Aly Interview in The Sunday Times U.K.

[Laika 27]

There will be an interview with Alyson published in The Sunday Times newspaper ( u.k.) tomorrow ...July13th. So get down to the paper shop after breakfast u.k. kittens !!!!

[kajo 2000]

Laika 27: Thanks for letting us know. The interview is now available at Times Online:

Quote:

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Culture

Cover story: She shoots, she scores

July 13, 2003



She might look as sweet as cherry pie, but Alyson Hannigan has been pretty shrewd in her choice of roles. And now Buffy's bewitching sidekick is back for another slice of the movie series that has scandalised a nation. Garth Pearce reports.



For Alyson Hannigan, the magic has gone. As Willow, the (mostly) good witch and right-hand gal of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, she has woven her last spell and disappeared into the night, along with the seven-year-old hit series. It has, she says, been a time when all her wishes came true. But for Hannigan herself, the fantasy is not quite over. She is next on screen as her other regular character, the nerdy temptress Michelle Flaherty, in the third film in the American Pie series. This one is called American Wedding. But we should not be fooled by the respectable-sounding title, apparently. The film is still awash with the kind of appalling bad taste that has turned the small-budget original of 1999 into an unlikely film franchise that has so far earned £150m at the box office.



Hannigan is the sole survivor in a cast of some of Hollywood's best-looking twentysomethings — Tara Reid, Mena Suvari, Natasha Lyonne and Shannon Elizabeth included — and, consequently it's another big payday. "I have," she says, "been very fortunate. I have earned well without ever having to suffer the downside, like photographers hanging around to see if you're behaving badly. It has been a journey rich in work and rewards."



Those rewards, including a cool £160,000 an episode for the last 22 episodes of Buffy, and £1.8m for American Wedding, are the sort that cause jaws to drop for those in successful television series or movies in Britain. She has been able to buy a mansion in Sacramento, California, and a top-of-the-range BMW convertible — "Black, with leather seats" — with some of the booty. She is also planning a lavish wedding to her actor boyfriend, Alexis Denisof, one of the stars of Angel, Buffy's brother programme, which spun off four years ago. She met Denisof when his Angel character, the sobersided Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, appeared in the 1999 series of Buffy.



Yet Hannigan looks not the least bit rich or showy when we meet at an ultra-smart hotel in London. She also looks several years short of her age, which is 29. Her sweatpants and T-shirt, finished off with Nike trainers — one of 20 pairs she owns — give her more the appearance of a regular tourist. The only thing missing is the backpack. "When I'm here, I do touristy things," she agrees. "I go shopping at Marks & Spencer — I love the food, particularly the custard pies — and often hire a car to drive out of the city."



On her previous trip, she took a few days off from a round of television interviews and went to Ireland to search out the Hannigan family history. "I drove a car down the M4, into Wales, took a ferry over and ended up in Cork," she says, seemingly unaware that most visiting American actresses need hand-holding to get to the film-company limo to take them 500yd to Gucci. "It was beautiful. But I thought I was a lot more Irish than I really am. I am a weak drinker — one glass of wine or Guinness and I am fuzzed — and my background seems to have got lost in the mists of time."



What also seems to have got lost is any Hollywood-speak, which so often comes as standard issue. Hannigan, with her pale skin, quirky but sexy features and short, reddish hair, comes across as someone close to normal, which can be a dangerous quality among those who do the hiring and firing. She doesn't drink, she doesn't do drugs, she doesn't sleep around and she is more likely to shop at Gap than Versace.



"I am not typical," she agrees. "I also have an aversion to mirrors." Before I have the chance to think that perhaps this is a Buffy moment, she adds: "Everyone in Hollywood seems to be obsessed with mirrors. There are mirrors everywhere, all day — in the trailers where we get changed, in the make-up department, in the hair department, on set. Go to someone's house and what is the first thing you see? A giant mirror. We look at ourselves far too much, and it makes us all self-obsessed about appearance."



Hannigan's own appearance — the approachable, blue-eyed but not too beautiful girl next door — has stood her in good stead in a career that stretches back to the age of four, when she appeared in a McDonald's commercial. Her parents had separated in Washington DC when she was just two, and her mother, an estate agent, took her first to Atlanta, Georgia, and then to Los Angeles. Was it a case of being pushed by mom? "For some reason, I always knew what I wanted," she says. "My mom was just following my wishes to act. I don't know why, because I never really think of myself as a confident person. But I had confidence in acting, even as a kid, and felt at ease. That has never left me. Once I was in Los Angeles, I did all the things that you are supposed to do — get an agent, go to meetings and auditions — and started picking up some work."



The work was steady rather than spectacular. Her debut movie role, in 1988, was as Kim Basinger's stepdaughter in My Stepmother Is an Alien, and she appeared on Roseanne within the same year. After that, there was more television — Picket Fences, Almost Home, Touched by an Angel — until she was hired, as a familiar TV face rather than a name, as the witch Willow Rosenberg in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series could not have done better had it been blessed by a spell from Willow herself.



"We just watched it take off in amazement," she says. "We all believed in what we were doing, obviously, but suddenly to become this hot new cult show, with fans from all over the world, took our breath away. After that, it was a matter of everyone, from the writers to the cast, making sure it stayed popular. I used to pester the show's creator, Joss Whedon, to tell me all the future stories. Then, a couple of years ago, he told me all his plans — and most of them did not happen. So, after that, I told him: 'I don't want to know a thing. I will take the twists as they come.'"



An unexpected twist was Willow suddenly becoming a lesbian — an old stand-by that has been used to spice up many a series of late. "At one point, I was thinking that Willow was really treading water and nothing seemed to be happening for her," she says. "Then we are into a whole new scene and it became exciting. It was also a challenge as an actress, because I am not attracted, sexually, to women in the slightest."



Her strictly heterosexual past includes a marriage proposal from her first long-term boyfriend, the artist Steven Sutphen, after three years together. "Very sweet and flattering, but far too early in my life," she says. She was also the regular date of Ginger Fish, the drummer from Marilyn Manson's band — "My rock'n'roll spell" — and is now the fiancée of 37-year-old Denisof, whom she plans to marry in October. "It was flirtation at first sight with Alexis," she recalls. "I was trying to pursue him, but he did not want to date someone he was working with. So we just developed a friendship, with me hoping it would lead to something else.



"After a time, I got bored with him not wanting to date me. I started seeing someone else and, suddenly, Alexis did not like that. But I kept on seeing this other guy and told Alexis: 'Let's just be friends.' That seemed to make him more enthusiastic than ever. When my other relationship ended, I noticed that Alexis had changed towards me. Flirtation had developed into truly caring about each other. I said: 'What are we going to do about it now? The attraction is too hard to ignore.' It had taken me at least a year to get him this interested. Since then, it has been great. Even now, I think I put him under a spell. Either that or I played things very carefully."



Denisof was entranced. "I remember thinking that if he and I did start dating, it would be 'real'," she says. "I think I got scared off a little, and that's why I let him get off the hook. He had also just got out of a bad relationship and perhaps needed time. After all that, the relationship is now much stronger and better."



But she was so surprised at his marriage proposal last Christmas, she almost refused. They were in the Napa Valley wine region of California, preparing for a picnic. He told her he was going to the car to fetch another jacket, as he was cold, but returned with a made-to-measure diamond engagement ring. "My brain shut off in shock," she says. "I said: 'Oh, no.'" He looked amazed as I recovered and said: 'It's a yes.'"



It would have been easy to become a smart celebrity couple around town. That has been avoided so far, as Hannigan is not big on parties or premieres. "I can understand both the good and bad of being well known," she says. "At its most extreme, Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman were photographed and scrutinised everywhere they went. That must have added pressure to the relationship, even though it was the single biggest surprise to me of all the failed Hollywood marriages when they divorced."



So, it is a wedding, both on screen and off, for Hannigan. In the film, directed by Bob Dylan's eldest son, Jesse, her musician character finally gets together with the hapless Jim (Jason Biggs). Nothing runs smoothly, of course. "There might be a wedding, but it's still in the worst taste," she cheerfully reports. "It is best not to think too closely about some of the gross remarks and scenes. But I think what has kept the films alive is that the audience cares about the characters. The characters still have heart — and that was as important in Buffy as it is in American Wedding."



It is clear that Hannigan has plenty of heart herself. Next up, she is looking at theatre projects in New York for the autumn. "I have something in mind that is as far removed from Willow or Michelle as it is possible to be," she says. "Hollywood is an insane place, and we could do with a break. I always remember that, for the vast majority, there is a very different world out there."



American Wedding is released on August 15.

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Edited to add: I have now bought a copy of The Sunday Times - the Aly interview is in Culture (one of the two magazines that come free with the newspaper).



There is large head and shoulders photo of Aly on the front cover of the magazine with the headline "My, my, Miss American Pie - What next for Alyson Hannigan?" Her hair is a bit shorter than it was at the recent premiere of "The Hulk" - but I'm afraid that I have no access to a scanner.

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"I want to be Byron... because I want to date young boys." Amber Benson

Edited by: kajo 2000 at: 7/13/03 6:43 am

[xita]

Thanks for the heads up and for the article!



It's good to see Aly moving on with her career, theater? Lucky new yorkers!

- - - - - - - - - - -
"The suspense is terrible. I hope it'll last."

-Willie Wonka

[urnofosiris]

Thanks Laika and Kajo, that was a wonderful interview. That interviewer sure seems to like Aly and who can blame him/her.

It's good to read she is doing so well and interesting future plans. Theatre projects in NY? Well that is definitely in the I hope that will happen catagory. Jill honey? Don't get rid of that couch.

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Coffee, Food, Kisses and Gay Love........Get it while you are hot

Edited by: DrG at: 7/13/03 1:16 am

[Ghostwriter]

Thanks for the information! It's great to hear how down to earth Alyson is. New York in the Autumn? That sounds fantastic. If it happens I might actually get to see her in person. Be still my heart. Anyway, thanks for the heads up and the interview, it just made my day!

[DaffyQDuck]

Ooohhh, thanks Laika & kajo. Can anyone translate 160,000 pounds into dollars?

It wasn't our world anymore, they made it theirs and they had fun - Willow

[Hemiola]

Alright, first of all "blue-eyed" (Paragraph 8)????? I always thought that they were rather more green .



DQD, £160,000 is about US$200,000--not a bad haul considering what she had to put up with in Season 7 . Still, it's not in the "Friends"-class of compensation--each of them gets a million (!!!!) an episode.



"not as Irish as I thought I was"--well, of course, given her mother's maiden name (Posner), I assume that she is at least half-Jewish .



Can't wait to see AP3:AW .

[stereo33]

Ok, after reading that interview all I can think about is Marks & Spencer and custard pies - the girl has taste

[Laika 27]

Are M&S custard pies the same as custard tarts ? my favourite for many years.! Thanks to Kajo for putting this up, it's a cool piece.

I hope someone manages to scan the picture with the basketball - I would if I could - that should make a few people very happy indeed !!!

[kajo 2000]

alyson lee has posted some digital photos of the magazine at her website (via a link at the SMGfan Message Board):



Front Cover



First Page



Second Page (contains a post Seeing Red picture)



Laika 27: I think the photo of Aly with the basketball is from an FHM photoshoot from 2 or 3 years ago.

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"I want to be Byron... because I want to date young boys." Amber Benson

Edited by: kajo 2000 at: 7/13/03 12:27 pm

[stereo33]

Laika 27 - Yep, I think it's safe to assume custard pies are the same as custard tarts! I mean you can buy the full plate version or individual ones, and I think that's probably enough

about M & S goodies - btw they are one of my favourites too

[itsnotaspell]

**Hannigan, with her pale skin, quirky but sexy features and short, reddish hair**



she cut her hair????

[Gatito Grande]

Sacramento? A mansion in Sacramento??? (GG's next visit to hometown may get more interesting )*



And I agree, Aly is "not too beautiful" . . . to cause death by anaphalactic shock. In every other way though



I just hope those scans get switched to a site w/ more bandwidth (those Yahoo limits get old).



Re: "not attracted in the slightest": well, at least my opinion of her acting shot, if possible, a lot higher.



GG What can I say, Aly? You bring out my trans side! Out



* . . . in a strictly legal, non-stalker way, of course!

[MadeinNZ]

I almost question whether they were in the same room during the interview. Blue eyes and short red hair???

[drlloyd11]

Quote:

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An unexpected twist was Willow suddenly becoming a lesbian — an old stand-by that has been used to spice up many a series of late. "At one point, I was thinking that Willow was really treading water and nothing seemed to be happening for her," she says.

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That sort of seems a bit of dismissive.

[Incarnadine]

Actually the exchange rate is about $1.63 for £1 so £160,000 would actually be around $260,000 and her £1.8 mil for American wedding would be about $2.93 mil (he probably rounded to £1.8 so she is likely getting $3 mil U.S. and I've heard she is also getting between 1% and 2% of the gross which could be another couple of mil.)

Homer Simpson: Bart, a woman is like a beer. They look good, they smell good, and you'd step over your own mother just to get one!

[frumpycat]

raaa...dr L...I agree on the dismissiveness...I think she definitely doesn't want to be typecast.....too bad....



My best wishes to her. Wow. Sacramento. I'm from that area and it sucks. She must have found a really nice place (with a heck of a lot of air conditioning).



fc



deleted bottom post as on second thought I've decided I'm wrong.

Edited by: frumpycat at: 7/14/03 6:57 pm

[urnofosiris]

I don't see how Aly saying she isn't gay means she is distancing herself from WT, Amber has made similar statements in the past. She does not get into it in this interview much, but there are plenty of other interviews in which she has been very vocal and supportive of Willow and Tara and appreciative of the positive impact they have had.

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Coffee, Food, Kisses and Gay Love........Get it while you are hot

Edited by: DrG at: 7/13/03 10:36 pm

[kajo 2000]

There are scans of the article at alysonhannigancorner.com (WARNING: one of the pages contains a post-Seeing Red image).

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"I want to be Byron... because I want to date young boys." Amber Benson

[Hemiola]

Many thanks for the link, kajo .



Clearly, someone wasn't doing their homework: one of the captions says that the person with Aly in the picture is "Adam Sandler" !!!!

[3peanuts]

Thanks...sorry I read this too late for the Italian edition...



Aly: can a human being seem so cute?

"Cunning linguist" GG

Keynes was right

[DaffyQDuck]

Thanks for the pounds conversion kittens. That's better than I thought she was doing w/ BtVS. Yay! Re the Sacramento mansion, we know they bought a house in the LA area, did they get one in Sac too? Why?

It wasn't our world anymore, they made it theirs and they had fun - Willow

[Gatito Grande]

The basketball shot looks very much like that shot of her carrying books (schoolgirl . . . w/ bra showing! ), which in turn looks very much like early S5 (compare to hair in The Replacement). The cover shot could date to that period, too (I'm sure it wasn't taken later than her latest long-haired public appearance/awards show, right?).



We know she was in Britain (w/ Alexis and Tony, per the wolf pictures) around mid-May---I'm guessing the interview was done around then.



Agreed w/ everyone on how kewl it is she is gonna do theatre in NYC. Break a leg, Gorgeous!



GG I feel like Our Aly is gonna be a Huge Star---we'll be able to say, "we knew her when" Out

[tyche]

As a British person, I have to say that the Sunday Times is something of a rag (owned by Rupert Murdoch's Evil Empire, no less), so I would not be at all surprised that they had got things wrong. And as for this quote

Quote:

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"At one point, I was thinking that Willow was really treading water and nothing seemed to be happening for her," she says.

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I felt that this was referring to season 4 Willow (i.e. post-Oz and pre-Tara), so I felt that Aly was actually implying that she was grateful for the start of the W/T relationship as it gave an interesting storyline with more to do.

[urnofosiris]

Yeah that's the way I read that as well. Aly has never been anything less than positive about WT. For a paper that has the reputation of being a bit of a rag that was a pretty good interview though.

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Coffee, Food, Kisses and Gay Love........Get it while you are hot

[3peanuts]

It would be not wise to dismiss the fans she gained thanks to W/T...btw I can't hide I feel a lil pissed when people repeat every time they can that they are not gay or that they like women/men...



This may not be Aly's case or Amber's...

"Cunning linguist" GG

Keynes was right

Edited by: 3peanuts at: 7/17/03 6:32 am

[Warduke]

Quote:

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btw I can't hide I feel a lil pissed when people repeat every time they can that they are not gay or that they like women/men..

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I totally agree, if you're so worried people will think you're gay, then why did you play a gay character to begin with?

With lines like this..."Her strictly heterosexual past"..."It was also a challenge as an actress, because I am not attracted, sexually, to women in the slightest"...It's like it's imperative that all who read this interview know that Aly is straight

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Lil' Trevor : Always the life of the party.

[chilled monkey]

Bear in mind that this is the Sunday Times (i.e. a rag). If you have a problem, it should be with them, not Alyson herself. The line you refer to was written by someone in the 'Times' afterall.

[VicariousSmoochies]

Again, just to comment that Aly said she wasn't attracted to women, sexually speaking, but that sure doesn't mean she isn't attracted to women at all. She said she'd trade teams to be with Angelina Jolie and, on a Howard Stern segment, she said she has kissed girls...of course, I must mention that she also included the tidbit that she kissed those girls to get back at guys. Huh? But anyway, I highly doubt she feels shame in her and Amber's portrayal of Will/Tara on screen. But if the magazine is a rag of sorts, it seems like a pretty decent interview overall. But I agree, that when I first went through it, I was a bit put off by the over-zealous stating of her hetero-ness. Just my few coppers worth...

[sam7777]

VicariousSmoochies: Too True. Aly has always been positive about W/T. I also think that it was the Sunday Times inserting the bulk of the hetero stuff. I just finished reading Robert Harris' book "Selling Hitler" about the Hitler diary fiasco in the 80's and the Sunday Times does not come off as a great instrument of journalism in that book (neither does Stern or Newsweek for that matter). My opinion of journalism has really dropped. Alot of times you will get "news" that is really based on a teleconference phone interview or a press release. There is little effort made to actually check out stories and impartiality is increasing nonexistent. That said, The Sunday Times interview was pretty good given my low expectation for any Murdock news organ. Thanks Laika for posting it. I always like to hear what Aly has to say.

_____________________

I see dead lesbian cliches

Edited by: sam7777  at: 7/17/03 6:47 pm