Buffy The Vampire Slayer

July 31, 2003 — ALYSON Hannigan, fresh from her seven-year stint as the preternatural Willow Rosenberg on TV’s "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" - and a starring role in the movie comedy "American Wedding" that opens Friday - makes no secret of her fondest career wish. A sitcom of her own.

"There’s a lot of interest, which is very nice," Hannigan told The Post.

Although "Buffy" gave Willow a rich story line involving drama, action and horror, TV comedy is her dream. She sites a couple of comedic actors whose work she admires and says one even influenced her "Buffy" character.

"There were a lot of similarities between Willow and Phoebe [Lisa Kudrow’s character on ’Friends’], even if Willow is sort of the smart character and Phoebe is not."

And then there’s Carol Burnett.

Hannigan said she adored Burnett and used to stay up late to watch the program with her grandmother.

Along with Burnett’s timing and range of characters, Hannigan was struck by Burnett’s self-efacing performance style.

She could "be 100 percent committed to [looking silly] for the sake of the comedy," Hannigan said. "It seems egoless, which you just have to do if you want to be funny."

That commitment includes the pratfalls at which Burnett excelled. But Hannigan concedes it may be tougher for any woman to drop the glamorous self image.

"There’s one slight little moment in ’American Wedding’ when I get to do my first piece of physical comedy - my very first stunt fall for laughs," she says.

Having experienced the more serious tone of "Buffy" ’s later seasons, Hannigan says the third of the "American Pie" trio refueled her comic trajectory.

" ’American Wedding’ just really reminded me how much I adore comedy," she said.

Hannigan stops short of describing her ideal sitcom scenario for fear of limiting herself but won’t waver on two points.

"I desperately want great writing, because I’m spoiled now, and [want] a great cast."