In "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," Alyson Hannigan plays a shy wallflower who becomes Buffy's friend and confidante. In real life, Hannigan is a veteran actress who has been performing since the age of four. During the series' hiatus, she filmed the Paramount/MTV Films feature "Dead Man on Campus," starring Tom Everett Scott.

She began her career in Atlanta doing commercials, working steadily in national spots for companies like McDonald's, Six Flags Amusement Parks and Oreo cookies. When Hannigan was 11, she moved to Los Angeles in hopes of breaking into film and television.

Her breakthrough role came when she was cast as Dan Akroyd's misunderstood daughter in the feature film "My Stepmother Is an Alien." She went on to guest star on a number of popular television shows, including "Picket Fences," "Roseanne" and "Touched by an Angel." She was a recurring guest star on the series "Almost Home" and a series regular on "Free Sprit."

In her free time, the Washington, D.C. native and Dr. Seuss fan likes to surf the web, practice kick-boxing and spend time with her dogs and cats. She currently resides in Los Angeles.