--- name: "Alexis Denisof" canonical: "https://film.one/person/alexis-denisof" fi1m_id: "alexis-denisof" imdb_id: "nm0219206" tmdb_id: 1214673 wikidata_id: "Q366322" roles: ["Actor"] born: "25 February 1966" reviewed_on_fi1m: 5 average_fi1m_score: 76 average_as: "actor" average_over: 5 updated: "2026-09-21T21:04:27.033514+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Alexis Denisof ## Identity Alexis Denisof - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/alexis-denisof - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** alexis-denisof - **IMDb ID:** nm0219206 - **TMDB ID:** 1214673 - **Wikidata ID:** Q366322 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexis_Denisof, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q366322, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0219206/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1214673 Actor. Born 25 February 1966 in Salisbury, Maryland, USA. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 25 February 1966, Salisbury, Maryland, USA - **Active:** 1997–2014 - **Average Fi1m score:** 76, as actor, over 5 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1990s 80 (1), 2000s 66 (1), 2010s 79 (3) - **Fi1m against the critics:** 76 to 76 across 5 titles - **Score spread:** 3 at 80+, 2 at 60–79, 0 under 60 - **Lead roles:** 1 of 1 acting credits billed first or second - **Genres:** Action 2, Adventure 2, Comedy 2, Drama 2, Sci-Fi & Fantasy 2, Science Fiction 2 - **Screen time:** 6 hours of reviewed films - **Box office:** $2,296m across 3 films with figures - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexis_Denisof, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q366322, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0219206/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1214673 ## Streaming the US now - **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Much Ado About Nothing*](https://film.one/film/much-ado-about-nothing-2013.md) (76) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Fi1m on Alexis Denisof > A stage-trained actor who is at his best when a part starts stiff and is allowed to loosen. Alexis Denisof took one Joss Whedon television character from joke to something far darker and, in *Much Ado About Nothing*, needed half an hour to become a fine Benedick. Watch the eavesdropping scene in *Much Ado About Nothing* (2013). Alexis Denisof's Benedick is hiding in a garden while his friends discuss, loudly and for his benefit, how much Beatrice loves him, and he does press-ups. It is business that would land from the back of a theatre and looks like mugging from three feet away, which is where Joss Whedon's camera is. We winced, and then, about half an hour in, we forgot we had winced, because Denisof stopped trying to be funny and started listening to Amy Acker. From then on the pair are as good a Beatrice and Benedick as we have seen on screen in years. That is the shape of most of his best work: a man who arrives stiff and is slowly let off the hook. He trained at LAMDA and worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and both are audible in the way he handles text. Most people met him as Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, first on *Buffy the Vampire Slayer* (1999), a replacement Watcher written to be laughed at, then on *Angel* (1999–2004), where across a hundred episodes the character was rebuilt from comic relief into someone capable and morally complicated. We have not reviewed either programme, so we will not judge the performance at length here, but that arc is the reason he has a reputation at all, and the reason Whedon kept casting him. Denisof has said of the road from Buffy to Shakespeare that "they’re not that far apart", and the garden scene bears him out. Whedon is the collaborator who gets the best out of him; they have made five things together, Acker has been alongside him for two. The rest of the CV is supporting television and small film parts: Sandy Rivers, a news anchor on *How I Met Your Mother* (2006 onwards), where his comic timing is used more plainly and works better; The Other in *The Avengers* (2012), a part he played again in *Guardians of the Galaxy* (2014). Between the end of *Angel* in 2004 and the Whedon films there were quiet years, and even his admirers would struggle to say what he did in them. What works is the precision of a stage actor, the accents, the consonants, the sense that he knows exactly where a line ends, and the slow release from stiffness into feeling once a director trusts him with it. What does not work is the first half hour of almost anything, when the effort shows, and a habit of playing comedy at a volume the camera does not need. On stage that volume is the job. On film Whedon eventually talks him down; not every director has bothered. If you know him only as a face in two Marvel films or a news anchor in a sitcom, watch *Much Ado*, on a sofa, beside someone who will argue about him afterwards. He is good. Give him half an hour. ## Biography Alexis Denisof is an American actor. He trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and began his career in British theatre, including work with the Royal Shakespeare Company. He is best known for his role as Wesley Wyndam-Pryce in *Buffy the Vampire Slayer* (1999) and its spin-off *Angel* (1999–2004). Denisof has appeared in films including *Much Ado About Nothing* (2013) as Benedick, *The Avengers* (2012) and *Guardians of the Galaxy* (2014) as The Other, and *First Knight* (1995). He has also had recurring roles in *How I Met Your Mother* (2005) as Sandy Rivers and *Grimm* (2011) as Viktor Beckendorf. He is married to actress Alyson Hannigan. *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, nytimes.com, thatshelf.com.* ## On Fi1m (5) - *Guardians of the Galaxy* (2014), Fi1m 80, as The Other — [page](https://film.one/film/guardians-of-the-galaxy.md) - *Much Ado About Nothing* (2013), Fi1m 76, as Benedick — [page](https://film.one/film/much-ado-about-nothing-2013.md) - *The Avengers* (2012), Fi1m 80, as The Other — [page](https://film.one/film/the-avengers.md) - *Dollhouse* (2009), Fi1m 66, as Senator Daniel Perrin — [page](https://film.one/tv/dollhouse.md) - *Buffy the Vampire Slayer* (1997), Fi1m 80, as Wesley Wyndam-Pryce — [page](https://film.one/tv/buffy-the-vampire-slayer.md) ## Complete filmography (47) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *How I Met Your Father* (2022), series, as Sandy Rivers - *Under My Skin* (2020), as Mike - *Chilling Adventures of Sabrina* (2018), series, as Adam Marsters - *Legacies* (2018), series, as Professor Vardemus - *I Love Bekka & Lucy* (2017), series, as Glenn - *Guardians of the Galaxy* (2014), as The Other — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/guardians-of-the-galaxy.md) - *Finding Carter* (2014), series, as David Wilson - *Little Women Big Cars 2* (2014), as Woody - *Much Ado About Nothing* (2013), as Benedick — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/film/much-ado-about-nothing-2013.md) - *H+: The Digital Series* (2012), series, as Conall Sheehan - *Perception* (2012), series, as Dr. Randall Vetter - *Little Women Big Cars* (2012), as Woody - *The Avengers* (2012), as The Other — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/the-avengers.md) - *Justice League: Doom* (2012), as Mirror Master (voice) - *Grimm* (2011), series, as Viktor Beckendorf - *And They're Off* (2011), as Father at Accident - *Love, Wedding, Marriage* (2011), as Lloyd - *All Star Superman* (2011), as Dr. Leo Quintum (voice) - *Dollhouse* (2009), series, as Senator Daniel Perrin — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/tv/dollhouse.md) - *Private Practice* (2007), series, as Daniel Larson - *How I Met Your Mother* (2005), series, as Sandy Rivers - *Justice League Unlimited* (2004), series, as Mirror Master (voice) - *Tarzan & Jane* (2002), as Nigel Taylor (voice) - *Beyond the City Limits* (2001), as Yuri - *The Legend of Tarzan* (2001), series, as Henry (voice) - *Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased)* (2000), series, Actor - *Angel* (1999), series, as Wesley Wyndam-Pryce - *Rogue Trader* (1999), as Fernando Gueller - *Noah's Ark* (1999), series, as Ham - *Batman Beyond* (1999), series, as Zander (voice) - *The Misadventures of Margaret* (1998), as Dr. Lupi - *Hostile Waters* (1997), as John Baker - *Sharpe: The Legend* (1997), as Rossendale - *Sharpe's Waterloo* (1997), as Lord John Rossendale - *Sharpe's Justice* (1997), as Lord John Rossendale - *Sharpe's Revenge* (1997), as Lord John Rossendale - *Buffy the Vampire Slayer* (1997), series, as Wesley Wyndam-Pryce — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/tv/buffy-the-vampire-slayer.md) - *True Blue* (1996), as Ed Fox - *First Knight* (1995), as Sir Gaheris - *Innocent Lies* (1995), as Christopher Wood - *Romeo and Juliet* (1994), as Tybalt - *Sharpe* (1993), series, as Rossendale - *Highlander: The Series* (1992), series, as Steve Banner - *Dakota Road* (1992), as Jacob - *Snow and Fire* (1991), as David - *Soldier Soldier* (1991), series, as Lt Bob Steadman - *Murder Story* (1989), as Tony Zonis ## Gallery - ![Alexis Denisof speaking at the 2015 Phoenix Comicon at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Please attribute to Gage Skidmore if used elsewhere.](https://film.one/media/person/294874/gallery-3ebc7a50ceeb.jpg) Alexis Denisof speaking at the 2015 Phoenix Comicon at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Please attribute to Gage Skidmore if used elsewhere. — Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fb/Alexis_Denisof_May_2015.jpg/1280px-Alexis_Denisof_May_2015.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Alexis Denisof](https://film.one/media/person/294874/gallery-394981bce404.jpg) Alexis Denisof — Kevin Paul, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/56/Alexis_Denisof_at_San_Diego_Comic_Con_2026.jpg/1280px-Alexis_Denisof_at_San_Diego_Comic_Con_2026.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Alexis Denisof at Oakland Super Slayercon - August 2004](https://film.one/media/person/294874/gallery-57ca62ec6bf3.jpg) Alexis Denisof at Oakland Super Slayercon - August 2004 — Raven Underwood, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/Alexis_Denisof_-_Aug_2004_%283125624%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![Alexis Denisof speaking at the 2015 Phoenix Comicon at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Please attribute to Gage Skidmore if used elsewhere.](https://film.one/media/person/294874/gallery-aed808a165ab.jpg) Alexis Denisof speaking at the 2015 Phoenix Comicon at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Please attribute to Gage Skidmore if used elsewhere. — Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/20/Alexis_Denisof_%2818101541358%29.jpg/1280px-Alexis_Denisof_%2818101541358%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Alexis Denisof speaking at the 2015 Phoenix Comicon at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Please attribute to Gage Skidmore if used elsewhere.](https://film.one/media/person/294874/gallery-53c3a88eca9a.jpg) Alexis Denisof speaking at the 2015 Phoenix Comicon at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Please attribute to Gage Skidmore if used elsewhere. — Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/31/Alexis_Denisof_%2818290748761%29.jpg/1280px-Alexis_Denisof_%2818290748761%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Alexis Denisof speaking at the 2015 Phoenix Comicon at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Please attribute to Gage Skidmore if used elsewhere.](https://film.one/media/person/294874/gallery-811a625a0b98.jpg) Alexis Denisof speaking at the 2015 Phoenix Comicon at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Please attribute to Gage Skidmore if used elsewhere. — Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ea/Alexis_Denisof_%2818262900326%29.jpg/1280px-Alexis_Denisof_%2818262900326%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/alexis-denisof