Summary
2000s pop culture mainstay andBuffy the Vampire Slayerstar Michelle Trachtenberg has passed away at the age of 39. While her role as Dawn Summers onBuffyearned her legions of fans, Trachtenberg proved to be a talented, multidimensional actor with an illustrious career that spanned more than three decades.
After getting her start as a child actor in numerous commercials, Trachtenberg began booking guest spots on television shows likeLaw & OrderandClarissa Explains It All. This eventually led to recurring roles onAll My ChildrenandThe Adventures of Pete & Pete. Her star power clear for everyone to see, Trachtenberg soon made the jump to the big screen with starring roles inHarriet the SpyandInspector Gadget. Then,Buffy the Vampire Slayercame calling and the rest is history.
TheNew York Postbroke the story earlier this afternoon, reporting Trachtenberg was found by her mother early Wednesday morning at her Manhattan apartment in New York City. It has also been reported that Trachtenberg had recently undergone a liver transplant surgery.
It is true that Trachtenberg’s time as Dawn Summers onBuffy the Vampire Slayeris what she is best known for and “Buffyverse” fans are sure to lionize her three seasons as Buffy’s sister for years to come. But to think Trachtenberg was a one-trick pony would be doing her a major disservice. Not every actor can star in a raunchy comedy withEuroTrip, appear in a critically beloved indie inMysterious Skin, andheadline a Disney filmlikeIce Princessback-to-back-to-back. Trachtenberg not only had the range to tackle such disparate material, but the clout to make it happen in the span of thirteen months.
Going back to the beginning of her career provides a look into the unabashed talent that would allow her to make a transition few thespians ever have the chance of pulling off: child star to respected actor. Trachtenberg’s recurring role as the quirky Nona F. Mecklenberg led to her showing up on everything fromBlue’s CluesandReading Rainbowto the beloved kids' game showFigure It Out. While appearing onBuffy, she even hosted her own Discovery Kids show,Truth or Scare.
Trachtenberg’s post-Buffywork is where things get interesting. Her film projects include a truly impressive range, including17 Again,Black Christmas,Cop Out, andTake Me Home Tonight. Television is, perhaps unsurprisingly, where the former child star made her bread and butter. Her credits list includes some of the biggestshows of the 2000s:Six Feet Under,House,Robot Chicken,Gossip Girl,Weeds,Criminal Minds… the list goes on and on.
Though her onscreen career had waned a bit over the past decade, Trachtenberg never really went away. In fact, most recently she reprised her cult-favorite role of Georgina Sparks on the reboot ofGossip Girlin 2023.
