Michelle Trachtenberg

Michelle Christine Trachtenberg (October 11, 1985 – February 26, 2025) was an American actress. After beginning her career in commercials at age three, she made her television debut in her first credited role on the Nickelodeon series The Adventures of Pete & Pete (1994–1996) and her feature film debut in the 1996 comedy Harriet the Spy. As a child actress, Trachtenberg starred in several Nickelodeon productions. In 1997, she won a Young Artist Award for her performance in CBS's sitcom Meego. She also played Penny Brown in Disney's 1999 Inspector Gadget film.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Trachtenberg found success on the supernatural drama series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (2000–2003) as Dawn Summers, the younger sister of the show's title character, a role which won her another Young Artist Award and earned her three Saturn Award nominations. She was also nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for her role as the host of the Discovery Kids series Truth or Scare (2001–2003). In her late teens and early 20s, Trachtenberg rose to further prominence in the film EuroTrip (2004) and as Georgina Sparks on the CW series Gossip Girl (2008–2012). During the mid-2000s, she also had a starring role in the film Ice Princess (2005) and supporting roles in the films Mysterious Skin (2004) and Black Christmas (2006). She also starred in the film 17 Again and on the NBC series Mercy (2009–2010).

In the 2010s, Trachtenberg starred in several television films, including Killing Kennedy (2013) and Sister Cities (2015), and in the science fiction film The Scribbler (2014). She provided the lead voice of Judy in Facebook Watch's adult animated web series Human Kind Of (2018) and executive produced the teen drama web series Guidance (2015–2017) and Tubi's true crime series Meet, Marry, Murder (2021). She died in 2025 of complications of diabetes.

Early life and education

Michelle Christine Trachtenberg was born on October 11, 1985, in New York City, to Lana, a bank manager, and Michael Trachtenberg, a fiber-optics manager.<ref name="MT Death NYT">Template:Cite web</ref> Her parents were Jewish immigrants; her father was from Germany and her mother was from Odesa (Ukraine)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> ( at the time Ukrainian SSR.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="peoplefamily">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="deathHR"/> Her mother spoke Russian, because Russian is the native language of most Ukrainian Jews. Her mother helped her learn some Russian for a role in 2013.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In an interview in November 2013, Trachtenberg said that her father had died recently.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Her grandparents reside in Israel.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She had an older sister named Irene.<ref name="peoplefamily" />

Trachtenberg was raised in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, where she attended junior high school at The Bay Academy for the Arts and Sciences.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Her family later moved to Los Angeles, where she attended Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks.<ref name="peoplefamily" /><ref name="MT Death NYT"/> She said in a later interview and on social media that she was bullied in school.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She was a youth representative for the launch of an anti-drug campaign with President Bill Clinton.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Career

1988–2005: Career beginnings and Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Trachtenberg on the set of The Adventures of Pete & Pete in 1995

Trachtenberg made her first television appearance at age three in a commercial for Wisk detergent.<ref name="wisk1">Template:Cite news</ref> She would eventually play featured roles in more than 100 commercials.<ref name="wisk1"/> She made her television debut in an episode of the crime drama Law & Order,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> before gaining recognition on the Nickelodeon series The Adventures of Pete & Pete as Nona F. Mecklenberg.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> During the same period, she played Lily Montgomery on the soap opera All My Children.<ref name="MT Death Deadline"/>

Trachtenberg's film career began in 1996 with the title role in Harriet the Spy, for which she had to leave The Adventures of Pete & Pete while its third season was running.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She then starred in the short-lived television series Meego, which garnered her a Young Artist Award.<ref name="YAAnoms" /> She returned to film in 1999 for Inspector Gadget. She also starred in the film Can't Be Heaven. In 2000, she began playing Dawn Summers, the younger sister of the title character (played by Sarah Michelle Gellar) in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She also hosted the Discovery Kids series Truth or Scare from 2001 to 2003, for which she was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="MT Death Deadline">Template:Cite web</ref>

Trachtenberg (right) with the cast of Buffy the Vampire Slayer in 2003

In 2004, after Buffy and Truth or Scare, Trachtenberg appeared in the music video for the Trapt song "Echo" and as Jenny in the teen comedy film EuroTrip.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> That same year, Trachtenberg played Wendy in Mysterious Skin, Gregg Araki's film adaptation of Scott Heim's novel. Wendy is the best friend of Neil (Joseph Gordon Levitt), a teenage hustler in small-town Kansas. The film debuted at the 2004 Venice Film Festival.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She also had a recurring role in the HBO series Six Feet Under, as Celeste, a spoiled pop star.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In March 2005, Trachtenberg starred in Walt Disney Pictures' comedy sports drama film Ice Princess as Casey Carlyle, a science whiz, who is torn between a future in academia and her newfound dream of being a competitive figure skater.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

2006–2010: Gossip Girl and other work

In April 2006, Trachtenberg guest-starred in the episode of House, "Safe". She revealed on the December 22, 2006, episode of Late Night with Conan O'Brien that House was her favorite show, and that she was friends with one of the producers and had asked to be a guest star.<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Cbignore</ref>

In November 2006, Trachtenberg guest starred in season six of the crime drama Law & Order: Criminal Intent. In the episode "Weeping Willow", she played the role of Willow, a kidnapped video blogger, likely based on lonelygirl15.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Trachtenberg also appeared in the Fall Out Boy music video for "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" and the Joaquin Phoenix-directed music video for "Tired of Being Sorry" by Ringside.

Trachtenberg in 2008

In 2006, Trachtenberg starred in Black Christmas, the remake of the 1974 slasher.<ref name=blackchristmas>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2007, she was cast as the female lead in an ABC comedy pilot called The Hill, based on the newspaper of the same name in Washington, D.C.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The network ultimately did not move forward with its pilot.

Trachtenberg provided the voice of Tika Waylan for Dragonlance: Dragons of Autumn Twilight, a direct-to-video animated film based on the novel of the same name.<ref name=Blackgate6.30.09/> She appeared on The CW hit show Gossip Girl, as Georgina Sparks, who recently left rehab and brings back the dark past Serena van der Woodsen desperately wants to leave behind.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She returned to the show for a multiple-episode story arc towards the end of season two.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Trachtenberg appeared in the season three finale and in season four. She also appeared several times in season five, and in almost every episode of season six, the show's final season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2009, Trachtenberg was a cast member on the NBC drama series Mercy, which lasted one season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She then returned to film, starring in the 2009 teen fantasy comedy 17 Again and had a small role in the comedy Cop Out (2010).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

2011–2025: Later work and final projects

On June 9, 2011, Trachtenberg guest starred on Love Bites, as Jodie, who, after being unceremoniously dumped, decides – with a vengeance – to accept her ex's offer to "be friends". She reprised the role on June 16, 2011, and in the series finale on July 21, 2011. In the same year, Trachtenberg was a guest star on Weeds during its seventh season,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> portraying Emma, a rival pot dealer who causes problems for Silas Botwin. In June 2012, Trachtenberg was cast in the film The Scribbler, produced by Gabriel Cowan.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In March 2011, she was the featured cover girl in Maxim.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the Criminal Minds episode "Zugzwang", Trachtenberg played Diane Turner, the criminal stalker of Spencer Reid's girlfriend, Maeve Donovan.<ref name=EW11.5.12>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

In late 2015, Trachtenberg starred in the online series Guidance as Anna, the high school guidance counselor.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2016, she said she was a member of the Writers Guild of America and that she was working on several writing projects and continued to be inspired by her role in Harriet the Spy.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> According to filmmaker Casey Tebo, she had written a screenplay based on the book Toy Monster.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2022, Trachtenberg reprised her role as Georgina Sparks in the second season of the HBO revival of Gossip Girl.<ref name="ggreboot"/> In 2023, she had a voice role in Apple TV+'s animated series adaptation of Harriet the Spy.<ref name=TVInsider5.2.23>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2024, Trachtenberg made her final film appearance as a narrator for the documentary Spyral, which focuses on people struggling with mental illness.

Before her death, Trachtenberg planned to make an appearance at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Personal life and death

Trachtenberg never married or had children. At the time of her death, she had been in a romantic relationship with her agent, Jay Cohen, for five years.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In early 2024, Trachtenberg addressed concerns on social media regarding her health after some people commented on her apparent weight loss and signs of jaundice. She reassured her followers that she was "happy and healthy".<ref name=People2.28.25>Template:Cite web</ref> Trachtenberg underwent a liver transplant in 2024.<ref name="abcdeath2">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Trachtenberg died in her New York City apartment on February 26, 2025, at the age of 39.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref><ref name="People2.28.25" /> Authorities stated that her death was not being treated as suspicious.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A source later reported to People that Trachtenberg talked about her health struggles with those close to her during the last year of her life.<ref name=":1" />

Trachtenberg's family, who are Jewish, objected to an autopsy for religious reasons. There was no suspicion of criminality so the medical examiner did not overrule this objection, stating that the cause and manner of death were undetermined.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> That April, Trachtenberg's primary cause of death was declared as complications of diabetes,<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref> which is sometimes a side effect of organ transplantation.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Numerous celebrities, including Trachtenberg's Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Gossip Girl co-stars, paid tribute to her.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Harriet the Spy co-star Rosie O'Donnell said, "I loved her very much. She struggled the last few years. I wish I could have helped."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Template:Reference column heading
1995	Melissa	Lena	Uncredited	<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
1996	Harriet the Spy	Harriet M. Welsch
1998	Richie Rich's Christmas Wish	Gloria Glad	Direct-to-video	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1999	Inspector Gadget	Penny Brown		<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
	Can't Be Heaven	Julie		<ref name="deathHR" />
2004	EuroTrip	Jenny		<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
	Mysterious Skin	Wendy Peterson		<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2005	Ice Princess	Casey Carlyle		<ref name="deathindependent">Template:Cite web</ref>
2006	Beautiful Ohio	Sandra		<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
	Black Christmas	Melissa Kitt		<ref name=blackchristmas/>
2008	Dragonlance: Dragons of Autumn Twilight	Tika Waylan	Voice; direct-to-video	<ref name=Blackgate6.30.09>Template:Cite web</ref>
2009	Against the Current	Suzanne		<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
	17 Again	Maggie O'Donnell		<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2010	Cop Out	Ava Monroe		<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
	DC Showcase: Jonah Hex	Bar Girl	Voice; short film	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2011	Take Me Home Tonight	Ashley		<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2013	Sexy Evil Genius	Miranda Prague	Direct-to-video	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2014	The Scribbler	Alice / Veronica		<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2024	Spyral	Michelle Cody White	Voice; documentary (Final role)	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Template:Reference column heading
1991	Law & Order	Dinah Driscoll	Episode: "God Bless the Child"; uncredited	<ref name="deathindependent" />
1993	Clarissa Explains It All	Elsie Soaperstein	Episode: "Babysitting"	<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
1994	All My Children	Lily Benton Montgomery	3 episodes	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1994–1996	The Adventures of Pete & Pete	Nona F. Mecklenberg	14 episodes; recurring role (seasons 2–3)	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1996	Dave's World	Angela	Episode: "Solitaire"	<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
	Space Cases	Prankster #1	Episode: "All You Can Eaty"	<ref name="gazette">Template:Cite news</ref>
	A Holiday for Love	Noelle Murphy	Television film	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1997	Meego	Maggie Parker	13 episodes; main role	<ref name="deathHR">Template:Cite web</ref>
1998	Blue's Clues	Herself	Episode: "Blue's Birthday"	<ref name="time226">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
	Reading Rainbow		Voice; narrator; episode: "Math Curse"	<ref name="time226"/>
	Guys Like Us	Katie	Episode: "Maestro's First Crush"	<ref name="gazette"/>
1998–1999	Figure It Out	Herself	Panelist; 12 episodes	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2000	A Father's Choice	Kelly McClain	Television film	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2000–2003	Buffy the Vampire Slayer	Dawn Summers	66 episodes; main role (seasons 5–7)	<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
2001–2003	Truth or Scare	Herself	Host and narrator; 20 episodes	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2004	Six Feet Under	Celeste	4 episodes; guest role (season 4)	<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
2005	The Dive from Clausen's Pier	Carrie Beal	Television film	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2006	House	Melinda Bardach	Episode: "Safe"	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2006–2018	Robot Chicken	Various characters	Voice; 6 episodes; guest role (seasons 2–3, 5 & 9)	<ref name="gazette"/>
2006	Law & Order: Criminal Intent	Lisa Willow Tyler	Episode: "Weeping Willow"	<ref name="time226"/>
2008–2012	Gossip Girl	Georgina Sparks	28 episodes; recurring role (seasons 1–6)	<ref name="time226"/>
2008	The Circuit	Kylie Shines	Television film	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2009–2010	Mercy	Chloe Payne	22 episodes; main role (season 1)	<ref name="gazette"/>
2009	The Super Hero Squad Show	Valkyrie	Voice; 2 episodes; guest role (season 1)	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2011	Love Bites	Jodie	3 episodes; guest role (season 1)	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
	Weeds	Emma Karlin	5 episodes; guest role (season 7)	<ref name="gazette"/>
2013	Criminal Minds	Diane Turner	Episode: "Zugzwang"	<ref name=EW11.5.12/>
	Killing Kennedy	Marina Oswald	Television film	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
	NCIS: Los Angeles	Lily Lockhart	Episode: "Merry Evasion"	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2014-2015	Hollywood Game Night	Herself	Guest; 2 episodes	<ref name=":2">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="autogenerated1">Template:Cite web</ref>
2015	Sleepy Hollow	Abigail Adams	Episode: "Pittura Infamante"	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
	SuperMansion	Blood Moon	Voice; episode: "A Midsummer Night's Ream"	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
	The Christmas Gift	Megan	Television film	<ref name="gazette"/>
2016	Chopped Junior	Herself	Guest judge; 1 episode	<ref name="gazette"/>
	Sister Cities	Dallas Baxter	Television film	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
	Last Week Tonight with John Oliver	Herself	Guest; 1 episode	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2021	Celebrity Wheel of Fortune	Herself	Celebrity contestant; 1 episode	<ref name="autogenerated2">Template:Cite web</ref>
2022–2023	Gossip Girl	Georgina Sparks	2 episodes	<ref name="ggreboot">Template:Cite web</ref>
2023	Harriet the Spy	Dr. Wagner	Voice; episode: "I Am the Onion"	<ref name=TVInsider5.2.23/>

Web series

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Template:Reference column heading
2015	Guidance	Anna	6 episodes	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2018	Human Kind Of	Judy	Voice; 21 episodes	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2021	Meet, Marry, Murder	Host	13 episodes	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Music videos

Year	Title	Artist	Template:Ref heading
2004	"Echo"	Trapt	<ref name="loudwire">Template:Cite news</ref>
2005	"Tired of Being Sorry"	Ringside
2007	"This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race"	Fall Out Boy	<ref name="abcdeath2" />

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Work	Result	Template:Reference column heading
1997	Young Artist Award	Best Performance in a Feature Film: Leading Young Actress	Harriet the Spy	Template:Won	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1998		Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series: Supporting Young Actress	Meego	Template:Won	<ref name="YAAnoms">Template:Cite web</ref>
2000		Best Young Actress in a Comedy Film	Inspector Gadget	Template:Nominated	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
		Best Performance in a Feature Film: Supporting Young Actress		Template:Nominated
2001	Teen Choice Award	TV – Choice Sidekick	Buffy the Vampire Slayer	Template:Nominated	<ref name="abcdeath2" />
	Young Artist Award	Best Performance in a TV Drama Series: Supporting Young Actress		Template:Won	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
	Saturn Award	Best Supporting Actress on Television		Template:Nominated	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2002	Young Artist Award	Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series: Leading Young Actress	Truth or Scare	Template:Nominated	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
		Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series: Guest Starring Young Actress	MADtv	Template:Nominated
	Saturn Award	Best Supporting Television Actress	Buffy the Vampire Slayer	Template:Nominated	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2003				Template:Nominated	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2004	Daytime Emmy Award	Outstanding Performer in a Children's Series	Truth or Scare	Template:Nominated	<ref>Template:Cite web (Archived Link added on February 26, 2025)</ref>
2007	Sarasota Film Festival	Breakthrough Performer	Beautiful Ohio	Template:Won	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2012	Teen Choice Award	Choice TV Villain	Gossip Girl	Template:Nominated	<ref name="abcdeath2" />

External links

• Template:Twitter
• Michelle Trachtenberg on Instagram
• Template:IMDb name
• Template:Tcmdb name
• Template:Discogs artist