We’re extremely sad to report the untimely death of actress Michelle Trachtenberg at the age of 39. A whole generation of fans know Trachtenberg as the lead character in the film Harriet the Spy and for playing Dawn Summers in the last three seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She also featured on the CW series Gossip Girl, and early 2000s films like Euro Trip and Black Christmas. Michelle Trachtenberg’s death was first reported by the New York Post, then confirmed via Deadline. No cause of death is known, but apparently, Trachtenberg was discovered by her mother at her New York City apartment in the morning hours of February 26.
Trachtenberg began her career as a child actor, appearing in commercials, and then featuring in the daytime soap opera All My Children. She later became an even bigger name in children’s television. This was mainly thanks to roles in Nickelodeon’s The Adventures of Pete & Pete and the Discovery series Truth or Scare. She landed the lead role of Harriet the Spy in 1996 when she was only ten years old. In 2000, Michelle Trachtenberg joined Buffy the Vampire Slayer in the show’s fifth season, as Buffy’s mysterious kid sister Dawn. She remained until the series finale in 2003.
Post-Buffy, Michelle Trachtenberg continued to be a regular face on film and television. She appeared regularly on Gossip Girl starting in 2008, starring in over 28 episodes of that series. She later appeared in two episodes of the 2022 reboot. Trachtenberg has also shown up on various TV shows over the years, such as Sleepy Hollow, Law & Order, NCIS: Los Angeles, and many others. With news of the upcoming reboot of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, many fans expected Michelle Trachtenberg to return as well. Sadly, that will now not be the case. Our sincere condolences go out to her friends and family.
Content shared from nerdist.com.