Alyson Hannigan is well-known for her roles in American Pie, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and How I Met Your Mother. One thing all her characters share is vibrant red hair. But surprisingly, that signature shade isn’t her natural color.
Hannigan was born with auburn hair. She dyed it red in the 1990s when she was cast as Willow Rosenberg on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The change was suggested by the show’s creator, Joss Whedon. “He had us all over to his house—Charisma [Carpenter], Sarah [Michelle Gellar], and I all had brown hair,” Hannigan told PopSugar. “Joss said, ‘All of your hair is kind of the same shade. Does anyone want to be red?’ I went for it.”
The bold red look stuck. Like co-star Sarah Michelle Gellar, who blended Buffy’s fashion into her real-life style, Hannigan embraced red hair both on and off the screen.
In 2024, the actress shared a childhood photo on Instagram that showed her natural light brown hair in braided pigtails. Another photo from 1989 revealed that her hair darkened as she got older.
Although red became her trademark, Hannigan hasn’t been afraid to experiment. In March 2024, she debuted a bold pinkish-red color and joked on Instagram, “Hello midlife crisis, I think I like you.” Fans loved it, with comments referencing her past characters: “Are you Michelle or are you Willow?” one user asked. Another said, “This color is so Lily!”
Her pink-toned look was short-lived. A few months later, she posted a family photo showing a return to a more natural red-brown, closer to the trendy amber tones popular in 2024. Hannigan shares two daughters with husband Alexis Denisof.
While it’s unclear if she’ll ever return to the bright red of her Buffy days, Hannigan admits watching old episodes can be a little uncomfortable—especially because of her hair. “It’s a little like looking into an old yearbook,” she told PopEntertainment.com. “You know, ‘Oh what was I thinking wearing that? Look at my hair! It’s so weird!’ But perhaps I can get over the vanity stuff and enjoy it.”
