Why did Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Alyson Hannigan's husband refuse to date her? Actress recalls rocky start to relationship

Sitcom fans might recognize Alyson Hannigan as Lily Aldrin from the hit show How I Met Your Mother, however, her performance as Willow Rosenberg in the supernatural drama, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, led to her breakout success. The actress married her co-star, Alexis Denisof, in 2003 and shares two children with him. The couple met decades ago on the sets of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, where Alexis played the watcher Westley Wyndam-Price.

Recently, Alyson Hannigan revealed that Alexis Denisof had initially turned her down. Sarah Michelle Gellar and Alyson had a joint interview with US Weekly, where Sarah revealed that Hannigan had fallen head over heels for Denisof.

“Somebody had a crush, and she fell hard,” shared Gellar.

“Oh yeah, and he wouldn’t date me, by the way!” added Hannigan.

Alyson Hannigan reveals the rocky start to her love story with Alexis Denisof:

In a report shared by the Mirror, Alyson explained that she had tried pursuing Denisof, however, her efforts were flatlined when he rejected her initially.

"I was trying to pursue him, but he said he didn't want to date somebody he was working with. But we developed a great friendship," shared the actress.

After coming to terms with the situation, she moved on and started seeing someone new. However, once she was single again, everything shifted.

"When my new relationship ran its course, the whole thing suddenly changed, and Alex and I started to really care about each other. So it was two years before we started seeing each other, and that was back in 1999. I took my mom's advice and thought really hard about the whole thing—and didn't marry until I was nearly 30." explained Hannigan.

Alexis Denisof’s proposal to Alyson Hannigan didn’t follow a script. In an August 2012 PEOPLE interview, Hannigan described how the moment unfolded during a holiday drive to her mother’s house in California. The couple made a stop near a lake to eat while passing through Sonoma and Napa. Initially, Alyson misread her special moment when Denisof launched into a heartfelt speech.

“I’m swallowing the food, and then he just started saying these beautiful, wonderful things, the whole time I am getting kind of frustrated, like, ‘Why does he always do this? He says the most romantic things and it would be the perfect way to propose and then he doesn’t propose.’” she shared her memory.

However, this time was special, as there was a ring.

“But I knew he meant it because he had a ring,” she said.

Reaching two decades of marriage is no small feat, but for Alyson Hannigan and her husband, October 2023 brought that joyful milestone. Speaking with PEOPLE, the actress opened up about their enduring bond.

“It really feels like an accomplishment. I’m so proud of us, the fact that we’re so happy now and that I love him even more than I did then is so awesome. We’re so, so lucky we found each other,” shared Alyson Hannigan.

How the Buffy the Vampire Slayer cast reacted to Alyson's crush on Alexis Denisof:

Before Alyson Hannigan and Alexis Denisof became one of the enduring love stories to come out of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, there were plenty of doubts about whether dating a co-star was a good idea. As revealed in a recent US Magazine report, Denisof was wary of starting a romance with someone he worked so closely with. But he wasn’t the only one who voiced concern.

Hannigan turned to a trusted colleague, Anthony Stewart Head, for guidance. At the time, Denisof was starring on the Buffy spinoff Angel, and the question of whether to pursue something more serious was pressing.

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“I remember Anthony Stewart Head saying — because at this point Alexis was on [the spinoff] Angel — and so it was so obvious that we needed to decide whether or not this was going to be something, so I went to Tony and I was like, ‘Should we go on a date?’ He’s like, ‘Absolutely not. It will ruin your friendship. You guys are too good. Do not date him.’ So on the big anniversaries, I’m like, ‘Hey Tony, thanks for the advice.'” Hannigan shared.

Alyson Hannigan and Denisof's past shows how sometimes, the best choices come from trusting your own heart.

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