Alyson Hannigan - wikipedia Alyson Hannigan This is the latest accepted revision, reviewed on 21 November 2017. Alyson Hannigan Hannigan at the May 2015 Phoenix Comicon Alyson Lee Hannigan ( 1974 - 03 - 24 ) March 24, 1974 ( age 43 ) Washington, D.C., U.S. Residence Santa Monica, California Other names Alyson Denisof Alma mater California State University, Northridge Occupation Actress, television host Years active 1986 -- present Television How I Met Your Mother Buffy the Vampire Slayer Spouse ( s ) Alexis Denisof ( m. 2003 ) Children Alyson Lee Hannigan ( born March 24, 1974 ) is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Willow Rosenberg on the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer ( 1997 -- 2003 ), Lily Aldrin on the sitcom How I Met Your Mother ( 2005 -- 2014 ), and Michelle Flaherty in the American Pie film series ( 1999 -- 2012 ). Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 2.1 Childhood and early years 2.2 The Buffy years 2.3 Stage, television, and movie work 3 Personal life 4 Filmography 4.1 Film 4.2 Television 5 Awards and nominations 6 References 7 External links Early life Hannigan was born in Washington, DC, 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. 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 the children of her future How I Met Your Mother costar, Bob Saget. 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 teenaged 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. Since 2016, Hannigan has hosted the television series Penn & Teller : Fool Us. With husband Alexis Denisof Personal life Hannigan married her Buffy the Vampire Slayer recurring co-star Alexis Denisof at Two Bunch Palms Resort in Desert Hot Springs, California, on October 11, 2003. The couple have two daughters, Satyana Marie Denisof, born on March 24, 2009 ( which is also Alyson Hannigan 's birthday ) and Keeva Jane Denisof, born May 23, 2012. Alyson and Alexis live with their two daughters in Encino. Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1986 Impure Thoughts Patty Stubbs 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 Do You Take This Man Rachael Television Year Title Role Notes 1989 -- 1990 Free Spirit Jessie Harper 14 episodes 1990 Roseanne Jan Episode : `` Like, a New Job '' 1991 Switched at Birth Gina Twigg ( Age 13 -- 16 ) Television film Almost Home Samantha 2 episodes Touched by an Angel Cassie Peters Episode : `` Cassie 's Choice '' 1995 The Stranger Beside Me Dana Television film A Case for Life Iris Television film For My Daughter 's Honor Kelly Television film Picket Fences Peggy Patterson Episode : `` To Forgive Is Devine '' Friends for Life Emma Daniels Pilot 1997 -- 2003 Buffy the Vampire Slayer Willow Rosenberg 144 episodes 1999 -- 2000 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd Gigi Voice 2 episodes 1999 Hayley Wagner, Star Jenna Jakes Television film 2000 Wild Thornberrys, The The 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 That ' 70s Show Suzy Simpson 2 episodes King of the Hill Stacey Gibson Voice Episode : `` Talking Shop '' In the Game ( Role unknown ) Pilot Americana Andrea Pilot 2005 -- 06 Veronica Mars Trina Echolls 3 episodes 2005 -- 2014 How I Met Your Mother Lily Aldrin 206 episodes 2009 Goode Family, The The Goode Family Michelle Voice Episode : `` Graffiti in Greenville '' 2011 Simpsons, The The 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 2014 More Time with Family Cindy Rizzo Pilot 2014 Sofia the First Winter Voice Episode : `` Winter 's Gift '' 2014 The McCarthys Pam Episode : `` Red Sox Swap '' 2016 The First Wives Club Maggie Pilot 2016 -- 17 Penn & Teller : Fool Us Herself ( host ) 26 episodes Awards and nominations Year Award Nominated work Result Young Artist Award Best Young Actress in a Motion Picture : Comedy or Fantasy My Stepmother Is an Alien Nominated 1990 Best Young Actress Starring in a Television Series Free Spirit Nominated 2000 Young Hollywood Awards Best Ensemble Cast American Pie Won Teen Choice Awards Choice TV Sidekick Buffy the Vampire Slayer Nominated 2001 Saturn Awards Best Supporting Actress on Television Nominated 2001 Teen Choice Awards Choice TV Sidekick Nominated 2002 Saturn Awards Best Supporting Actress on Television Won 2002 Satellite Awards Best Supporting Actress -- Television Series Nominated 2002 Teen Choice Awards Choice TV Sidekick Won 2003 Saturn Awards Best Supporting Actress on Television Nominated 2003 Teen Choice Awards Choice TV Sidekick Nominated Choice Movie Actress -- Comedy American Wedding Nominated Choice Movie Liplock ( shared with Jason Biggs ) Nominated 2008 Choice TV Show : Comedy How I Met Your Mother Nominated 2009 People 's Choice Awards Favorite TV Comedy Actress Won Favorite TV Comedy Actress Nominated 2012 Favorite TV Comedy Won 2012 Teen Choice Awards Choice Movie Actress : Romantic Comedy American Reunion Nominated References Jump up ^ Wihlborg, Ulrica ( 2009 - 03 - 31 ). `` Alyson Hannigan Welcomes a Daughter ! ''. People. Retrieved 2009 - 03 - 31. ^ Jump up to : `` How I Met Your Mother Cast : Alyson Hannigan ''. CBS. Retrieved 2012 - 06 - 12. ^ Jump up to : `` Former Atlantan Alyson Hannigan interview for ' How I Met Your Mother ' ''. The Atlanta Journal - Constitution. September 21, 2009. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved 2012 - 06 - 12. Jump up ^ `` Film Reference Alyson Hannigan Bio ''. Filmreference.com. Archived from the original on 10 February 2010. Retrieved 2010 - 03 - 07. Jump up ^ Bloom, Nate ( 2004 - 07 - 09 ). `` Celebrity Jews ''. the Jewish News Weekly of Northern California. Retrieved 2006 - 07 - 16. Jump up ^ `` Hollywood Now : Alyson Hannigan, Jewish Male Actors, Fall Feature - InterfaithFamily ''. Retrieved 27 October 2014. Jump up ^ Biography for Alyson Hannigan on IMDb Jump up ^ `` Interview : Alyson Hannigan on American Pie ''. Scotland on Sunday. April 22, 2012. Retrieved 2012 - 06 - 12. Jump up ^ `` Alyson Hannigan ''. SuperiorPics.com. Retrieved 2010 - 04 - 18. Jump up ^ `` Alyson Hannigan Biography ''. Biography.com. Retrieved 13 August 2015. Jump up ^ `` It 's Evening in America ''. Vanity Fair. May 2012. Page 158. Jump up ^ `` Where Are They Now ? Buffy the Vampire Slayer ''. People. December 3, 2007. Retrieved 2012 - 06 - 12. Jump up ^ `` When Harry Met Sally, Review by Philip Fisher ( 2004 ) ''. British Theatre Guide. Retrieved 2010 - 04 - 18. Jump up ^ `` ' Veronica Mars ' scoop ''. Chicago Tribune. January 20, 2006. Retrieved 2012 - 06 - 12. Jump up ^ Alyson Hannigan on IMDb Jump up ^ Kate Stanhope ( 2009 - 10 - 01 ). `` Deschanel, Hannigan and Others Cop a Feel for a Cause ''. TVGuide.com. Archived from the original on 1 October 2009. Retrieved 2009 - 10 - 01. Jump up ^ `` Alyson Hannigan, Cobie Smulders and ' Mother ' - hood ''. USA Today. April 15, 2012. Retrieved 2012 - 06 - 12. Jump up ^ Alyson Hannigan tapped to host Penn & Teller : Fool Us in season 3 Jump up ^ Alyson Hannigan Welcomes a Daughter !, People Magazine, March 31, 2009 Jump up ^ `` Alyson Hannigan Welcomes Daughter Keeva Jane ! ''. usmagazine.com. 12 June 2012. Retrieved 19 September 2016. Jump up ^ `` ' Vampire Slayer ' star Alyson Hannigan settles on contemporary lair in Encino ''. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 1 January 2017. External links Find more aboutAlyson Hanniganat Wikipedia 's sister projects Media from Wikimedia Commons Quotations from Wikiquote Alyson Hannigan on IMDb Alyson Hannigan on Twitter Satellite Award for Best Cast -- Television Series 2000 The West Wing Alan Alda Stockard Channing Kristin Chenoweth Dulé Hill Allison Janney Moira Kelly Rob Lowe Joshua Malina Mary McCormack Janel Moloney Richard Schiff Martin Sheen Jimmy Smits John Spencer Bradley Whitford 2001 Buffy the Vampire Slayer Amber Benson Marc Blucas David Boreanaz Nicholas Brendon Charisma Carpenter Emma Caulfield Sarah Michelle Gellar Seth Green Alyson Hannigan Anthony Stewart Head James Marsters Michelle Trachtenberg 2005 Rescue Me Denis Leary John Scurti Daniel Sunjata Mike Lombardi Steven Pasquale Andrea Roth Callie Thorne Adam Ferrara Larenz Tate James McCaffrey Dean Winters 2006 Grey 's Anatomy Justin Chambers Eric Dane Patrick Dempsey Katherine Heigl T.R. Knight Sandra Oh James Pickens Jr. Ellen Pompeo Sara Ramirez Kate Walsh Isaiah Washington Chandra Wilson 2007 Mad Men Bryan Batt Anne Dudek Michael Gladis Jon Hamm Christina Hendricks January Jones Vincent Kartheiser Robert Morse Elisabeth Moss Kiernan Shipka Maggie Siff John Slattery Rich Sommer Aaron Staton 2009 True Blood Chris Bauer Mehcad Brooks Anna Camp Nelsan Ellis Michelle Forbes Mariana Klaveno Ryan Kwanten Todd Lowe Michael McMillian Stephen Moyer Anna Paquin Jim Parrack Carrie Preston William Sanderson Alexander Skarsgård Sam Trammell Rutina Wesley Deborah Ann Woll 2012 The Walking Dead Andrew Lincoln Sarah Wayne Callies Laurie Holden Norman Reedus Steven Yeun Lauren Cohan Chandler Riggs Melissa McBride Scott Wilson Danai Gurira Michael Rooker David Morrissey 2013 Orange Is the New Black Taylor Schilling Laura Prepon Michael J. Harney Michelle Hurst Kate Mulgrew Jason Biggs 2014 The Knick Clive Owen André Holland Jeremy Bobb Juliet Rylance Eve Hewson Michael Angarano Chris Sullivan Cara Seymour Eric Johnson David Fierro Maya Kazan Leon Addison Brown Grainger Hines Matt Frewer 2015 American Crime Felicity Huffman Timothy Hutton W. Earl Brown Richard Cabral Regina King Caitlin Gerard Benito Martinez Penelope Ann Miller Elvis Nolasco Johnny Ortiz 2016 Outlander Caitriona Balfe Sam Heughan Tobias Menzies Lotte Verbeek Laura Donnelly Steven Cree Duncan Lacroix Grant O'Rourke Gary Lewis Graham McTavish Stephen Walters Simon Callow Nell Hudson Dominique Pinon Stanley Weber Richard Rankin Sophie Skelton Andrew Gower Rosie Day Clive Russell Frances de la Tour Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress on Television Justina Vail ( 1999 ) Jeri Ryan ( 2000 ) Jolene Blalock ( 2001 ) Alyson Hannigan ( 2002 ) Amy Acker ( 2003 ) Amanda Tapping ( 2004 ) Katee Sackhoff ( 2005 ) Hayden Panettiere ( 2006 ) Summer Glau / Elizabeth Mitchell ( 2007 ) Jennifer Carpenter ( 2008 ) Julie Benz ( 2009 ) Lucy Lawless ( 2010 ) Michelle Forbes ( 2011 ) Laurie Holden ( 2012 ) Melissa McBride ( 2013 ) Melissa McBride ( 2014 ) Danai Gurira ( 2015 ) Candice Patton ( 2016 ) VIAF : 75865733 LCCN : no00079350 ISNI : 0000 0001 1475 2623 GND : 103376759X SUDOC : 12603902X BNF : cb14032435k ( data ) MusicBrainz : df09624b - 16c6 - 4147 - 9e6f - 5a244e0c3975 BNE : XX1608152 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alyson_Hannigan&oldid=811362386 '' Categories : 1974 births 20th - century American actresses 21st - century American actresses Actresses from Atlanta Actresses from Los Angeles Actresses from Washington, D.C. American child actresses American film actresses American people of Irish descent American people of Jewish descent American stage actresses American television actresses California State University, Northridge alumni Jewish American actresses Living people Ashkenazi Jews Hidden categories : Wikipedia pending changes protected pages ( level 1 ) Articles with hCards Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with ISNI identifiers Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Wikipedia articles with BNF identifiers Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikiquote Aragonés Asturianu Български Català Čeština Dansk Deutsch Ελληνικά Español Euskara فارسی Français Galego 한국어 Հայերեն हिन्दी Hrvatski Bahasa Indonesia Íslenska Italiano עברית Kiswahili Latviešu Magyar मैथिली مصرى Nederlands नेपाली 日本 語 Norsk Polski Português Русский Scots Simple English Slovenčina Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska தமிழ் Türkçe Українська Tiếng Việt Zazaki 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 21 November 2017, at 03 : 47. 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Question: who played lily on how i met your mother
Answer: Alyson Lee Hannigan