Michelle Trachtenberg

Michelle Trachtenberg
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Name:
Michelle Trachtenberg
Who is:
Birth date:
Place of birth:
New York
Death date:
26 February (39 y.o.)
Height:
5'7 ft ()
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Photos: Michelle Trachtenberg

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Biography of Michelle Trachtenberg

Michelle Trachtenberg was an American actress, known for her role as Dawn Summers in the cult series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." She was also known as Jenny from the teen comedy "EuroTrip" and the cunning schemer and manipulator Georgina Sparks from the series "Gossip Girl."
Actress Michelle Trachtenberg in a red dress and bright makeup with red lipstick matching the dress color
Actress Michelle Trachtenberg
Source: @michelletrachtenberg
After a bright start and roles in popular projects of the 2000s, Trachtenberg gradually stepped away from major works, appearing mainly in guest roles and voicing cartoons. In February 2025, Michelle passed away after a long illness.

Childhood and Early Roles

Michelle Trachtenberg was born on October 11, 1985, into a Jewish family in New York City. Her mother, Lana Trachtenberg, emigrated from Russia. Michelle's father, Michael Trachtenberg, a native of Germany, was a fiber optics engineer. Michelle had a sister, Irene, who was seven years older.
A little girl in a white dress with pink curlers in her hair
Michelle Trachtenberg as a child
Source: @michelletrachtenberg
Michelle made her screen debut at the age of three in a commercial for Wisk detergent. This was followed by appearances in commercials for Burger King and Kraft Macaroni & Cheese. At five, she landed her first role in a TV series, an episode of "Law & Order."
A little girl in a dress with curly hair
Michelle Trachtenberg in a Burger King commercial
Source:
The talented little girl was noticed, and in 1993 she began collaborating with the children's channel Nickelodeon. She first had a cameo role as Elsie in "Clarissa Explains It All," then a more significant role as Nona in the series "The Adventures of Pete & Pete," spanning 14 episodes.

Like her future "Buffy" co-star Sarah Michelle Gellar, Trachtenberg appeared in the soap opera "All My Children" (from 1993 to 1996) as Lily Montgomery.

In 1996, her career took off when she landed the lead role in the Nickelodeon feature film "Harriet the Spy," based on the children's book by Louise Fitzhugh.
Actress Michelle Trachtenberg as a child, wearing a red sweater, striped arm warmers, and a green headband
Scene from the movie 'Harriet the Spy'
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Her character is a curious and observant girl who dreams of becoming a writer and keeps a journal, recording her observations of the people around her. Harriet plays spy, secretly watching neighbors and classmates, writing down everything she sees, including her honest and sometimes unflattering opinions. After this, Trachtenberg moved from New York to Los Angeles to pursue her acting career.

Although Michelle entered show business at a very young age, her parents tried to ensure she had a relatively normal childhood and education (though Michelle did most of her schooling remotely).

Acting Career

In 1997, the actress landed a role in the series "Meego," and in 1999, she appeared in the films "Inspector Gadget" and "Can't Be Heaven."

She gained fame for her role as Dawn Summers, the younger sister of the heroine in the series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." She first appeared in the fifth season and continued until the series finale in 2003.
Actresses Michelle Trachtenberg and Sarah Michelle Gellar pose in an embrace
Michelle Trachtenberg and Sarah Michelle Gellar starred together in 'Buffy'
After finishing work on "Buffy," Michelle took a role in the youth comedy "EuroTrip" with Jacob Pitts. She played Jenny, a friend of the main character, Scott, who tries to forget a painful breakup with his girlfriend and travels across Europe to meet his online acquaintance.
Michelle Trachtenberg in 'EuroTrip'
Trachtenberg took on a more dramatic role in Gregg Araki's drama "Mysterious Skin," which was released in 2004, alongside "EuroTrip." Her filmography includes other notable projects: "Six Feet Under," "House M.D.," and the comedy "Ice Princess."
Michelle Trachtenberg in a red skater costume dances on the ice, arms raised upwards
Still from the film 'Ice Princess'
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A notable role as the manipulative socialite Georgina Sparks was hers in the series "Gossip Girl." In the early 2020s, she returned to this role in the reboot of the series by HBO Max, which is considered her last work in Hollywood.
Leighton Meester and Michelle Trachtenberg in the third season of 'Gossip Girl'
Still from the series 'Gossip Girl' (Season 3)
Source:

Michelle Trachtenberg's Personal Life

Michelle Trachtenberg was never married, but she had quite a lively life. Her list of boyfriends included many popular actors and musicians.

In 2004, she began a romance with actor Shawn Ashmore. They met at an Oscar party. They broke up in 2006, after which the actress briefly dated Pete Wentz, the bassist of Fall Out Boy.
Actress Michelle Trachtenberg and musician Pete Wentz are hugging while people are having fun in the background
Michelle Trachtenberg and Pete Wentz
After that, Trachtenberg dated actor Jason Lewis, musician Joshua Radin, and actor Jason Segel. In 2010, she was rumored to be in a relationship with singer Josh Groban, and in 2014, with rapper Kid Cudi.

In 2020, Michelle started dating Jay Cohen, a talent agent 23 years her senior. Their relationship lasted until the actress's death in late February 2025.
Actress Michelle Trachtenberg and Jay Cohen take a joint selfie
Michelle Trachtenberg and Jay Cohen
Source: Jay Cohen's social media

Last Years of Life and Death

Michelle Trachtenberg passed away on February 26, 2025. The actress was 39 years old. Her body was discovered by police in her New York apartment.
Michelle Trachtenberg in a white shirt, hair pulled back
Michelle Trachtenberg at the red carpet of the 26th annual Film Independent Spirit Awards ceremony
People magazine, citing its sources, reported that shortly before her death, Michelle had undergone a liver transplant surgery.
A selfie of actress Michelle Trachtenberg, the whites of her eyes have a yellowish tint
Michelle Trachtenberg in 2024
Source: @michelletrachtenberg
Rumors about Trachtenberg's health problems began to spread in early 2024. In recent photos, the actress appeared significantly thinner (which many attributed to the effects of a plastic surgery to remove buccal fat pads). Fans were also concerned about the yellowing of the whites of her eyes, which usually indicates liver problems. However, Michelle did not comment on the changes in her appearance.