Alexis Denisof

Last updated
Alexis Denisof
Alexis Denisof May 2015.jpg
Denisof at the May 2015 Phoenix Comicon
Born (1966-02-25) February 25, 1966 (age 58)
Alma mater London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
OccupationActor
Years active1986–present
Spouse
(m. 2003)
Children2

Alexis Denisof (born February 25, 1966) is an American actor, primarily known for playing Wesley Wyndam-Pryce in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off Angel . He also had a recurring role on How I Met Your Mother . His wife, Alyson Hannigan, starred in both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and How I Met Your Mother.

Contents

Early life

Denisof was born in Salisbury, Maryland, [1] the son of Christiana Taylor and Gerald Denisof. [2] [3] He is of Russian, Russian-Jewish, French, and Irish ancestry. [4] He moved to Seattle, Washington, when he was three years old. He attended Highline College, where his mother was head of the drama department. After graduating from St Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire at the age of 17, he moved to London, England, where he lived and worked for several years. [5] Denisof is listed as an Alumnus of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in 2017-18 'LAMDA Review of the Year'. [6]

Career

Beginning his career in the film industry, Denisof was the fight director for a stage production of Hamlet , and in 1991 was the fight director for the BBC's The Other Side, Romeo and Juliet, and The Soul's Dark Night. [7] His first lead role was alongside Sir Christopher Lee in the feature film Murder Story (1989) where he played an investigative reporter. One of his first known works in television was on the arcade version of the video for "Got My Mind Set On You" by George Harrison. In 1995, he landed a small part in the 1995 film First Knight , appearing as one of Arthur's round table knights in multiple scenes with Sean Connery and Richard Gere. [1] Following those roles, Denisof worked with Sean Bean in three episodes of Sharpe as Lord John Rossendale in 1997. [2]

(From left to right) Tom Lenk, Emma Caulfield, Denisof, Alyson Hannigan, Anthony Stewart Head, Joss Whedon, Michelle Trachtenberg at the Buffy cast party, April 18, 2003 Buffy The Vampire Slayer cast.jpg
(From left to right) Tom Lenk, Emma Caulfield, Denisof, Alyson Hannigan, Anthony Stewart Head, Joss Whedon, Michelle Trachtenberg at the Buffy cast party, April 18, 2003

His best-known character, Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, was introduced in 1999 in the third season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer as Buffy's replacement Watcher. Originally, Wyndam-Pryce was supposed to be killed off in the season 3 finale but, due to Whedon's surprise at how well he fit into the series, Denisof was given the choice about his character's fate and chose for him to live. As a result, Wyndam-Pryce later arrived as a motorcycle-riding rogue demon-hunter in season one, episode 10 of Angel , and was an official main cast member from episode 11 on, effectively replacing the character Doyle. Wyndam-Pryce appeared in 100 out of the 110 episodes of the series.[ citation needed ]

The end of the series in 2004 saw a lag in Denisof's career. Save for appearing in three episodes of the hit series How I Met Your Mother , as the goofy philandering Sandy Rivers, Denisof would not work as much as he used to for the next several years. During this time he appeared in several stage productions, including Rope at Chichester Festival Theatre's Minerva Theatre with Anthony Head, who played Wesley's predecessor Rupert Giles on Buffy. Denisof was among 200 actors considered for the role of James Bond in Casino Royale , but lost out to Daniel Craig. Later, in 2008, he appeared in season 2 of Private Practice as a man named Daniel, a bigamist who has two pregnant wives who don't know about each other. [8] In 2009, he appeared in four episodes of Joss Whedon's Dollhouse as Senator Daniel Perrin. [9]

Denisof at the 2012 Toronto Film Festival Alexis Denisof TIFF 2012.jpg
Denisof at the 2012 Toronto Film Festival

In 2011, Denisof reprised his recurring role as Sandy Rivers in How I Met Your Mother ; he ultimately appeared in 10 episodes in total, and his last appearance was in the episode "Gary Blauman". In a season 1 commentary, creators Craig Thomas and Carter Bays speculated that Denisof was initially reluctant to take the role back in 2006 because he feared it was just charity work on account of his wife, Hannigan, playing a main character on the show. They went on to state that he was not aware, until they actually told him, that they were huge fans of his work dating back to his time on Angel . [10] [11]

Since 2011, Denisof has been relatively active. He played a voice role in the animated DC film Justice League: Doom . He was featured in the majority of episodes in the AOL webseries Little Women, Big Cars. He was then cast as a lead in Bryan Singer's new webseries H+: The Digital Series . He then reunited with Joss Whedon for two different film projects. The first was a minor role in the summer blockbuster The Avengers , as The Other, a servant of the character Thanos, and a cohort of Loki. The second was the lead male role in a modern version of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing , which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival, to positive reviews from critics. The film was released worldwide in June 2013. [12]

In August 2013 he was cast in the third season of NBC's Grimm as a recurring character named Viktor Albert Wilhelm George Beckendorf. [13] In 2014, Denisof reprised his role as The Other in Guardians of the Galaxy . In the same year he began starring in the MTV television series Finding Carter as David Wilson. [14] As of 2018, Denisof starred in the web series I Love Bekka & Lucy as Glenn, and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actor in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series, his first such nomination. [15]

On November 28, 2018, Deadline Hollywood reported that Denisof would play the recurring role of Adam Masters in the second season of Netflix's Chilling Adventures of Sabrina . [16] In 2019 he began playing the recurring role of Professor Vardemus in the supernatural television show Legacies .

Personal life

Denisof with Alyson Hannigan, April 18, 2003 Alyson Hannigan and Alexis Denisof.jpg
Denisof with Alyson Hannigan, April 18, 2003

According to the DVD release of Angel's season five, three weeks before the filming of the season premiere, Denisof was stricken with Bell's palsy, from which he later recovered. Due to the paralysis of the left side of his face, scenes were structured to not show its effects. [8]

Denisof married past co-star Alyson Hannigan, who played Willow Rosenberg in Buffy the Vampire Slayer , on October 11, 2003. The couple live in Encino, Los Angeles. [17] They have two daughters: Satyana Marie, born in March 2009, [18] and Keeva Jane, born in May 2012. [19]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNote
1989Murder StoryTony Zonis
1991Dakota RoadJacob
Snow and FireDavid
1995 Innocent Lies Christopher Wood
First Knight Sir Gaheris
1996 True Blue Ed Fox
1998 The Misadventures of Margaret George
1999 Rogue Trader Fernando Gueller
2001Beyond the City LimitsYuri
2002 Tarzan & Jane Nigel TaylorVoice [20]
2011 Love, Wedding, Marriage Lloyd
All-Star Superman Dr. Leo QuintumVoice [20]
2012 Justice League: Doom Mirror Master Voice [20]
The Avengers The Other
Little Women, Big CarsWoody
Much Ado About Nothing Benedick
2014 Guardians of the Galaxy The Other
2020Under My SkinMike

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1994Romeo and Juliet Tybalt Television film
FaithJoel
Soldier Soldier Lt. Bob SteadmanEpisode: "Proud Man"
1997 Crime Traveller Episode "Fashion Shoot"
Sharpe's Revenge Lord John RossendaleTelevision film
Sharpe's Justice
Sharpe's Waterloo
Hostile Waters John Baker
Highlander: The Series Steve BannerEpisode: "Diplomatic Immunity"
1998Ghost CopJonah BladeTV pilot
The Orchard WallsDennisTelevision film
1999 Noah's Ark Ham
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Wesley Wyndam-PryceRecurring role (season 3), 9 episodes
1999–2004 Angel Main role, 100 episodes
2000 Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) Richard ShelleyEpisode: "Paranoia"
2001 Batman Beyond ZanderVoice, episode: "Curse of the Kobra" [20]
The Legend of Tarzan HenryVoice, episode: "New Wave"
2006 Justice League Unlimited Mirror MasterVoice, episode: "Flash and Substance" [20]
2006–2014 How I Met Your Mother Sandy Rivers10 episodes
2008 Private Practice DanielEpisode: "Serving Two Masters"
2009 Dollhouse Senator Daniel Perrin4 episodes
2012–2013 H+: The Digital Series Conall SheehanWeb series
2013 Perception Dr. Randall VetterEpisode: "Defective"
2013–2015 Grimm Viktor Chlodwig zu Schellendorf von Konigsburg17 episodes
2014–2015 Finding Carter David Wilson31 episodes
2015 Robot Chicken Mr. Peanut, Michael Knight, Knife Shark NarratorVoice, episode: "Cheese Puff Mountain"
2017I Love Bekka & LucyGlenn11 episodes
2019–2020 Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Adam Masters4 episodes
2019–2022 Legacies Professor VardemusRecurring role, 9 episodes
2023 How I Met Your Father Sandy RiversEpisode: "Ride or Die"

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alyson Hannigan</span> American actress and television presenter

Allison Lee Hannigan, known professionally as Alyson Hannigan, is an American actress and television presenter.

<i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</i> American supernatural TV series (1997–2003)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is an American supernatural drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon. The concept is based on the 1992 film, also written by Whedon, although they are separate and unrelated productions. Whedon served as executive producer and showrunner of the series under his production tag Mutant Enemy Productions. It premiered on March 10, 1997, on The WB and concluded on May 20, 2003, on UPN.

Angel is an American supernatural television series, a spinoff of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series was created by Buffy's creator, writer and director Joss Whedon, in collaboration with David Greenwalt. It aired on The WB from October 5, 1999, to May 19, 2004, consisting of five seasons and 110 episodes. Like Buffy, it was produced by Whedon's production company, Mutant Enemy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tara Maclay</span> Fictional character

Tara Maclay is a fictional character created for the action-horror/fantasy television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003). She was developed by Joss Whedon and portrayed by Amber Benson. Tara is a shy young woman with magical talents who falls in love with Willow Rosenberg, one of the core characters. Together, they help Buffy Summers, who has been given superhuman powers to defeat evil forces in the fictional town of Sunnydale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wesley Wyndam-Pryce</span> Character in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel

Wesley Wyndam-Pryce is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. Played by Alexis Denisof, Wesley first appeared in the fourteenth episode of Buffy's third season in 1999, appearing in nine episodes before moving over to spin-off series Angel where he became a main character for all five seasons. Following Angel's final season, the character's story is continued in the 2007 canonical comic book series Angel: After the Fall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jenny Calendar</span> Character in Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Jenny Calendar is a fictional character in the fantasy television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003). Played by Robia LaMorte, Jenny is the computer teacher at Sunnydale High School. Unbeknownst to Buffy or anyone else, Jenny has been sent to Sunnydale to keep an eye on Angel.

Faith (<i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</i>) Character from Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Faith Lehane is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Played by actress Eliza Dushku, Faith was introduced in the third season of Buffy and was a focus of that season's overarching plot. She returned for shorter story arcs on Buffy and its spin-off, Angel. The character's story is continued in the comic book series Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, and she also appears in apocryphal material such as other comic books and novels. Faith was set to receive her own spin-off television series after the final season of Buffy, but Eliza Dushku declined the offer, and the series was never made. The character later co-stars in the 25-issue comic book Angel & Faith beginning in August 2011 under the banner of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine, the story taking place mostly in London and the surrounding area. Seven years after the character's creation, Whedon granted her the surname Lehane for a role-playing game and subsequent material. The last issue of Season Eight was the first source officially confirmed to be canon that referred to Faith by her full name.

"Bad Girls" is episode fourteen of season three of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It was written by Doug Petrie, directed by Michael Lange, and first broadcast on February 9, 1999 on The WB.

Darla (<i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</i>) Fictional character from Buffy and Angel

Darla is a recurring fictional character created by Joss Whedon and played by Julie Benz in the first, second, and fifth seasons of the American supernatural television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The character later appeared in the Buffy spin-off series Angel, making at least one appearance in every season. She made her last television appearance in 2004, appearing as a special guest star in the fifth and final season of Angel.

"Spin the Bottle" is episode 6 of season 4 in the television show Angel. Written and directed by series creator Joss Whedon, it was originally broadcast on November 10, 2002 on the WB television network. In "Spin the Bottle", Lorne performs a magic spell on Cordelia to help her regain her memory, but instead the spell causes all the Angel Investigations members to revert to their teenage personae.

The use of music was a key component in the fictional Buffyverse established by the TV shows Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. Many actors of both series are professional singers/musicians, including Anthony Head, James Marsters, Amber Benson, Andy Hallett and Christian Kane.

"Welcome to the Hellmouth" is the series premiere of the American supernatural drama television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It originally aired on The WB on March 10, 1997 in a two-hour premiere along with the following episode, "The Harvest". The episode was written by the series creator and executive producer Joss Whedon and directed by Charles Martin Smith. "Welcome to the Hellmouth" received a Nielsen rating of 3.4 upon its original airing and received largely positive reviews from critics.

<i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</i> season 3 1998-1999 season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer

The third season of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer premiered on September 29, 1998 on The WB and episode 22, the second of the two part season finale, aired on July 13, 1999. However, episode 18 "Earshot" did not air until September 21, 1999, shortly before the season 4 premiere. The show maintained its previous time slot, airing Tuesdays at 8:00 pm ET. "Earshot" and "Graduation Day, Part Two", were delayed in the wake of the Columbine High School massacre because of their content.

<i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</i> season 4 Season of television series

The fourth season of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer premiered on October 5, 1999, on The WB and concluded its 22-episode season on May 23, 2000. It maintained its previous timeslot, airing Tuesdays at 8:00 pm ET. Beginning with this season, the character of Angel was given his own series, which aired on The WB following Buffy. Various Buffy characters made appearances in Angel, including Buffy herself; Cordelia Chase, formerly a regular in Buffy, and Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, who appeared in Buffy season three.

<i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</i> season 5 2000–2001 season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer

The fifth season of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer premiered on September 26, 2000, on The WB and concluded its 22-episode season on May 22, 2001. It maintained its previous timeslot, airing Tuesdays at 8:00 pm ET. This was the final season to air on The WB before it moved to UPN; The WB billed the season five finale as "The WB series finale".

<i>Angel</i> season 1 Season of television series

The first season of the television series Angel, the spin-off of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, premiered on October 5, 1999, on The WB and concluded its 22-episode season on May 23, 2000. The season aired on Tuesdays at 9:00 pm ET, following Buffy.

<i>Angel</i> season 2 Season of television series

The second season of the television series Angel, the spin-off of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, premiered on September 26, 2000, on The WB and concluded its 22-episode season on May 22, 2001. It maintained its previous timeslot, airing Tuesdays at 9:00 pm ET, following Buffy.

<i>Angel</i> season 4 Season of television series

The fourth season of the television series Angel, the spin-off of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, premiered on October 6, 2002, on The WB and concluded its 22-episode season on May 7, 2003. The season aired in a new timeslot, Sundays at 9:00 pm ET, and then relocated to Wednesdays at 9:00 pm ET, beginning with "Habeas Corpses".

<i>Angel</i> season 5 Season of television series

The fifth and final season of the television series Angel, the spin-off of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, premiered on October 1, 2003 on The WB and concluded its 22-episode season and its television run on May 19, 2004. The season aired on Wednesdays at 9:00 pm ET. This is the only season of Angel to air following the finale of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

References

  1. 1 2 "Alexis Denisof". Metacritic . Retrieved August 13, 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Alexis Denisof Biography (1966-)". Film Reference.com. Retrieved October 27, 2014.
  3. "Alexis Denisof". TV Guide. Retrieved October 27, 2014.
  4. "Alexis Denisof". SuperiorPics.com. Archived from the original on July 13, 2019. Retrieved April 24, 2012.
  5. P., Ken (February 11, 2003). "Interview with Alexis Denisof". IGN.com . Retrieved March 16, 2013.
  6. "LAMDA Review of the Year" (PDF). www.lamda.ac.uk. January 1, 2018. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  7. "Alexis Denisof: Performing Credits". Bentley's Bedlam. March 8, 2001. Retrieved April 24, 2012.
  8. 1 2 Mitovich, Matt (October 27, 2008). "Exclusive: Angel Alum Brings Double Trouble to ABC's Practice". TV Guide. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
  9. Bierly, Mandi (August 5, 2009). "Alexis Denisof starts shooting 'Dollhouse': Please play a suit-wearing badass". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved February 24, 2015.
  10. Gelman, Vlada (December 16, 2010). "How I Met Your Mother: 'Buffy's' Danny Strong, Alexis Denisof to guest". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved February 24, 2015.
  11. O'Connell, Michael (March 17, 2014). "'How I Met Your Mother' Reunites Cast Spouses as End Draws Near". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved February 24, 2015.
  12. Hasan, Zaki (August 8, 2013). "Interview: Alexis Denisof & Amy Acker on Much Ado About Nothing". The Huffington Post . Retrieved February 24, 2015.
  13. Ng, Philiana (December 12, 2013). "'Grimm': Alexis Denisof Makes His Royal Debut". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
  14. "Video: MTV Debuts the Trailer for Its Highly Anticipated New Drama Series, 'Finding Carter'". The Futon Critic. June 11, 2014. Retrieved June 12, 2014. "Finding Carter" stars Kathryn Prescott as "Carter Stevens" (Skins), Cynthia Watros as "Elizabeth Wilson" (Lost), Anna Jacoby-Heron as "Taylor Wilson", Alexis Denisof as "David Wilson" (Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel) and Zac Pullam as "Grant". The series also features Milena Govich as "Lori", Meredith Baxter as "Grandma Joan" (Family Ties), Robert Pine as "Grandpa Buddy" (CHiPs), Eddie Matos as "Kyle", Alex Saxon (The Fosters) as "Max", Jesse Henderson as "Gabe" and Stephen Guarino as "Toby".
  15. Eckmann, Sam (24 July 2018). "Alexis Denisof ('I Love Bekka and Lucy') could become the first 'Buffy' alum to win an acting Emmy". Gold Derby . Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  16. Ramos, Dino-Ray (December 28, 2018). "Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina: Mckenna Grace To Guest Star, Alexis Denisof & Jedidiah Goodacre Set For Recurring Roles". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  17. Leitereg, Neal J. (December 31, 2016). "'Vampire Slayer' star Alyson Hannigan settles on contemporary lair in Encino". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved January 1, 2017.
  18. Wihlborg, Ulrica (March 31, 2009). "Alyson Hannigan Welcomes a Daughter!". People . Retrieved August 4, 2018.
  19. Ravitz, Justin (June 12, 2012). "Alyson Hannigan Welcomes Daughter Keeva Jane!". Us . Archived from the original on June 15, 2012. Retrieved October 27, 2014.
  20. 1 2 3 4 5 "Alexis Denisof (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved October 23, 2023. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.