From ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ Star to Hollywood : See What Alyson Hannigan Looks Like Today at 51

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Most people remember Alyson Hannigan as Willow from “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” Now 51, she’s enjoyed a thriving Hollywood career, beginning with minor parts in the late 1980s and leading to starring roles in popular TV shows and movies.

Hannigan’s career began to gain traction with the 1988 sci-fi comedy My Stepmother Is an Alien, where she worked with Seth Green – who she would later star alongside as her boyfriend in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Forbes). The following year, in 1989, she landed her first recurring TV role on the ABC sitcom Free Spirit, though the show didn’t last long.

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For me, 1997 was the year Alyson Hannigan really broke through. She landed the role of Willow Rosenberg, Buffy’s awesome best friend, on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and that show was huge! It wasn’t long before everyone knew her name – she became a star internationally.

Hannigan became well-known for her role as Willow, which led to opportunities in teen and comedy movies like Boys and Girls (2000) and the American Pie series. She first appeared as Michelle Flaherty in American Pie (1999) and then returned for bigger parts in American Pie 2 (2001) and American Wedding (2003). The American Pie films eventually earned close to $1 billion globally, solidifying Hannigan’s place in popular culture.

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Hannigan continued playing Willow on the show Angel, which was a spin-off of Buffy. In 2004, she made her first appearance in a stage play in London’s West End, performing in a stage version of When Harry Met Sally… alongside Luke Perry. Her work on Buffy helped her gain recognition and the opportunity to take on bigger roles, marking a significant moment in her career.

In 2005, Alyson Hannigan gained widespread recognition for her role as Lily Aldrin on the popular CBS sitcom, How I Met Your Mother. The show centered around a group of friends living in New York City, and Hannigan’s character – a kindergarten teacher who also enjoyed painting – quickly became beloved by viewers. She received a People’s Choice Award for Favorite TV Comedy Actress in 2010.

The show lasted nine seasons, concluding in 2014 and cementing her status as a TV star. Alongside her television work, she also starred in films like Date Movie (2006) and revisited her role in the American Pie series with American Reunion (2012), which earned over $235 million globally.

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Alyson Hannigan recently hosted the show Penn & Teller: Fool Us from 2016 to 2023. She also appeared in the Disney Channel movie Kim Possible (2019) and provided the voice of Claire Nancy on the show Fancy Nancy from 2018 to 2022. In 2023, she was a contestant on Dancing with the Stars, where she and partner Sasha Farber finished fifth.

Alyson Hannigan married her Buffy the Vampire Slayer co-star, Alexis Denisof, in 2003. They live in Encino, Los Angeles, with their two daughters, and their home has even been used as a set for the show This Is Us. Hannigan has successfully kept much of her personal life private while continuing a successful acting career that started many years ago.

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Alyson Hannigan’s career took off thanks to Buffy, transforming her from an actress with small parts into a globally recognized star. The show opened doors for her in both movies and television that likely wouldn’t have existed otherwise. She’s proven her incredible range by successfully working in teen comedies, sitcoms, on stage, as a voice actor, and as a host.

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2026-02-24 18:45