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Michelle Trachtenberg
Michelle Trachtenberg (43904360470).jpg
Trachtenberg in 2018
Born (1985-10-11)October 11, 1985
Died February 26, 2025(2025-02-26) (aged 39)
New York City, U.S.
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).

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

Michelle Trachtenberg Julie Halpern Pete & Pete 1995 (cropped)
Trachtenberg on the set of The Adventures of Pete & Pete in 1995

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.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer cast
Trachtenberg (right) with the cast of Buffy the Vampire Slayer in 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".

Trachtenberg (crop)
Trachtenberg in 2008

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

Michelle Trachtenberg 2011 IS Awards cropped
Trachtenberg in 2011

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
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
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
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
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
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

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