Bio
Michelle Trachtenberg was an American actress best known for her role as Dawn Summers in the television fantasy series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, from 2000-2006.
She was also known for her guest role as Georgina Sparks on the drama series Gossip Girl.
Trachtenberg was seen in 17 Again, a Newline film starring Zac Efron, Matthew Perry and Leslie Mann. She appeared on both Against the Current opposite Justin Kirk and Joseph Fiennes and Universal's Kids in America, directed by Topher Grace.
Trachtenberg was also seen in the Dimension film Black Christmas, a remake of the '70s horror film with Oliver Hudson and Lacey Chabert. Also in 2006, she appeared in the independent film Beautiful Ohio, starring alongside William Hurt and Rita Wilson.
In 2005, she starred in Disney's Ice Princess, opposite Kim Cattrall and Joan Cusack, as Casey Carlyle, a girl whose dream is to become a championship figure skater.
Trachtenberg also appeared in Gregg Araki's independent drama Mysterious Skin, opposite Joseph Gordon-Levitt, based on the novel of the same name by Scott Heim. Mysterious Skin premiered at the 2004 Toronto Film Festival and screened at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. It won the Jury Award at the BIFF Film Festival in 2004.
For television, Trachtenberg had a guest role on Law & Order, and a recurring role on HBO's critically acclaimed series Six Feet Under.
She was awarded a Young Artists of Hollywood Award as Best Supporting Actress for her role as Dawn on the hit television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Trachtenberg began acting at the age of three when she appeared in her first television commercial. She impressed audiences at the age of 10 starring as Harriet in Harriet the Spy. She went on to star opposite Matthew Broderick in the live action feature film Inspector Gadget.
Her other feature credits include DreamWorks' ensemble comedy Eurotrip and the independent film Forever Together. Trachtenberg was also the host/narrator of Discovery Network's hit show Truth or Scare which garnered her a 2004 Daytime Emmy Award nomination.
Named by Teen People Magazine as one of the 20 Teens Who Will Change the World, Trachtenberg was an active spokesperson for R.A.D.D., DARE America, The Starlight Children's Foundation, as well as many other charities.
Her contributions to the fight against drugs earned her the prestigious responsibility of representing the youth of America at CNN's headquarters in Atlanta, where she helped President Clinton launch The Coalition for a Drug Free America campaign.
Trachtenberg died at the age of 39 on 26 February, 2025, a few months after livery surgery. Her case of death was described as "natural".