10 Best Performances In How I Met Your Mother
3. Alyson Hannigan - Lily Aldrin
Fresh off the success of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Alyson Hannigan struck TV gold once more after securing the role of Lily Aldrin. An old college friend of Ted's and Marshall's long-time partner, Lily is a very complex and often unsure character who always manages to be the voice of sanity amongst the more haphazard personalities of her friends.
Lily's a teacher, an artist and a woman unsure about her future. She wants to paint; she wants to be with Marshall; she wants to travel. It's a tough balance of emotions and plot-lines to pull off, but Hannigan has zero issues with controlling her character's complexities.
Outside of her great arc, Hannigan also has Lily offer up some of the show's funniest and most touching moments, from the time Marshall stabs her with a sword to the time she admits her troubles with being a mother. She might be a little crazy, but her bizarre habits are brilliantly contrasted by her loyalty and kindness when her friends need her.