How I Met Your Mother's Alyson Hannigan On Being Called 'Drama Queen' And Performing Live For DWTS
The sitcom veteran doesn't get "drama queen" a lot!
Dancing with the Stars has already said goodbye to two celebrity competitors for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy so far in Season 32, but How I Met Your Mother alum Alyson Hannigan is still going strong in the wake of her Latin Night tango with pro dancer Sasha Farber. The pair will foxtrot to Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell's "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" for Motown Night on October 10, and Hannigan spoke with CinemaBlend to reflect on being called a "drama queen" by judge Bruno Tonioli as well as performing live.
Alyson Hannigan was one of the most improved from Week 1 to Week 2, going from a score of 13 for their salsa up to a 19 for their tango. The judges complimented her and Sasha Farber for delivering on the tango, and specifically noted that the sitcom veteran truly got into character with the sensuality and drama needed for the dance. Of course, Hannigan is arguably best known for delivering laughs in How I Met Your Mother, so how did it feel for the actress to be called a "drama queen" by Bruno Tonioli? I asked that very question, and she shared:
The longtime DWTS judge definitely meant "drama queen" as a compliment, and he's never short on fun descriptions of the celebrity dancers. Jason Mraz, who originally had "low expectations" for his time on the show, was described with partner Daniella Karagach as "two coral snakes writhing under the tropical moonlight" by Bruno Tonioli, and Tonioli is responsible for giving Xochitl Gomez her "Little Marvelette" nickname. He gave Hannigan his stamp of approval for bringing drama to the tango!
When I spoke with Hannigan ahead of Motown Night, I noted that she looked much more confident in Week 2 than Week 1 (both available streaming with Disney+ subscriptions), and she confirmed that she "definitely" felt that in her second performance with Sasha Farber. She continued:
Getting a bump of six points from week to week certainly proved that taking the judges' notes paid off for the former Buffy the Vampire Slayer actress. Hannigan also credited her daughter and Season 31 champion Charli D'Amelio for inspiring her approach after her first score. She explained:
While it remains to be seen how this method works for Alyson Hannigan for "AIn't No Mountain High Enough" on Motown Night, it has been a success for her so far. Plus, the process of taking notes helped her feel "comfortable" while she rehearsed, as she said:
Considering that the actress is credited with more than 350 episodes of television between just How I Met Your Mother and Buffy without accounting for all of her other roles, it's no wonder that she was more in her element when she realized that her notes could be like a script for her. Dancing with the Stars airs live on ABC, so I asked what it has been like her to perform live rather than off of a script. Hannigan said:
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It remains to be seen if she'll channel her inner drama queen again for Motown Night, but "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" seems like the kind of song that could reveal yet another side of Hannigan as a dancer. The foxtrot definitely isn't another tango, but you can revisit her Latin Night performance here:
Tune in to ABC on Tuesday, October 10 at 8 p.m. ET for Motown Night of Dancing with the Stars Season 32, or stream with a Disney+ subscription. Alyson Hannigan also shared her hopes for a Taylor Swift Night later this season, so be sure to vote for her if you want to see her advance!
Laura turned a lifelong love of television into a valid reason to write and think about TV on a daily basis. She's not a doctor, lawyer, or detective, but watches a lot of them in primetime. CinemaBlend's resident expert and interviewer for One Chicago, the galaxy far, far away, and a variety of other primetime television. Will not time travel and can cite multiple TV shows to explain why. She does, however, want to believe that she can sneak references to The X-Files into daily conversation (and author bios).