[edit]
Okay, here it is. No spoilers, though.
Alyson in Wicca-Land
Who’d have thought nerd Willow had it in her? Season six of ‘Buffy’ saw the unassuming sidekick turn into the ‘big bad’ and kick some Scooby ass! Alyson Hannigan tells ‘dreamwatch’ all about her Wicca ways...
Words: Jenny Cooney Carillo
Dreamwatch: Willow has changed so much over the past six years of ‘Buffy’. How does it feel to be one of the original characters of the series?
I’m thrilled obviously because it gives me a lot to do. It’s awesome. I can’t complain.
Has the show changing networks [from the WB to UPN] in the US affected its content?
I definitely feel this has been a very exciting year. I don’t know if that is really necessarily because we moved to UPN or if it’s a coincidence... After 100 episodes, I think that it was time to make sure that it was still exciting and fresh. Whatever they did upstairs they did it right, because this year has been very cool and very good.
Willow got into some darker stuff this season. Did you enjoy that?
Yeah, definitely. It’s always fun to push buttons and the greatest part is that the show really dealt with the consequences of her addiction. [With] the power being the most important thing in her life, obviously the consequences are severe. Almost killing Dawn and losing Tara; these were two very, very big problems that she had to cope with. She had to deal with it and try to recover from it. I like that they didn’t brush over that and say, ‘Oh well, it’s all OK’, at the end of the episode.
What has been the reaction to Willow and Tara’s relationship?
It’s very supportive. People have just been so sweet about it, and it’s just really affected people in such a positive way. People that were in the same sort of situation - it showed them that they weren’t alone, especially kids that were fighting with whether or not they could come out. They sort of felt like they weren’t the only people in the world going through this, so that has been great.
Why do you think the series has had such an impact?
The writing on the show is just stellar. Even our not-so-great episodes are just really good, far better than a lot of other stuff I’ve done, certainly in my past. That’s where it starts and then you can just go down the line to great actors and an incredible crew. We’re just really, really lucky.
Was the musical episode a high point of the season for you?
I was dreading it. But once it was over and done with and I saw the magic that they can do in the producing and the mixing, I was like “Well, I could have done that.” I didn’t have to be so nervous. It really is incredible technology. They can make anyone talented! So it was definitely fun, but it was the most work we’ve ever done for one episode.
Growing up, who for you was a role model?
I had people on my walls and stuff, but they weren’t exactly role models. I had a crush on Ricky Schroeder and Michael Jackson. I really liked John Lennon too.
Do you see yourself as a role model?
I don’t know. I mean, I guess somebody could say that, but I don’t know...
Do you think you have a responsibility as an actor to your fans?
I think my responsibility is not to be a jerk to them when I meet them. That’s as far as I can go. It’s a personal thing, you know. As far as the roles I choose and what my character does, that’s an evolution that is my career. I can’t look outside of what I want to do or what I think I should do, because if I try to choose for people I don’t even know I’m obviously always going to disappoint somebody. I think my responsibility to them is to be grateful and to be appreciative of them and when they’re complimenting me not to take that for granted.
How aware are you of the series’ cultural impact?
It’s a little strange. My boyfriend and I walked into Toys ‘R’ Us the other night and there was a Buffy game and we were both like ‘Wow!’ You know, you just don’t even realise that there’s merchandise or certain things, because we don’t necessarily see it all. That’s strange,. We come here every day and it just doesn’t have any of that in it. It’s definitely a different part of the show. I just feel pretty removed from that.
You haven’t participated in the DVD releases?
Occasionally I’ll get the fax, ‘Do you want to do the interview for the DVD?’ and [when] I come home after a long day, I’m like ‘Uh, no!’ But of course 10 years from now I’ll be like ‘Oh, I should have done that interview’ if I’m buying the DVD for my kid or whatever.
Do you get any fan letters?
Yeah, it’s awesome. They’re very sweet and now they’re from all over the world, which is great. It’s so cool just looking at all the little postmarks. Occasionally someone will send some candles or something, but nothing totally out of the ordinary. I think the writers have gotten letters saying ‘That spell was incorrect - if you actually looked up what that meant...’ That’s probably a small handful of people!
Male or females?
Kind of 50/50. There’s definitely a strong male contingent. It’s equal. After ‘American Pie’, I get a lot of comments on the street. People have no problem talking about it there or when they’re driving by. So if anything, I think, it’s given them more of an opening. The guys I would want to approach me would probably have more of a problem, but the guys that I wouldn’t want to approach me certainly do in a way that’s kind of offensive. I have to remember that was ‘American Pie’ and it’s all fun. I just like the fact that they all think it’s the first time I’ve ever heard that joke and I have to pretend ‘Wow, that’s original!’ The fans of ‘Buffy’ compared to ‘American Pie’ - they’re definitely two different types of people. I think that’s true for movies versus television anyway. With television we go into their house on a weekly basis, hopefully, and I just think that they feel a closeness to our characters. In movies it’s different.
With your commitment to the TV series, how hard is it to do movies?
It’s difficult. We basically wait until the hiatus, which starts in April. It’s hard to find a good project that you want to do instead of travelling or just spending time with your friends.
Do you get lots of projects similar to your character in ‘Buffy’?
No. I would say mainly I get stuff similar to ‘American Pie’. That is, if you find something that’s right and it works out in the timeline. That’s always tough.
How entwined are you with Willow now?
I can turn it on and turn it off on set. I mean obviously if she’s doing something emotionally draining that sort of lingers. There’s really, really tough emotional days. You just go home and you just sleep it off.
Is she close to you?
Oh, definitely. She’s cool. I like Willow; she’s awesome. She’s definitely a friend I would have.
If you could get Willow to do a spell for you, what would it be?
Probably I’d ask for a spell to be able to write and speak every language ever. I would just love to be able to do that. That would be very useful. Especially when I have to do those damn spells on TV so I’d understand what I was saying. [laughs]
Is there any time when you ever feel like ‘I can’t do this, the character’s gone too far’?
The only thing that’s close to that would be just sort of reading a script and going ‘Wow, this is really good, I hope I don’t mess it up.’ When the writing is so, so stellar you’re like, ‘If this isn’t good it’s all because of me’. Because the scripts are great. So that’s the only fear I really think of.
What’s your favourite episode?
I guess maybe the musical. It was fun and very sweet and it was just so nice to see everybody put such hard work into it - every single crew member, every cast member, everyone. So it was really a nice change of pace. It was something that obviously I’d never done and the majority of people had never experienced that, so it was really fun. It was [a] good sort of bonding experience.
Don't keep up with the Joneses. Drag them down to your level. - Quentin Crisp
Bitterness Central
Aly always comes across as so nice and generous to her fans. The interview itself sounds like it was done before the finale. 
at: 6/27/02 10:24:18 am
at: 6/27/02 11:42:52 am