Trachtenberg got her start in commercials and also appeared in the likes of ‘Gossip Girl,’ ‘Harriet the Spy’ and more.
Michelle Trachtenberg and Sarah Michelle Gellar in ‘Ice Princess’. Photo: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution.
Preview:Michelle Trachtenberg has died at the age of 39.An actor from a young age, she was probably best known for ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer.’She’d reportedly recently had a liver transplant.Actress Michelle Trachtenberg , known for many TV series and films such as ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ and ‘Gossip Girl’, passed away at age 39. She was discovered unresponsive on Wednesday morning by her mother at her apartment complex at One Columbus Place.
Sources report that the actress recently underwent a liver transplant and has been experiencing complications. Her death is believed to be of natural causes. NYPD has not deemed her death suspicious, though an autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death.
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Life and Career
Michelle Trachtenberg in ‘Harriet the Spy’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
Michelle Trachtenberg was born in New York City on October 11, 1985. She made her first TV appearance in a commercial for Wisk detergent at the age of three and went on to appear in many more commercials. Now, her credits include ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’, ‘Gossip Girl’, ‘EuroTrip’, ‘Harriet the Spy’, ‘The Adventures of Pete & Pete’, and many more.
The New York City native made her feature film debut in Nicklodeon’s ‘Harriet the Spy’ in 1996 as the titular character Harriet M. Welsch. She was also a series regular in the TV series ‘The Adventures of Pete & Pete’ from 1994 to 1996.
While Trachtenberg’s long list of credits includes titles such as ‘Meego’ and ‘Inspector Gadget,’ her big break came in 2000 when she was cast in ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ as Buffy’s younger sister Dawn, where she earned a nomination at the Teen Choice Award for choice TV Sidekick in 2001.
(L to R) Michelle Trachtenberg and Sarah Michelle Gellar in ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’. Photo: 20th Century Fox Television.
After ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’, Trachtenberg went on to appear in TV series such as ‘Six Feet Under’, ‘House’, ‘Weeds’ and ‘Law & Order: Criminal Intent,’ before starring as Georgina Sparks on ‘Gossip Girl’ from 2008 to 2012, where she was nominated for choice TV Villain at the 2012 Teen Choice Award. The late actress speaks of playing a villain on the show during an interview with Seventeen:
“It’s kind of easy to be evil when you’re saying evil things. It’s definitely a lot more fun than playing the good girl. I love the reaction you get. I never understood why some actors don’t want to play villains or evil characters.”
Her film credits include ‘EuroTrip’, ‘Ice Princess’, ‘17 Again’, ‘The Circuit’, and many more.
Stars Remembering Michelle Trachtenberg
Michelle Trachtenberg in ‘Ice Princess’. Photo: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution.
During her career, Trachtenberg worked with an extensive list of actors who took to social media to express their condolences:
‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ co-star David Boreanaz reacted to the news on his Instagram Story:
“So very sad ..horrible news. RIP and prayers to her and her family.”
‘Harriet the Spy’ co-star Rosie O’Donnell said the news is “heartbreaking” in a statement to US Weekly:
“Heartbreaking. I loved her very much. She struggled the last few years. I wish I could have helped.”
‘Sex and the City’ star Kim Cattrall posted a photo of her and the late actress on her Instagram, saying, “Rest in peace sweet Michelle” with broken heart emojis. Cattrall shared the screen with Trachtenberg in ‘Ice Princess’.
‘SNL’s Kenan Thompson wrote:
“Our first Nick movie star has departed us!! She was my friend and now she rests!! ?? Check on your people!!! “ and shares a video clip from the Nickelodeon show.
Trachtenberg’s previous posts on her Instagram where she appeared gaunt raised concerns amongst her fans. The star assured her followers that she was “happy and healthy” in a response last January. Just a month ago, the actress posted a photo of her and ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ star Sarah Michelle Gellar reminiscing the past: “Slay all day! Always loved this twinning photo of us.”
(L to R) Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Michelle Trachtenberg in ‘Mysterious Skin’. Photo: Fortissimo Films.
List of Michelle Trachtenberg Movies and TV Shows:’Harriet the Spy’ (1996)’Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ (1997 – 2003)’Inspector Gadget’ (1999)’EuroTrip’ (2004)’Mysterious Skin’ (2005)’Ice Princess’ (2005)’Gossip Girl’ (2007 – 2012)’17 Again’ (2009)’Cop Out’ (2010)’Take Me Home Tonight’ (2011)’The Scribbler’ (2014)’Gossip Girl’ (2021 – 2023)Buy Michelle Trachtenberg Movies On Amazon
Wendy Lee was born and raised in Taiwan. She later moved to Florida for school and eventually made her way to Los Angeles to pursue a career in entertainment. She’s an actor, host, and content creator. She has appeared on Collider Movie News, Rotten Tomatoes Is Wrong Podcast, Focus Feature’s You Know That Scene, Nerdist News Talks Back, and more. She runs the YouTube channel The Movie Couple covering movie and entertainment news, movie and tv show reviews, and more.
