Alyson Hannigan’s Hollywood star flickered to life at four, hawking McDonald’s and Oreos with a grin that popped off screens. Born in 1974 in Washington, D.C., to a realtor mom and truck-driver dad, she landed in Atlanta post-divorce, her mom Emilie steering her into acting’s orbit. By her teens, in L.A., she juggled North Hollywood High and auditions, later studying psychology at Cal State Northridge—yet the spotlight never dimmed. Her quirky charm, a blend of wit and warmth, turned small gigs into a legacy.

Her film debut, 1988’s My Stepmother Is an Alien, hinted at potential, but 1997’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer lit the fuse. As Willow Rosenberg—shy geek turned fierce witch—Hannigan flexed from lovable to haunting, anchoring a cult classic for seven seasons. Then came 1999’s American Pie, where her Michelle Flaherty spun band-camp tales into comedy gold, a role she reprised across four films with pitch-perfect timing. In 2005, How I Met Your Mother sealed her trifecta: Lily Aldrin’s sass and heart shone for nine years, her chemistry with Jason Segel a fan favorite.

She didn’t stop there. Parodies like Date Movie, voice work in Robot Chicken, hosting Penn & Teller: Fool Us—Hannigan danced across genres, her versatility a quiet superpower. Off-screen, she wed Alexis Denisof, her Buffy co-star, in 2003; their daughters, Satyana and Keeva, grounded her in a private, joyful life. Now 51 as of March 24, 2025, she’s still at it—2023’s Under Wraps 2 and Fool Us gigs show her spark’s alive, delighting fans at cons with tales of Willow and pie.

Picture her: a kid with a cookie ad, morphing into a triple-threat icon. Hannigan’s charm didn’t just win roles—it built a career that still hums with humor and heart.