Michelle Trachtenberg facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michelle Trachtenberg
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![]() Trachtenberg in 2018
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Born | New York City, U.S.
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October 11, 1985
Died | February 26, 2025 New York City, U.S.
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(aged 39)
Education | Notre Dame High School |
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1988–2024 |
Michelle Christine Trachtenberg (October 11, 1985 – February 26, 2025) was an American actress. After beginning her career in TV 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). As a child actress, Trachtenberg starred in multiple Nickelodeon productions. In 1997, she won a Young Artist Award for her performance as Maggie in CBS's Meego. In her late teens and early 20s, Trachtenberg rose to prominence in the cult classic EuroTrip (2004) and as Georgina Sparks on the CW TV show Gossip Girl, which aired from 2007 to 2012.
Trachtenberg found further success on the WB/UPN supernatural drama television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (2000–2003) as Dawn Summers, the younger sister of the show's eponymous protagonist, 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). During the mid-2000s, she 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 on the NBC television series Mercy (2009–2010) as Chloe Payne.
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 the Facebook Watch adult animated web series Human Kind Of (2018) and executive produced the teen drama web series Guidance (2015–2017) and the Tubi true crime television series Meet, Marry, Murder (2021).
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Early life
Trachtenberg was born on October 11, 1985, in New York City. Her parents were Jewish immigrants, her father from Germany and her mother from Russia. Her mother helped her learn some Russian for a role in 2013. Her grandparents reside in Israel.
She was raised with an older sister, Irene, in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, where she attended junior high school at The Bay Academy for the Arts and Sciences. She later attended Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles.
Career
1988–2005: Career beginnings and Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Trachtenberg made her first TV appearance at age three in a commercial for Wisk detergent. She would eventually play featured roles in more than 100 commercials. Her first television role was in the second season of Law & Order, but her first credited role was as Nona F. Mecklenberg on the Nickelodeon series The Adventures of Pete & Pete from 1994 until 1996. During the same period, she played Lily Montgomery on the soap opera All My Children.
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. She then starred in the short-lived television series Meego, which garnered her a Young Artist Award. She returned to film in 1999 for Inspector Gadget. She also starred in the film Can't Be Heaven. In 2000, she took on the role of Dawn Summers in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, remaining in the role until the show ended in 2003. She also hosted the Discovery Kids series Truth or Scare from 2001 to 2003.
In 2004, after Buffy and Truth or Scare, Trachtenberg appeared as Jenny in the teen comedy film EuroTrip. That same year, Trachtenberg played Wendy in Gregg Araki's film adaptation of Scott Heim's novel, Mysterious Skin. The film debuted at the 2004 Venice Film Festival. She also had a recurring role in the HBO series Six Feet Under, as Celeste, a spoiled pop star.
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.
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.
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. Trachtenberg also appeared in the Fall Out Boy music video for "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race", the Joaquin Phoenix-directed music video for "Tired of Being Sorry" by Ringside, and the video for the Trapt song "Echo".
In 2006, Trachtenberg starred in Black Christmas, the remake of the 1974 slasher of the same name. 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.
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. 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. She returned to the show for a multiple-episode story arc towards the end of season two. 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. In 2009, Trachtenberg was a cast member on the NBC drama series Mercy, which lasted one season. 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).
2011–2024: 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, portraying Emma. In June 2012, Trachtenberg was cast in the film The Scribbler, produced by Gabriel Cowan.
In the Criminal Minds episode "Zugzwang", Trachtenberg played Diane Turner, the criminal stalker of Spencer Reid's girlfriend, Maeve Donovan.
In late 2015, Trachtenberg starred in the online series Guidance as Anna, the high school guidance counselor.
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.
In 2022, Trachtenberg reprised her role as Georgina Sparks in the second season of the HBO revival of Gossip Girl. In 2023, she had a voice role in Apple TV's animated series adaptation of Harriet the Spy.
Death
In early 2024, Trachtenberg had responded to comments on social media about potential health problems suggested by her apparent weight loss and jaundice by saying she was "happy and healthy".
Trachtenberg was found unresponsive by her mother in her New York City apartment at 8 a.m. on February 26, 2025. Emergency medical services arrived and pronounced her dead at the age of 39. Trachtenberg had undergone a liver transplant in the months leading up to her death.
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
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1995 | Melissa | Lena | Uncredited | |
1996 | Harriet the Spy | Harriet M. Welsch | ||
1998 | Richie Rich's Christmas Wish | Gloria Glad | Direct-to-video | |
1999 | Inspector Gadget | Penny Brown | ||
Can't Be Heaven | Julie | |||
2004 | EuroTrip | Jenny | ||
Mysterious Skin | Wendy Peterson | |||
2005 | Ice Princess | Casey Carlyle | ||
2006 | Beautiful Ohio | Sandra | ||
Black Christmas | Melissa Kitt | |||
2008 | Dragonlance: Dragons of Autumn Twilight | Tika Waylan | Voice; direct-to-video | |
2009 | Against the Current | Suzanne | ||
17 Again | Maggie O'Donnell | |||
2010 | Cop Out | Ava Monroe | ||
DC Showcase: Jonah Hex | Bar Girl | Voice; short film | ||
2011 | Take Me Home Tonight | Kitchelle | ||
2013 | ... Evil Genius | Miranda Prague | Direct-to-video | |
2014 | The Scribbler | Alice / Veronica | ||
2024 | Spyral | Michelle Cody White | Voice; documentary, final film role |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
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1991 | Law & Order | Dinah Driscoll | Episode: "God Bless the Child"; uncredited | |
1993 | Clarissa Explains It All | Elsie Soaperstein | Episode: "Babysitting" | |
1993–1996 | All My Children | Lily Benton Montgomery | ||
1994–1996 | The Adventures of Pete & Pete | Nona F. Mecklenberg | 14 episodes; recurring role (seasons 2–3) | |
1996 | Dave's World | Angela | Episode: "Solitaire" | |
Space Cases | Prankster #1 | Episode: "All You Can Eaty" | ||
A Holiday for Love | Noelle Murphy | Television film | ||
1997 | Meego | Maggie Parker | 13 episodes; main role (season 1) | |
1998 | Blue's Clues | Herself | Episode: "Blue's Birthday" | |
Reading Rainbow | Herself | Voice; narrator; episode: "Math Curse" | ||
Guys Like Us | Katie | Episode: "Maestro's First Crush" | ||
1998–1999 | Figure It Out | Herself | Panelist; 12 episodes | |
2000 | A Father's Choice | Kelly McClain | Television film | |
2000–2003 | Buffy the Vampire Slayer | Dawn Summers | 66 episodes; main role (seasons 5–7) | |
2001–2003 | Truth or Scare | Herself | Host and narrator; 20 episodes | |
2002 | MADtv | Herself | Guest; 1 episodes | |
2004 | Six Feet Under | Celeste | 4 episodes; guest role (season 4) | |
2005 | The Dive from Clausen's Pier | Carrie Beal | Television film | |
2006 | House | Melinda Bardach | Episode: "Safe" | |
2006–2018 | Robot Chicken | Various characters | Voice; 6 episodes; guest role (seasons 2–3, 5 & 9) | |
2006 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Lisa Willow Tyler | Episode: "Weeping Willow" | |
2008–2012 | Gossip Girl | Georgina Sparks | 28 episodes; recurring role (seasons 1–6) | |
2008 | The Circuit | Kylie Shines | Television film | |
2009–2010 | Mercy | Chloe Payne | 22 episodes; main role (season 1) | |
2009 | The Super Hero Squad Show | Valkyrie | Voice; 2 episodes; guest role (season 1) | |
2011 | Love Bites | Jodie | 3 episodes; guest role (season 1) | |
Weeds | Emma Karlin | 5 episodes; guest role (season 7) | ||
2013 | Criminal Minds | Diane Turner | Episode: "Zugzwang" | |
Killing Kennedy | Marina Oswald | Television film | ||
NCIS: Los Angeles | Lily Lockhart | Episode: "Merry Evasion" | ||
2015 | Sleepy Hollow | Abigail Adams | Episode: "Pittura Infamante" | |
SuperMansion | Blood Moon | Voice; episode: "A Midsummer Night's Ream" | ||
The Christmas Gift | Megan | Television film | ||
2016 | Chopped Junior | Herself | Guest judge; 1 episode | |
Sister Cities | Dallas Baxter | Television film | ||
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | Herself | Guest; 1 episode | ||
2022–2023 | Gossip Girl | Georgina Sparks | 2 episodes; final television role |
Web series
Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
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2015 | Guidance | Anna | 6 episodes | |
2018 | Human Kind Of | Judy | Voice; 21 episodes | |
2021 | Meet, Marry, Murder | Host | 13 episodes |
Music videos
Year | Title | Artist | Ref |
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2004 | "Echo" | Trapt | |
2005 | "Tired of Being Sorry" | Ringside | |
2007 | "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" | Fall Out Boy |
Awards and nominations
Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | |
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1997 | Young Artist Award | Best Performance in a Feature Film: Leading Young Actress | Harriet the Spy | Won | |
1998 | Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series: Supporting Young Actress | Meego | Won | ||
2000 | Best Young Actress in a Comedy Film | Inspector Gadget | Nominated | ||
Best Performance in a Feature Film: Supporting Young Actress | Nominated | ||||
2001 | Teen Choice Award | TV – Choice Sidekick | Buffy the Vampire Slayer | Nominated | |
Young Artist Award | Best Performance in a TV Drama Series: Supporting Young Actress | Won | |||
Saturn Award | Best Supporting Actress on Television | Nominated | |||
2002 | Young Artist Award | Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series: Leading Young Actress | Truth or Scare | Nominated | |
Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series: Guest Starring Young Actress | MADtv | Nominated | |||
Saturn Award | Best Supporting Television Actress | Buffy the Vampire Slayer | Nominated | ||
2003 | Nominated | ||||
2004 | Daytime Emmy Award | Outstanding Performer in a Children's Series | Truth or Scare | Nominated | |
2007 | Sarasota Film Festival | Breakthrough Performer | Beautiful Ohio | Won | |
2012 | Teen Choice Award | Choice TV Villain | Gossip Girl | Nominated |
See also
In Spanish: Michelle Trachtenberg para niños