Success Easy As Pie [But Film Won't Tempt Alyson]
Alyson Hannigan's role in the controversial comedy film American Pie may have lifted her profile through the roof, but her on-going part in Buffy the Vampire Slayer remains her top priority. Hannigan, in Queensland for the recent Noosa Film Festival, wasn't able to wait around for Tuesday's Australian release of American Pie because of her commitments to the series she describes as "the best job going."
"Doing American Pie was a real blast and I just had heaps of fun," the actor says, still trying to recover from a nasty case of jet lag. "But doing films is something I have to work around Buffy because that is my job. I love playing Willow and there aren't any other shows around where you get the variety - the chance to do drama, comedy, horror and science-fiction - on the one show. When you feel like it's a privilege to go to work, you know you're on a good thing."
Hannigan says that variety she has enjoyed on Buffy has really whetted her appetite for variety in her film work. American Pie is written for laughs, following a group of graduating teenage boys out to claim that ultimate rite of passge - losing their virginity. But while many people say the film appeals to male and female audiences in different ways, Hannigan is not one of them.
"I think my sense of humour is definitely not that of a normal female. I have a sick sense of humour and I love the shock value of American Pie. Interestingly, her role as Michelle, the geeky band player with a voice cadence guaranteed to drive anyone crazy, leaves the viewer with the impression she has played a longer, more dominant part than she really has. As Hannigan points out, she only had to take seven days off from the Buffy production to film her scenes. However, since American Pie was released in the US, its popularity and her performance have brought several offers for copycat parts, all of which Hannigan has turned down.
"Some were in films that weren't so good or so funny and some were in films which just wouldn't fit around my series commitments. Besides, it was time for something different. I've just been working on an independent film called Beyond the City Limits. It's a more dramatic role and something I have been able to work on at the same time as Buffy." And how long does Hannigan believe her Willow role will last? "Well, we're into our fourth season now and the fan base is actually growing. I hope that means the show will be around for a while yet. It would be hard to find another gig this cool."
Taken from an unknown publication...sorry
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