Michelle Trachtenberg was an actress known for roles in such TV shows as “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Gossip Girl,” as well as in the movie “Harriet the Spy.”
- Died: February 26, 2025 (Who else died on February 26?)
- Details of death: Died at her home in New York City at the age of 39.
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Michelle Trachtenberg’s legacy
Trachtenberg got her start as a child actress, appearing in her first TV scene uncredited – an episode of “Law & Order” – when she was just six years old. In 1993, she began an extended stint on “All My Children,” where she worked with her future “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” co-star, Sarah Michelle Gellar, for the first time. While she was appearing on “All My Children,” Trachtenberg also landed a regular role on the Nickelodeon cult classic “The Adventures of Pete & Pete” playing Nona F. Mecklenberg, Little Pete’s best friend.
The positive exposure from Trachtenberg’s early TV parts landed her a starring role in her movie debut before she was 10 years old. She played the title role in “Harriet the Spy,” the big-screen adaptation of a popular children’s book. The film as a whole met a cool reception from critics, but her performance was widely praised.
The role with which Trachtenberg is most associated was a controversial one. She began appearing on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” in its fifth season in 2000, playing Dawn Summers, the younger sister of Gellar’s character, Buffy Summers. The younger Summers character was retconned into the show in a way that confused and frustrated viewers before her supernatural existence was fully explained. Even after they understood what she was, the show’s fans loved to hate Dawn, complaining about her “bratty little sister” persona.
After “Buffy” ended in 2003, Trachtenberg hosted the Discovery Kids series “Truth or Scare,” telling stories of the paranormal. Another major TV project came in 2007, when she joined the cast of “Gossip Girl” in a recurring role as Georgina Sparks. The manipulative rich girl was the show’s first antagonist, and Trachtenberg later said Georgina was her favorite role; she had loved playing such a corrupt character. She returned as Georgina in two episodes of the 2021 “Gossip Girl” reboot, her final role before her death.
Trachtenberg also had a starring role on the short-lived medical drama “Mercy,” and she had a five-episode arc on “Weeds.” Her other TV appearances included on “Six Feet Under,” “Criminal Minds,” and “NCIS: Los Angeles.” On the big screen, she starred in “EuroTrip,” the figure skating comedy-drama “Ice Princess,” and other movies.
Notable quote
“I had actually started watching [Buffy] because of Sarah [Michelle Gellar], because I was a fan of her movies. I kept on watching the show because it was, well, it’s silly hearing from a cast member that they think their show’s brilliant, but it really is. We have a great team of writers, we have a wonderful ensemble cast, and it’s really a great team effort on all parts.” — from an interview for the BBC
Tributes to Michelle Trachtenberg
Full obituary: The Hollywood Reporter
