Alyson Hannigan Biography

Alyson Hannigan
Biography

Birth Name
Allison Lee Hannigan
Date of birth (location)
24 March 1974
Washington, District of Columbia, USA

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Born March 24, 1974, in Washington, D.C., Alyson Hannigan began her career almost from birth, becoming a TV commercial veteran following her family's move to Atlanta. At the tender age of three months, she was featured in an industrial film, "Active Parenting" (1974). When her family settled in Atlanta, Hannigan posed for photographs taken by her parents which eventually led to a successful career as a child model. She racked up over 30 commercials, including national ones for McDonald's and Oreo cookies and more than 100 print advertisements.

At the age of 11, Hannigan and her mother moved to Los Angeles so she could pursue a career in film and television. Her breakthrough role came in 1988 when she was cast as Dan Aykroyd's daughter who becomes suspicious about her father's new wife in the unexceptional comedy "My Stepmother Is an Alien". The following year, she won a regular spot as one of three kids cared for by a witch housekeeper in the short-lived ABC sitcom "Free Spirit" (1989-90). Hannigan continued to appear as a guest performer on such shows as "Roseanne" and "Almost Home" before taking time out to attend college. She found small screen success as the wallflower Willow Rosenberg on the hit series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (The WB, 1997-2001; UPN, 2001-2003).

The show proved to be an unexpected success among critics and viewers alike, and paved the way for Hannigan to appear opposite Tom Everett Scott in the 1998 comedy Dead Man on Campus. American Pie followed the next year, giving Hannigan wider recognition and making her an unintentional poster child for band camps everywhere.

A small stint in the Jason Biggs/Freddie Prinze Jr. flop Boys and Girls (2000) did little to further her career, but thanks to a beefed-up part from writer Adam Herz, Hannigan found herself revisiting the sexually advanced but socially backward Michelle in 2001's high-profile sequel American Pie 2. Though critics were mixed on the franchise's sophomore offering, they praised Hannigan's ability to fully flesh out a character who essentially served as an elaborate punch line in the first film.