Life in pictures: Michelle Trachtenberg’s rise from children’s TV to Buffy and Gossip Girl star
27 February 2025, 12:04 | Updated: 27 February 2025, 15:33
US actress Michelle Trachtenberg, known for her roles in Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Gossip Girl, has died aged 39.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
The New York police department confirmed her death to the PA news agency in a statement on Wednesday.
The police said they responded to an emergency call at about 8am on Wednesday to One Columbus Place in New York and Trachtenberg was confirmed dead after emergency medical services arrived.
Her death is not being treated as suspicious and the police said the medical examiner will determine the cause of her death.
Born on October 11, 1985, in New York City, Trachtenberg began her acting career at the age of three, appearing in adverts before landing roles on TV.
In 1992 she secured a recurring role in children's sitcom The Adventures Of Pete & Pete and in 1996 she starred in film Harriet The Spy as an 11-year-old given to spying on neighbours and classmates, and concocting outrageous lies to embellish the everyday details in her private journal.
She was also known for playing Penny in 1999 spy film Inspector Gadget and Jenny in 2004 movie EuroTrip.
In 2005 she starred opposite Sex And The City actress Kim Cattrall in Ice Princess
In 2000, she starred in Buffy the Vampire Slayer alongside Sarah Michelle Gellar, remaining in the role until the show ended in 2003.
She played Dawn Summers, the younger sister of main character Buffy, who was romantically linked to Angel, portrayed by David Boreanaz.
Read more: Hollywood legend Gene Hackman, wife Betsy Arakawa and couple's dog found dead in Santa Fe home
Read more: Couple tell of 'nightmare' after being wrongly told their baby girl had died in the womb
Boreanaz said he is "so very sad" as he paid tribute to her.
The US actor shared a tribute to Instagram stories with a black and white picture of Trachtenberg taken from a post shared by an American news site.
He wrote: "So very sad. Horrible news. RIP and prayers to her and her family."
Trachtenberg also starred in the teen rom com 17 Again alongside Zac Efron, Matthew Perry and Leslie Mann.
She played Maggie O'Donnell the angsty teenage daughter of Perry - who transforms back to his past 17-year-old self after a freak storm.
Trachtenberg later found fame playing the devilish Georgina Sparks, a young socialite of Manhattan's Upper East Side who created havoc throughout the show, blackmailing Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively), among other schemes.
Lively has taken to Instagram stories to pay tribute to former co-star in a lengthy post.
She captioned a photo of the pair: "Everything she did, she did 200%.
"She laughed the fullest at someone's joke, she faced authority head on when she felt something was wrong, she cared deeply about her work, she was proud to be a part of this community and industry as painful as it could be sometimes, she was fiercely loyal to her friends and brave for those she loved, she was big and bold and distinctly herself.
"Time passes. You take for granted that you get the chance to see an old friend.
"To paraphrase, the real tragedies in life are the ones that blindside you on an idle Tuesday. Hold those you love and have loved dear.
"The world lost a deeply sensitive and good person in Michelle. May her work and her huge heart be remembered by those who were lucky enough to experience her fire."
Trachtenberg's last major acting role was in 2021 as the host of a true-crime docuseries Meet, Marry, Murder, which appeared on digital streamer Tubi.
In 2021, she accused Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon of inappropriate behaviour on set, after her co-star Charisma Carpenter said she had been left traumatised due to the treatment she received from Whedon.