Buffy the Vampire Slayer and waiter—before breaking into acting and overcoming his stutter. He landed his Xander Harris role following only four days of auditioning. Ryan Reynolds and Danny Strong also auditioned for the part. Strong later played the role of Jonathan Levinson, a recurring character for much of the series run. Alyson Hannigan was the last of the original six to be cast. Following her role in "My Stepmother Is an Alien", she appeared in commercials and supporting roles on television shows throughout the early 1990s. In 1996, the role of Willow Rosenberg was originally played by Riff Regan for the unaired "Buffy"
Hush (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) fourth most frightening episode in television history. Jarett Wieselman of the "New York Post" listed the scene in which Buffy mimes staking The Gentlemen and its humorous misunderstandings by the other characters among the top five best "Buffy" moments, especially praising Sarah Michelle Gellar's (Buffy) comedic acting. Nikki Stafford, author of "Bite Me! The Unofficial Guide to Buffy the Vampire Slayer" writes "Hush" is "mind-blowing" and "one of the best hours of television ever". For Buffy studies scholar Roz Kaveney, the primary reason "Hush" was successful was the acting strengths of the central cast. "Hush" is Alyson Hannigan's (Willow) favorite