Alyson Hannigan

to talk about my stepmothers an Alien. Right, Hello everybody, and welcome to the very first episode of Off the Beat. I am your host, Ryan Baumgartner, and I am so excited to start this journey with all of you. Now, my guest today has fought demons, worked as a kindergarten teacher, and let's just say she has had a lot of crazy experiences at band camp. Get ready for an absolutely

hilarious conversation with Alison Hannigan. Now, Alison, she was born to be in show biz and she has been working in the industry for her entire life, well with the exception of a couple of years when she was a baby, but we'll just let those years slide, okay. And while her early jobs may have been motivated by the promise of desserts. She has since been in everything from Buffy the Vampire Slayer to American Pie to How I Met Your Mother and now to my daughter's current obsession, Fancy Nancy.

And somehow in all of that, she also managed to have her very own the office experience. Now that is what you call a tease. It was my absolute pleasure to sit down with Allison. And you're not gonna believe how funny she is. I mean, you probably will believe it, but you get my point. Please welcome with me the incredible, the unbelievably talented Alison Hannigan. Bubble and Squeak. I love Bubble and Squeak on Bubble and Squeaker cookie every month,

left over from the night before. Oh, I can hears my breathing. It's very awkward. I'm going to breathe away from the microphone. Alison. Hello, Alison, how are you good? Are you in a beehive? I am in a beehive. Well, my initials are b beast. Yes, so I try to make everything around me like I'm a bee. I love it. You have a bed in your background. I'm in a guest bedroom, which is actually very close to our bee hives. So there you go. Do you have bee hives? My yes,

it's my husband. He's yes, he's trying to get all the bees. I think it was gonna be let's just have one beehive. Now we have, like I don't know, we're a shelter for bees. His beekeeper that he works with is like, hey, we've got some bees from Beverly Hills. They need a place to stay and bring him over. That's not how my husband sounds, but I I imitate him like that. I didn't know people did this city. Yes, yeah, I mean we have a lot of space, so that's helpful.

But yeah, we are the honey people now. I just just saying to a friend that we just we're going to be known as the honey people because every time we go somewhere, we're like, here's some honey. But I love that. I want some of your honey. And I mean that in a yes, Okay, come get some honey, some oranges. We can take care of your shopping needs. I used to have avocado trees, lots of huge, huge avocado trees, and there's only one thing in the world I can't eat which is avocados. So there you go.

That was like, no, we don't have the trees anymore. Now I moved. I didn't cut them down. I didn't. It wasn't like a fie on you trees. But yes, no, I don't have them anymore. We have an avocado tree, but it is a strange breed of avocado that I don't know. Our gardener says you're supposed to eat the skin. I don't believe him, and it's gross. They're not tasty, but he has wonderful AVOCADOSM brings us some. Well, there you go. You can trade for the honey exactly. Um,

I'm such a big fan of yours. I'm so excited to be talking to you. But I want to go back into your brain. Boy. Okay, good luck. Well, because we have we have some like weird crossovers, though not not exactly. You were born in d C, but you started acting in Atlanta. That is where I am from. No, yes, the A T L And I was there when you were there. If my research is true, did you move

to Atlanta or you just started acting in Atlanta? So we My mom and dad sort of split up in d C when I was a baby, and then she was born and raised in Atlanta, so she moved back there with me. And so even though it's born in See, I don't remember it at all. Like, my hometown is Atlanta. That's where I was in elementary school and everything. Yeah, where did you go to elementary school? Well? First it was this small little private school called the Children's School

right near Kimont Park. And then I really I really wanted to take the school bus, so I begged my mom didn't take me out of private school and so I could go to public school. She's like, okay, And so then I went to UM. I had one year of Garden Hills Elementary School, and then moved to middle school and went to Sutton Middle School, and then we moved out to California. Okay, all right, I know Sutton. I was a Holy Innocence and Westminster kid in the

A t L. So you started doing commercials. I understand when you were four in the A t L. Now was this something that you were interested in or your your mom was interested in, or how did this start? Well? I don't really actually remember a time where I didn't want to be an actress. So for me, I always wanted to do it. Back then, it was a hobby. It was like I played soccer and I also did

commercials and print jobs. Both my parents were photographers when I was a baby, so if they ever needed a you know baby for modeling, they just stick me in front of the camera and I loved it. So that sort of led to you know modeling, and you know, I thought that was really fun, and then commercials as well. My first commercial was like a Duncan Hinz cookie commercial.

I think I was basically an extra, but I got to just walk with this chocolate chip cookie to the car and it was really hot because its Atlanta, and the chocolate chips would just melt all over my fingers, so they wouldn't let me eat the cookie, but I could lick my fingers after every take. It was heaven. I was sold right then and there, like this is the job for me. But then you said you moved

to Los Angeles. So now when you moved to Los Angeles, were you moving because you wanted to pursue this or yes, yes, My mom was really supportive. My dad had moved out to Santa Barbara and I came to visit him when like some break or something and uh, and she had set set up some agent meetings because we had always heard it was really hard to get agents in California. So we met with like four agents and they were all like, well, if you move out here, we'll take you.

So she was like, all right, let's do it. So she was kind of bored, and that's how we got out here, I mean, thankfully. I think I had gotten really close to or so I was told to this movie with Sissy Spacek and Mel Gibson I think called The River or something. The River anyway, remember a long time, but so so they did you know, it was a southern movie or whatever, and and I wound up screen testing for that and so I think that kind of gave her a like, oh wait, maybe she can do

more than just the local commercials. So we did and we moved out and I had an agent and worked a little and didn't work a lot, But it was just something I always knew that I wanted. I just got like a weird accent then always. I don't know where that came from. Always, but yeah, I mean I remember just I was an only child, still am and uh, and then I would be home alone a lot and I would just always pretend that I was on television.

I was, like I thought, I guess I wanted to be a reality television star before it ever was a thing. But um, so I would just walk around the house like thinking, I'm on television right now, somebody. I just can't see the cameras, but I'm sure that I'm on TV. You know, I wanted to be Cindy Brady, so I just always knew. So. So the long answer to that question is yes, my mom definitely wanted it as well, but it wasn't She was not pushing me into it, right. Did you do Did you do theater at all? Or

was it really for you about film? I did a little bit of theater, but not not really like I wasn't a proper actor or sorry, Um, I did do my first like stage show at the Alliance Theater. It's like the biggest. She just name drops, like the biggest. I just did this one show, probably a camp it was. I don't really remember. I was very young, but I do remember that we all did Shell Silverstein's A Light in the Attic, which is just really cute little short stories.

But we would act out short stories and I just thought that was brilliant. I love that. The Giving Tree still one of my favorite too. Now, you played soccer as a kid, and you you got an injury. Was that something that was significant for you? Well, it was significant in making the shift from Southern to California, because as I, okay, girls in the South don't kick that hard. You know, they're not as aggressive, They're much more polite.

But I mean, it was an accident, but basically I got kicked in the ribs really hard and sort of dislocated something I don't know, but that was the end of my soccer career. So I used to before that, I would say I want to be a soccer player or an actress, and then it was just okay, I only have one option. Now I don't like getting hurt, Well, I asked, because I had. I had a very similar story, and I won't bore people with the entirety of the story. But my dream was to be the first baseman for

the Atlanta Braves. Like not just a professional baseball player, but like that was my dream. And I went through an injury and a surgery and something went terribly wrong for me, which ended my athletic career. And so I really got into acting and theater for me at the time because sports were no longer an option for me. Right, I don't know if sports were an option for me. I thought I was really good when I was in Atlanta, Like, I was usually one of the better players on the team,

even though it's small. I was quick and I was good. Um. But then I got out here and everybody's really really good, and I was like, okay, I'm not that good. And then I got hurt immediately, and I was like, that's fine. I wasn't very good compared to these people. There was a lot of like, oh, you've got the ball, It's okay, you know. I mean, you know. I was on a team called the Mighty Mites. Although you know what you just reminded me of I did when I first started soccer.

I was like three. I was on an all boys team. I was the only girl and we got to play at halftime for the was it the Chiefs? The Chiefs? The Chiefs say that anymore, the Chiefs. I don't think they are the Chiefs anymore, but they were back then

in the seventies. Yeah, And so we got to go to the you know, Big formerly known as Chief stadium, and I think they brought on a goal to put it on the center line so that you wouldn't have to run because I had never seen a field that big and uh and I just remember running by somebody in the audience and they're like, that's a girl. Okay, we gave it away the braids. And the weird thing is that was me. That's the crazy thing about it. That was me saying that. I remember going to those

games and watching people play and thinking they didn't pick me. Um, you knew early on you you wanted to be an actor. What television shows were of influence to your What what were you watching? I was watching a lot of reruns, you know, Brady Bunch. I love Lucy Gilligan's Island. I went on and off of that one. You know. I didn't like it when it went into color. I was like, no, this is this is just too much for me. Um. But yeah, I just I wasn't really allowed to watch

television that much, except maybe on weekends. But my mom was a single mom and she worked a lot, so I would watch television when she wasn't home, and goodness, she never like touched the TV to see if it was warm. But yeah, so so whatever really was on after school. I remember when I was a little older, I became friends with Oh, when I went to public school and I went, I became friends with this girl who had cable. Oh that was amazing. So I would go to her house and like, can we watch cable?

Can we watch you can't do that on television. She was like no, she was so over it. I was just like, this is gold. You have so many channels. It was amazing. So I would watch whatever I could it, honest, whatever you could. Yeah, would you act it out? Yeah, definitely. I remember seeing a production of Annie and getting the record and just playing that over and over. I cannot sing to save my life, but I was like, oh, you know, so I would just sit there and reenact

the songs by myself at nauseam. Yeah, well I still do that. That's the weird thing. And I don't really sing either. So you moved to Los Angeles and started to work. What was the role for you that you felt like, oh, I've made it or I've done it?

Was that my stepmother is an alien or I mean I thought that was going to be the break, you know, Actually it wasn't even when I got that role, it was that was a very long process of auditioning, and they did an old fashioned screen test like lights camera action. So my mom and I were drying into this screen test, and at that point, I think it's like down to two or three girls. And then they had some some

of the guy characters as well. And we pull into the Fox lot, the twentieth century Fox lot, and I see Seth Green walking across the parking lot and I just about lost it. I was like, Oh, that's the kid from Amazing Stories, and I just I mean, oh, my goodness, how I was even able to like say a line after seeing him, And it was just the greatest day. We spent the day of they were sort of, you know, doing chemistry tests of this kid with that kid,

and it was just amazing. It's still after that took several months before we found out that I got the job, so it was really grueling, but I got the job and I got to be in this like big huge motion picture with you know, I had my name on a chair and it was just so exciting, and Dan Ackroyd was in it and combasing her and it was just incredible. I turned I was thirteen and I turned fourteen while filming, and dan Ackroid gave me a bicycle, and I just thought it was the greatest moment of

my life. And it had this yellow ribbon that I didn't take off, so I'd right around the lot with the bow on it. And then the transport Transportation Department would put in my trailer at night, and then you know, I take it on the morning or whatever. And one day, I don't know why we were on the lot. I think it was like the weekend or something, but we were there for some reason and we walked past and I saw the bow on the ground. I was like, what what, Why is the bow on the ground? What happened?

And Uh, turns out my bike got stolen. They ripped the bow off, they just threw it aside, and they stole a kid's bike. And so anyway, when yeah, they stole my bodd bike, did the bowl And by the way, I think they ran over the bowl on the way out that had like tire marks. I could be exaggerating that my imagination, but that's how my heart felt. That's how it felt, right. It's I just durned fourteen. I can't handle this kind of thing. You stole my bike

off of the twentieth century Fox lot. By the way, It's not like I just left it outside of a seven eleven. It was on a lot anyway. So Dan found out, and of course, he being such a sweetheart, replaced the bike, and he told me he was going to replace the bike. But I do remember I was doing a scene where I had to be really emotional and I was riding the character's bike and Richard Benjamin was the director, and he he started shouting, just think

about your bike. But at that point I had already known that, like Danton had already told me he was going to give me another one, and so it kind of like made it worse. Like I was already in the like I'm going to cry space, but then when he's like, think about your bike, I just kind of like, now I can't. I've got to stop laughing. Yeah, So I do remember, like that's not the best direction right now, because I know that makes me happy I'm getting a

new bike. Was there a yellow bow on the new bike? Oh, good question. I probably just take like tire marked bow and put it back on there. Put it back on it. I kept the tire mark bow for a long time. Yeah, do you still have is it on your wall? Have to like through storage? Okay, I have a lot of those things, like yeah, from early things. It's like, oh, the call sheet from this there's like a box of old call sheets that I have never gone through again.

I don't know, but somebody would love that call sheet. Now, my daughter would love that call sheet. Your daughter was huge. Yeah, she's a huge, and and I'm getting a lot of cool points by talking to you today. Until she finds out that I said the word cool points, I'll get some deductions for that. But yeah, she's very happy. I heard you haven't shown your kids Buffy? Have they seen Buffy? No? No?

And then my husband, who was also on Buffy for season and a half or something, he just the other day I was like to our oldest daughter, I think you're probably old enough for Buffy. And I was like, excuse me. I feel like this was a discussion. You don't remember the part where I flay somebody a lot, like their skin comes off, Like do they need to see that? Do they need to see when Willow goes evil? I don't know. That's interesting. It's not that they don't

want to you don't want them to, it's too horrible. Well, I just I'm scared of the later sits like went Dark Willow. I just they can watch it, or well, my older one could watch it up until Dark Willow and then we'll just take a break for a few years and find a good therapist. But Michael Scott is okay, oh yeah, totally brilliant, brilliant. I remember watching the second episode with her and it was just it's so good,

it's so good. And by the way, can I talk about my embarrassing moment with probably Greg Daniels, but I don't actually know for sure. I was doing some pilot that didn't go around the time that they were casting for The Office. I was a massive fan and lamb of the British version. I think it's probably the best television show ever made. So I was in doing chemistry reads with somebody at the NBC whatever for the pilot

I was going to do. I had flown in from like London because I was doing play there and so so anyway, we were doing chemistry reads in the you know, the Kevin Riley's office or whatever, and but then there were all these people like in the hall doing something else, and I was like finally said what's going on or whatever, and someone who is clearly one of the you know, producers or somebody of the Office, I was like, oh, we're making an American version of the Office, And without

even like thinking twice, I was like, no, don't do that. That's horrible idea, Like you can't. I was like, don't You're going to ruin it. I was like, and I'm like saying this to somebody who's clearly like they're in the process of making this show, and shut up. But it was just like this reaction because I just you know, held the British Office up to like such a huge you know, it's it's the golden child of of television shows.

I'm glad they didn't listen to me. Um, But still about whoever I said that too, I don't actually know who it was, but um, yes, that's amazing. Oh yeah, I was like, oh, that's such a bad move. Well, by the way, John Krasinski said it to Greg Daniels as he was auditioning for the show as well, so it was probably probably like, oh my god, I know, how you know, how can I go about doing this? So you well, so first off after my stepmother is an Alien, you you felt like you had done it.

And wait and by the way, Seth Green, not only were you his love interest once you ended up being it again? Was he like your teen idol? Is that what you call it? Yeah, I mean I was certainly starstruck when I first met him and saw him. But then so we both wound up getting my stummage in Alien.

So we worked on that. That was really fun. And then I did another like or I did a sitcom and he was on a few episodes of that, and then I feel like, I feel like there were quite a few other jobs, like little jobs where he was on it, and so then I just was like, well, I can only work if Sath Green is on it, Like that's the only job I'm going to get. So he was basically he's my lucky charm, is what I thought. And I was like, well, I don't know. I mean,

I've got this audition. Should I see if that's available? That's the only way I'm going to get this job. Zeth, did you get called for this show? Okay, and just tell your agent that we just drive me to the audition because you're my good luck. Time read with me. Yes. So in nine you get Buffy. What was the process of you getting that? Were you had you seen the movie? Were you a fan of that story? Did you know anything about it? I mean, much like my my other story.

I heard that they were making a show of Buffy the van Personay, I was like, oh, can't they just get a better idea? So who knew? I was so

negative back then. But anyway, Um, so I had a friend who would get the breakdowns, which you know are for anybody who doesn't know it's when it's when they put out like all the auditions that are going on, all the shows and stuff that are looking for people, And so he would get them somehow, and he kept saying, like, there's a part for you on this pilot, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. So I would call my agent and say, hey,

so my friend says I'm right for this. Yeah, no that we've called, they don't they don't want to see you, okay. And so I called a few times about it because he kept pestering me, and then they shot the pilot or it was a pilot presentation with somebody else. I never even got to audition for it. So then it gets picked up, they're recasting that role. My friend calls again, Hey,

it's back in the breakdowns. You've got to go in on this, And so I called my agent again and they're like, they didn't want to see you, I don't think, and I'm like, well, my friend says I'm good for it, and anyway, so basically I did get the audition that time. I think it was just all right, we've seen everybody else, so I don't I don always say it. So I went in and I just auditioned, an auditioned, an auditioned an audition. I think I had eight auditions for the role.

And I was I was always told by like my acting coaches as a kid, always wear the same thing to the callbacks, so it's fine when they're spaced out, but towards the end it was sort of like, Okay, come back tomorrow. And then I'm like, well, wait, I just wore this yesterday. But then I'm also so far in because in the breakdown it says that she looks like her mom still dresses her, and so I had an outfit that I wore that was very much what

I thought Willow would look like. And so I do remember the I went to network, which is the sort of you think is the final phase. So it was three of us and you go to studio first, then network. So I wore my little outfit and then usually that's the end of the process. But then they called and said, no, they want to do chemistry reads tomorrow, come back. And I had this huge panic of like, well, do I

still wear the same thing? And then at that point, you know, that was audition seven, so I'm not going to change it up now. But I was like oh, and then I and then I was so superstitious. I was like, I've got to wear everything. I got to wear the same socks. I've got to you know, I've got it. It's got to be everything. So um were the same out of it. And then at that point it was just down to two girls. I obviously had a not so great agent because I knew going in, Oh,

the network wants this girl, Josh wants this girl. You're just you just got through great, thanks for the pep talk, okay, and so so I was just like the filler in the sandwich and uh. And then the second day when we were doing chemistry reads, it was just down to me and one other girl, and it was the girl that I knew Josh wrote the part for, so I was like, oh gosh. And we had been doing the same scenes over and over and over and they wanted to see a new scene. So Josh wrote specifically a

scene for the three of us. Was um for Buffy and Xander and Willow, and it had all this computer jargon and just like a paragraph of just things. I had no idea what it was, but I went in and I was like, okay, I was prepared, and then I started. I got to that paragraph, I could not, for the life of me, like I couldn't even look

at it. The words started jumping on the page and like, I just I think I said some of the words, but definitely not in the right order, and I just kept rambling, and finally I was like, okay, you gotta stop this now. And later um, even though it took a week after that time for them to tell me, I got it and it went back into the breakdowns.

That was heartbreaking, But Josh said, He's like, well, you couldn't say the lines to save your life, but the chemistry was there, and that's when I knew, Like, then, why did it take you a week to tell me on the breakouts. It was so excruciating too, and it wasn't during pilot season, so so normally of course you find out like within twenty four to seventy two hours or something. But my agent was like, sure, take a week to tell her and I was like why why?

So I still like technical way on hold for a week and then I ran into Nick Brendon at the foremosta cafe and he already knew and he said something to me that was like, you shouldn't worry about this, and I was like, well, wait, why because I didn't get it or because I didn't get it? What do you mean I shouldn't worry about this? Now I'm worrying about this and that so um So it was torture and it's a crazy people don't hear these stories. I love because that's what happens. The office was a very

similar situation. I think it was two weeks after the last time I came in and I was calling my manager being like, did we get it? What did they say? What's happened? You know? And you can't think about anything else? And it went back down in the breakdowns. So my friend who gets the breakdowns, was like, oh, you must not have gotten it because it's in the breakdowns again. So they started auditioning other people again, and I was like, well, then why won't they release me? Tell me I didn't

get it, like just one way the other. This waiting is killing me. And it was the days of beepers, so I would like look at my paper every time, and then finally I got a beep to, you know, call my agent. And I was dating some dude that didn't have a phone, and so we went to the seven eleven pay phone. And so I found out that I got it on a pay phone on Westwood Boulevard that is no longer there. It was there for a long time, and I would wave to it when I

drove by. It's no longer there because we don't need few phones anymore, but you'll never forget that the seven eleven still there. What did you do when you when you hung up? Did you yell? Did you pound the glass of the payphone? I think, because I think I just drove myself to go return the call. And then I drove back to my boyfriend's house and I was like, I got it, and he wasn't very supportive. He was like, Okay, it was so good, but boyfriend, UM, but I don't know.

I think I was just so like excited, and I don't actually remember. I mean I remember the phone call of like what are you sure? Me? Okay? Great? And yeah, it was just incredible, especially because I was like, I had had money from when I was a child actor that they like put into a trust fund that you can't get till you're eighteen, so that was sort of

what I was living off of. And I was down to like six d dollars and I was like okay, and I went and I took bartending school classes because I was like, well, I've got to get a job that I can do at night, so I'll be a bartender. And I tried so hard to get a job as a bartender, and nobody would hire me because they were like, honey, you cannot card people. You look like you're twelve years old. There's no way that you can ask somebody for their

I d like, but I need a job. It's easier for alson Hannigan to get on a show that runs seven years. Did you get a bartending job? That is? That's the major takeaway from me on that I had a certificate and everything I went to that school, I spent, you did it more money than I should have going to Bartender School. I could have survived another month without that that fee. Yeah, that's amazing. How much when you're creating a character does physicality enter into it for you?

It does, especially with Buffy and Willow. Actually, Willow. I remember when I clicked into Willow. I was sitting in my little jeep Wrangler and I was going over the lines, and there was this line about she's talking to Buffy and she's try and Buffy's asking like how did they know each other? And Xander and Willow have known each other for years and and Willow says something about like, oh, we used to date, but we broke up and and Buffy asked why and then um, Willow says, because he

stole my barbie so obviously they were kids. And then at the end of the scene, Buffy says, so did he ever give your barbie back? And the line was most of it, And I remember like wanting to make that a really good thing of just like it was like just making it really happy, like most of it, like sort of looking at the positive rather than you know, and that clicked it for me. I was like, oh, that's how I'm going to play her. So then I went back and sort of read all the lines with

that kind of voice. And then I do know that because you know, I hadn't worked like like that. Really. I just was very aware of my arms, and especially in auditions, I was like, what do I do with my arms? And so I had a ring on my middle finger, so I would always like play with that ring. That sort of became how I felt Willow. Yeah, So, so it wasn't like some big bold, you know, I'm going to have a limp, but but it was the holding my ring thing, which I think I've done another

characters too, So don't write in they were influenced. Those other characters were influenced by your work as well. That's how I would That's how I how I would explain it away. Yeah, yeah, I mean there's so much we could talk about with Buffy. I want to hit on at least one thing. So Willow discovers that she likes girls, and in the episode The Body in two thousand and one,

you have a kiss on screen. And for those of you who don't know, this is just a couple of years after Ellen DeGeneres very early on one of the first kisses on network television between women. Was this something that was brought up at the time. Were you sort of aware of it at the time that this was a really significant moment or or how did that come about? Well? I mean, I certainly was not prepared for like how profound it was going to be. Joss had sort of said, oh,

we're bringing on this new character. She's going to be a friend for Willow, and then I feel like he just sort of sort of said, like a special friend for Willow or something like. It wasn't that big of a deal, but it was. It was enough where I was sort of like, huh, okay. And I think because the show handled it so beautifully and it wasn't really

about like, Okay, here we are. This is the first at the time, it was the first series regular from the beginning of the show to come out, and you know, because there had been other shows where they're like, Okay, here, we'll introduce this new character or whatever, but not a character that had been on since the beginning. And because it was just treated this same as you know, the Os Willow relationship, which is what I love so much.

You know, it just felt right and beautiful. It wasn't until afterwards that I realized what an effect it had on so many people and just how important it was. Um. I mean, I just really liked it because, you know, such a beautiful love story and Amber was just so wonderful.

And in fact, speaking of Ellen, I actually I do regret how I played the scene where I come out to Buffy because I was listening to an Ellen podcast years ago and she was talking about her coming out and she was saying that, you know, the reason why people often just cry and cry is because it's it's been this weight that they've carried around, and so it's just the release of that brings you to these these tears.

And I was like, oh no, I screwed up because as I intentionally chose not to make it a crying moment because I didn't want anyone to feel like I was ashamed or like that. I felt like that was anything wrong. So I just wanted it to be I wanted to treat it the same as I would tell her about Oz. But then hearing Ellen's story, I was like, oh no, I should have made it much more emotional, but I just I don't know, So I do regret that. But nobody has ever come up to be told and

told me that I did it wrong. Right, Well, I don't think there is I don't think there is wrong. And as you said, the whole story was handled like well, I think the word you used was beautifully. I think it was handled beautifully and not with a heavy hand. And I know that how important that moment in that relationship. You know, it was for people. Yeah, and by the way, we didn't think people were watching our show either, like

we weren't really. We were the sort of little show, that different show that got really good reviews on the w B at the time, you know, it was. It wasn't until Comic Con that we were sort of like, oh, wait,

we have fans. This is pretty cool. But I do remember once once um those episodes started airing, then we were getting you know, mentions of uh, this the first time a series regular from the start of the show has come out, and and so then it sort of took on this like okay, wait, we actually did do something really incredible. That's awesome. Yeah, and I will forever

be grateful to be part of that storyline. I mean, I'm just the amount of people that come up and say that it was it was so helpful for their development, or to see somebody going through the same things, or I just I've been reduced at here so many times because people's stories and how it helped them. And I love being part of that really ship. I'm so grateful. I do have to ask you because I don't know, it seems like I have to about American Pie such

an iconic, memorable, quotable character. I mean, you've had songs written about your what is it a catchphrase? Is that what we call it? Is it a catchphrase? Yeah? Yeah? An iconic piece of the lexicon of movies? Is that right? Ye? Are you still approached by that? And is that annoying to you? Or do you celebrate it? I mean, look, it's not annoying because I am so grateful to be

in something that people still remember and love. And it's uncomfortable now that I'm a mom and I don't want my kids watching that that movie or asking me about it for a while, but whatever, And it was more uncomfortable when they were a lot younger. Now it would be an easier conversation to have. But I mean, that was just a little independent movie even though it was universal. It was it had a five million dollar budget, which

you know, it's not much. And I remember my manager calling me before I read the script and he's like, Okay, we're sending you the script. You're either going to love it or hate it. Nobody like that's just how it's going. People can't stand it or they love it. So I loved it. And he was saying, take a look at you know, whatever role because all the rules were open, and see which one you like. Oh. I think it

was actually between my yeah, exactly, Heather and Michelle. And I was like, no, I love Michelle and just immediately like wanted to do that part. And so I went. I went to the audition. It was casting. It was just me and the casting director, and he told me, um, no, she can't be that quirky, like take out all the you know, all the quirk just take that away and because we want, you know, we want these two to be together or whatever. And I was like, oh, okay.

I mean it's written in question form. Every line has a question mark at the end of the sentence, and so I was like, oh, all right, well that's weird because that's definitely not how I pictured it. So I did it again, just super boring, and he was like, Okay, great, I'm going to bring you back for the directors and that's that's great. And I got on the phone to

my manager. I was like, they said that they're gonna bring me back for the directors, but honestly, I don't want to go because if he wants me to do it like that, I just that's that's not going to be funny. And so so they were like, yeah, yeah, okay, well let's just see if you get the call back and talk to us then. And so I did, and the call that they took me, my managers took me to lunch right before maybe to butter me up to

go to the callback. I don't know why, but we were at lunch and I had like seven iced teas or something ridiculous, and then I sat in traffic all my way to the callback, and I had to pee, like I've never had to pee before, and I just remember kind of then you have to go through it's on the backload of Universal and drying to find the bungle, I was going to wet my pants and so I was like, well, I don't want to be late. I'll

sign in and then run to the bathroom. So I did that, and I'm like, I went into the bathroom washing my hands, and the assistant comes in to the bathroom and says, okay, we're ready for you, Like, oh, all right, So I never come in the bathroom. Yeah, well yeah, I mean yes, well thank god I wasn't in the stall still, so I dry my hands, but

I never had time to settle down. I still had that I'm gonna weet my pants energy, and so I just went in and I never even decided if I was going to do it boring or the way I wanted to do it. And because I had that like hyper p energy, I just did it the way I wanted to do it, and I got the job. There you go. I'm sure the casting director appreciates me telling that story, but I think that that shows a boldness

from you, whether it was intentional or not. Right, so, like it was just about the P or whatever, But if you read the script this morning, that you would say, if it was just about the PA, it was just about the PA, just about Alison to Hannigan's peak. No, but I mean, like there are times you read something and you see it clearly and it sounds like you did.

There were multiple was available for your choosing at least audition, and you saw a character and you saw the role and they said, well, no, they want it like this. Well that's not you know, well that's not what I wanted to do. I really like, I had so much fun just being weird and like talking in question form. It was so much fun. And then like no, no, no, be just lose the quirk and and just like, you know, we want them to root for them to be together.

I'm like, what, But that didn't I didn't see it that way, and I'm so not normally like that either. I'm very much like, Okay, what do you want? I'm your puppet, you know. So I guess that was just no, this is how I would want to play it. It also helped that I was on Buffy and it wasn't like I have to get this part, you know. It was like, hey, that'd be great. It's a small part in this movie I thought was really funny. But it wasn't like, oh, this is going to change your life,

you know. You didn't know that at the time. So the stakes weren't that high, and I had a job to go back to, so that gave me a confidence that I didn't normally have. And I know and you know that because people always say act like you don't care about the job, but it's you can't. Well, you have to truly not care. You have to truly not

care exactly well. And I'm so grateful that I had a crappy agent for Buffy because they weren't able to give me the script, so I only had the sides, and had I read the script, I would have completely lost my mind and I wouldn't have There's no way I could have gotten it because I would would have wanted it so desperately. So I'm I'm really glad that when I got the script, I was like, I want the lottery. Yeah. I did not realize that American Pie

was that small a budget, not that five millions. As you said, it's not nothing, but it's not a studio movie budget, and that's with like distribution, and and then they were going to dump it in the winter. I think it was going to be like released on Valentine's Day or something, you know, where movies don't really tend to do much now that's when my movies come out. Yeah,

that's where's case you're doing Valentine's Day love movies. But so they did the first sort of test screening where they, you know, grab a bunch of people and say, hey, watch this movie and tell us what do you think? And the ratings or whatever they were phenomenal. It was somewhere in the nineties, like nine percentile or whatever, and they freaked out, like Universal was like, what do we have? So then they made it a summer movie, which you

know that's when like all the blockbusters come out. But I yeah, it was just that sort of It was really like I love the script. Then I remember doing the table read and meeting everybody and hearing everyone and I was sitting next to Sean William Scott and he was like, I think he had just you know, come from working at home depot or something, and he was just the sweetest, most like, can you believe we're gonna do a moving picture? I mean, he was just so

endearing and I love him so much. But they also because it was such a low budget movie, it was tears. So there was like the A tier, which was like the Jason Biggs and Eddie and like the guys cast um and then there's a bat here and I think Sean and I were seat here, so we were like very much bottom, you know, but fine. In fact, I remember, because it was just you knew going in Scale plus fifteen, you know, it's just a you're gonna make as little as they can pay you. But there was in the

contract there was a sequel. Uh, And I was like, and I said to my people, I'm like, I'm not signing on for a sequel for Scale plus fifteen. And by the way, my character leaves at the end of the movie, so she wouldn't even be in the sequel, so they can just take that out. And I don't know why I said that, because you know, it wasn't like I was that savvy in the business or whatever, but they did. They took out the sequel clause because and my character leaves at the end of the first movie.

And boy was that really smart, really smart. Yeah. I wasn't seat here for the sequels, tell you that much. And by the way, I only worked seven days on the first film because and I know specifically, because we had to get my schedule to work around the Buffy schedule. So they had to like, you know, have days off from Buffy. And so they were like, Okay, we'll give

you seven days. And so I worked seven days on the first one and eleven on the second one, and I think they were doing weekends for me, but anyway, Yeah, So so I really did feel like such a minor part,

which I didn't care. I loved I loved Michelle and and then I do remember like the first day of work, We're at some high school and it was a scene where actually her first scene where she's talking to to Jason and and I just remember being at like craft service and some of the crew guys were like talking to me like my character, you know, in question for him and sing songy and like talking about banking camp.

And I was like, oh that's funny. Um. Little did I know later, but I was like, okay, I guess that's good. Imitation is a form of flattery, right, Yeah. But it was just this little movie. And then I remember seeing a screening of it, like just you know, casting and producers, and I was like, oh, this is so good. I'm so excited. And then somehow I got a VHS tape and I remember playing it for Seth and Sarah in the trailer at lunch one day or whatever.

Seth loved it. Sarah was like, it's not my type of film, and I was like, wait, are you doing cruel intentions right now? Um? But yeah, so but I was like, Okay, Seth loved it, that's all that matters. But I was just so excited for my friends to see it because because at that time, that was so my sense of humor, and I just loved it. And so it just was one of those things that every

step of the way it just got better. Like that cast read, I was like, this is good, and then the directors were amazing, and then you know, seeing the final product, I was like, this is unbelievable. It's so cool. And then for it to come out and just be so well received and just such a huge hit, we were like, what is happening? It was a fun ride.

That's amazing. But I can't imagine how many times people have approached you with yes, definitely no. I remember saying once in an interview it's like if I had a nickel for every time. And then I was like, oh wait, I do. Thank you American Pie. That's amazing. See American Pie to American Pie. I know. Wow. I mean, just the people at Universal must just think you're a negotiating shark because you're like that one clause out as probably like I've probably ruined it for a bunch of actors

behind me. They're like, we're not falling for that. You've got to sign your sequels now. I don't care if you're an extra. They learn their lesson. Oh that's amazing. Let me ask Let me ask you this. If you look at you know, three huge cultural works of art that you have been involved with at least that at least have have caught flame, Buffy, American Pie, How I Met Your Mother? What is the what is the role that people come up to you the most about or

approach you the most about. It depends on my location. If I'm around some sort of sporting event, it's going to be American Pie. If I'm at a bookstore, it's probably going to be Buffy or a comic bookshop, and definitely Buffy. Um. And then I would say, overall, How I Met Your Mother probably is the most popular because

it was popular when it was on. Then we started streaming. Well, first we were played on airplanes, and that's when we were like, wait a second, We've got a captive audience, and so we sort of saw that we were getting a little more popular with that, and then Netflix started airing us and that changed everything, and I feel like it just keeps growing. I feel like both of the shows that I was on, we're more popular after they were over than when they were actually on, even though

How I Met Your Mother kept growing. But the fans are incredible. In fact, back to Comic Con, when our our last season and you know, you do the whole press thing of the show's over, and they asked us to go to Comic Con, which was sort of baffling because we're not a science fic. It wasn't like we're the Big Bang Theory. It's like it's a sitcom that has not thing to do. But okay, so we did, and um people stood in line like all night to

be in our panel. And then Entertainment Weekly did some sort of survey where they they gauge all the social media whatever it is to see who won Comic Con. And we won Comic Con. We meet like we beat Superman versus Batman or whatever movie it was, and we were like what we what? Because because people were talking about us the most on social media. I guess that was pretty incredible to to hear. Yeah, that is surprising because comic Con is a very specific type of event.

Definitely that feels way buffier. You must have done that. Yeah, oh yeah, we did. I don't remember when we started, but it was when Seth was on, because Seth and I were there and uh, and we were like, wait, don't don't we get to go like walk around and see all the stuff. And they're like, no, you can't do that. We're like, we have to. We're a common

come we want to go see the stuff. And so then they were like, well we have to send security with you, and we're like, oh my god, which of course draws way more attention than if you just put a baseball cap in and go walk around. And so he and I quickly realized, okay, we can't do this with security. We gotta break free, and so we did

and it was fine. Well, as soon as you have like coming through, coming through, coming through, it attracts a crowd of like what's happening, and then you can't do anything because you've got like fifty people around you sort of trying to figure out why some some dudes trying

to protect you know, having security is way worse. I think partly it's because the security who are with you, they somehow there is an attention that they enjoy about that, like there's a puffier chest, there's a higher walk, and of course, like if you're just standing there, you look at this person who's walking by with this great purpose looking around, and then of course and they're always like seven feet tall. I feel like maybe I'm just short.

But between Seth and I were just like looking up to this these two guys that are trying like causing such a scene where like we know how to do this, we can get it's okay. That was really silly. But anyway, that was just a long winded way of saying It was sometime within the first couple of seasons. But we went down there and we were just shocked at the

fact that we could fill an auditorium. They actually bumped us up to a bigger auditorium because of all the interest in hearing us talk, and it was amazing, And I remember that was the first time I had seen somebody like burst into tears because they got to hug David Boreana so it was just like, oh, people like this show. That's awesome. What was your process for getting cass there on? How I Met your Mother? Oh? How

I Met your mother? Okay, So the creators Craig and Carter, Craig's wife, well, Craig and his wife, Rebecca were very, very big Buffy fans, and so when How I Met your Mother's loosely based on Carter and Craig's friendship. And so when Craig went to Rebecca and said, hey, so Carter and I think about, you know, writing this story kind of based on ourselves, what do you think how what do you think about that? She was like, well, as long as Alice and Hannigan plays me, I'm fine.

And so she basically got me the job. So I always am super grateful to Rebecca for that. And so I got this call, Hey, you know these guys have you know, they've got the script or whatever. And at the time, I was reading a lot of scripts and it really stood out as special. I liked it immediately, and then it was just a sort of will you meet the showrunners? And I was like, okay, is it

an audition? No, just go meet them? Okay, great, which is weird but great um and they were lovely and so sweet, and then the network wanted me to do the audition the test exactly. So I remember I was like, okay, one audition or if ie going straight to network the

big leagues now. So they for for the network tests, they have to iron out the whole deal of you know, how much we're gonna blah blah blah blah blah all this stuff, and I just remember there was like one little hiccup that my p bowl and business affairs couldn't get past. So the network day was going to be like, you know, Wednesday or something, and they didn't have a deal. So I was ready to go test on Wednesday, and no deal, So no, I don't get to test. So

so I thought, well that was it. Okay, And then I think in the room it was Gary Newman I heard, who was the president of twentieth Century Fox who produced the show. But he was like wait, I thought Alison was coming in for this, and then they were like yeah, we can't get or whatever, and he was like, come on, and so they called back and said okay, come test on Friday. It was like two days later or something, and so I did and there were no other girls there,

and I was like, this is awesome. They were testing the role of Barney, so it was just me and a bunch of Barneys. And I'm like, Okay, if I can't get this, then I'm really because I hate auditioning. By the way, I'm so I'm not a great auditioner. It's such a different skill said, and I just don't possess that that that skill set. I get two in my head and I sort of like I leave my body and I start judging myself. I'm like, oh no,

that wasn't good. Watch from the outside, so bad. So anyway, so I was really happy that I didn't have to like sit there and see my competition and uh. And then while I was waiting, Neil Patrick Harris walks in and we had been friends since like we're sixteen or something, so we're both really excited to see each other and just have a familiar face. And he went in first.

Oh he was contemplating doing some sort of prap fall or something um and I was like, yeah, I hit the wall, so I can hear you did it, that you've done it, and he did, get here, you bounced off the door or something um, and I was like, oh, Neil, you're the best. And so I went in. It was just me and that was great. It was fun. And then I left and it wasn't. They didn't make me wait for very long, and I did. I think on the way home maybe I got the call. So that

was really exciting. And then a few days later they were wanted to test for Marshalls. They asked me to come in into a chemistry read. So I did it chemistry read and Jason Siegel and I had been in a movie together years before called dead Man on Campus. Don't rush out to rent that right now. I've missed that one, but I'm going to watch it tonight. You know a lot of people did. It was fine to miss. And when I saw him it was him and some other guy, and I saw him, I was like, oh

that god looks familiar r now. And then we did that like hey, how are you like? We know we know each other. I just have no idea why I know you. And then later on it was I realized we've worked together, um, but he sort of just stood outside and did his thing, and then the other guy was like very much like, Okay, she is the job I'm going to kiss up to her, and so he was like on me the entire time, which fine, like

do whatever you gotta do. And then we go in and I read with that guy, and then I read with Jason, and I mess up. I totally jumped on one of his jokes and I was like, oh, I'm such a jerk. I just ruined this guy's chances. But again, we both played it off and the chemistry was clearly there. But I was so concerned that I blew it for him because I screwed up his one, like one of his punch lines. I was like, oh, I'm so sorry, but thank god he got it because I would have

that would have haunted me for years. Well, and I mean the fact that is that you already had the job, So being back in the corner drinking a glass of wine and smoking a cigarette like you were, it's probably probably why you messed up. It's like, I've got this now, I don't have to be I think I just messed up because I'm terrible at auditions. I mean, clearly, or that's the key to it, is that I mess up,

and it helps because you share the chemistry. Because I messed up in Buffy and I messed up on his How I Met Your Mother. So that's a good lesson actually, not that we're into teaching lessons here, but that there is something about the energy and the intention, and I do think that's so often as actors. Why maybe you struggle, why I struggle at times with auditions is that, yeah, you get so worked up about it being perfect and forget that it's really just about showing yourself as best

you can and that limited amount of time. Exactly. I do really think that chemistry is so there when you mess up. Like, honestly, I've thought about it since, and I'm like, if I were in a casting session, I might try to mess up just to see how how it plays, you know, because then you kind of, without going completely off script, you do get into a little

bit of improv. I don't know, it's just it's just been telling in my situations where where it's like it was so right even though I totally screwed up his line, Yeah, and he handled it beautifully. He didn't, like I mean, he was totally professional. Um, How I Met Your Mother started roughly the same time that the office started. Yes, I think you guys must have started first. Yeah, but I don't feel like there was a ton of It wasn't like we were had some weird competition. We were

clearly like on different nights. I felt like we totally talked about your show and appreciated it. And yeah, I don't feel like there was ever any I mean, honestly, I remember from the start of How I Met Your Mother we were produced by twenty Century Fox that and they also produced My Name Is Earl. And My Name

Is Earle was their baby. They they loved that baby, and so I do remember us always being like, well're not my name is Earl, and it we really felt that, you know, like from the studio perspective of like they don't care about that. Like anytime like the studio run through would run late, They're like, oh, they're lunching with

my Name is Earl. Like, we were definitely bitter about how much attention they got and they got all the you know, the campaigns and and but they also came out with a huge bang and we did not, So you know, rightfully, they probably earned it more than we did.

But uh, that's the only like show. I Oh, and then we got really mad at Dancing with the Stars because they kept kicking our butts with the numbers because they were up against so so for us, I think the only like shows we ever talked about, we're the ones that we're like getting our attention or from the studio or kicking our ass in the numbers. It's fascinating because you know, my name is Earl. We were we struggled mightily out of the gate, and we're almost canceled

a couple of times. My name is Earl is one of the reasons we were even stayed on the air because they put us behind my name is Earl. And yes, exactly as you said, it came out of the gate crazy big, and then nine months in or whatever, we finally kind of overtook them and everything sort of swung that show. It's so crazy that our shows lasted for so long and that show was so huge out of the gate, and then and then bye bye. We were

perpetually a bubble show. We barely got like we barely got the back order, and then you know, it was definitely sort of are we going to get this season two? I don't know, and no, yes we did. And then I don't remember exactly which seasons it was, but It was probably after we started our numbers and popularity started increasing because of you know, really being popular in airplanes and jails, that we did get like a two season pick up. At once we thought we were rock stars.

I think it might have been season three and four, but it was like, not only did we get picked up, but we got our two seasons. That was amazing. Yeah, yeah, we were there too. We were on the bubble for so long. It was so nice not to be called the Bubble Show. I know, I know, yeah, please, um, I know since how I met your mother has been off the air. Now you've been expanding your horizons even further. You're hosting. Do you like hosting Pen and Teller? Do I?

You know? Yes? I love that I get to be thrown into a world that is so foreign to myself, Like the the magician world is just so different. And to get to sort of watch these people come on and perform in front of their icons, because Penn and Teller are living legends. All these magicians have grown up being inspired by them and like and so to watch sort of people's dreams coming true is really cool. To be a little like you know, Fly on the Wall

and the Magic is amazing. I went in knowing very very little, and obviously we've been doing it for a long time now, so I know more than I wish I knew. But there's still so many people that are so incredible that just make me feel like I'm a six year old watching magic happen. So it's it's fun. I have a six year old who watches me do magic, and that's about the only person who would be impressed by mine. I don't know, you should come on. I

don't know, no, chick, come on. You could come on at least to like just be the person that they trick. That would not be difficult for me. That would be really incredible. Alison. I can't let you leave before I tell you I have loved essentially everything that you have ever done except except oh and you haven't seen dead Man on campus. So, and I mean no disrespect to you or anyone else associated with the project, but Fancy Nancy, specifically the theme song for Fancy Nancy gets stuck in

my head. Oh good, I think if you don't like Fancy Nancy, this interview, Fancy Nancy, Fancy Nancy. Thank God we're not singing it well, I mean that's what I do. You used to sing Annie running around the house. I now have to sing Fancy Nancy and then go out of my head. It's such a good show, though. I love the animation, so I'm doing an animated show for Netflix right now too, and the kids are watching that,

and I truly do love it. It's so creative. It's such a different world of acting that I enjoy so much. But no, the theme song for Fancy Nancy, we Gotta we Gotta Work, well, I didn't write it, and I think the kids love it. I love that show that was. I mean, honestly, I've always always wanted to do a cartoon and I don't think I was good at it until I had children, because I do a lot of emoting with my face, apparently, and that doesn't work in cartoons,

so you have to do it with your voice. And I didn't realize that until I had kids and I started reading bedtime stories out loud and like, oh and and Fancy Nancy was just such a dream and I just had so much fun doing that every single time, and honestly, I would have done it for a hundred years. I loved that show and it was just like I also love being part of a show you could just PLoP your kid down and you know it's going to be okay and safe and not like inappropriate for their

their age. So that was I love that show. Fancy Nancy, Fancy Nancy. Well, if there's a reboot, maybe I can come up with a different theme song. Um, Alison, thank you so much for coming and talk to me. No, you're one. You're delightful. Uh too, you offered I think some just some great insight into not just your career, but how a lot of actors should maybe think about the audition process and fame and whatnot. I'm so happy for you and respect you so much. Thank you so

much for talking to you. Thanks for having me. Fancy Nancy, Fancy Nancy. I don't think I'm even doing it right because now it's catchy. Now it's stuck in my head. Alison, thank you for coming on the podcast today. I am so glad we finally got a chance to sit down and really talk. So thank you. Thank you as always to your listeners for tuning in if you liked what you heard today, and I don't know how you couldn't.

I mean, you know it's Alison freaking hand again. She is incredible, But if you did, please go ahead leave a review on Apple Podcasts or send us a note at Instagram at Off the Beat, we would love to hear from you. I will be back next week with another incredible guest from one of your very favorite shows. But until then, everybody, have a great week. We will see you next Tuesday. Off the Beat is hosted an executive produced by me Brian Baumgartner, alongside our executive producer Langley.

Our producers are Diego Tapia, Liz Hayes, Emily Carr, and Hannah Harris. Our talent producer is Ryan Papa Zachary. Our theme song Bubble and Squeak performed by my great friend Creed Bratton, and the episode was mixed by seth Olandski M hmm