mother	Nominated
2009	People's Choice Awards	Favorite TV Comedy Actress	How I Met Your Mother	Won
2010	People's Choice Awards	Favorite TV Comedy Actress	How I Met Your Mother	Nominated
2012	People's Choice Awards	Favorite TV Comedy	How I Met Your Mother	Won
2012	Teen Choice Awards	Choice Movie Actress: Romantic Comedy	American Reunion	Nominated

Charities

Alyson Hannigan supports the following charitable causes: AIDS, Pediatric AIDS, Rape/Sexual Abuse.

[ Source: Wikipedia ]