This week, the world is mourning beloved actress Michelle Trachtenberg’s untimely death. She was found deceased in her New York City apartment on Feb. 26. There is no suspicion of foul play involved and her family denied an autopsy, so the precise cause of her death remains a mystery. However, some point to her recent liver transplant as a possible cause.
Regardless of the cause of her death, this period of loss calls for reflection on Trachtenberg’s work, depicting both the characters we loved — and loved to hate. Her ability to immerse herself in her roles, infusing her characters with an infectious personality that stirred emotion within audiences is truly unforgettable. From her roles as the archetypal annoying younger sister Dawn Summers in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” to the infuriating villain Georgina Sparks in “Gossip Girl,” Trachtenberg’s presence across our screens from then to today remains polarizing and transfixing.
Trachtenberg rose to the spotlight as a child actress through her breakout role as the titular Harriet in “Harriet the Spy.” The 1996 movie follows the story of a sixth-grade misfit as she deals with the consequences when the contents of her observation notebook are exposed. While the critical consensus for the film itself is that it was mediocre, many agree that Trachtenberg’s performance was quite good.
Comedian and actress Rosie O’Donnell, who portrayed Harriet’s nanny, Ole Golly, acknowledged the death of her former co-star.
“Heartbreaking,” O’Donnell said in a statement to Entertainment Weekly. “I loved her very much. She struggled the last few years. I wish I could have helped.”
Another notable role of Trachtenberg’s came four years later when she joined the cast of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” five seasons into the show’s run. This surprised fans of the show, as there was no prior reference to Buffy having a little sister named Dawn Summers. What mystified them even more was that no other characters, not even Buffy, seemed to be confused about her sudden appearance. Combined with Summers’ grating personality, Trachtenberg’s character was not exactly a fan favorite. However, the irritation she evoked from audiences serves as a testament to Trachtenberg’s ability to tap into universal feelings — namely familial annoyance — and draw reactions out of audiences through her skillful embodiment of characters.
Sarah Michelle Gellar, who portrayed Buffy, put out a statement on her Instagram account concerning Trachtenberg’s passing.
“Michelle, listen to me. Listen. I love you. I will always love you. The hardest thing in this world, is to live in it. I will be brave. I will live… for you,” she said in the post.
Trachtenberg’s portrayal of Georgina Sparks in “Gossip Girl” was memorable for many reasons, but mostly for the havoc the character wreaked upon the lives of the Upper East Side socialites of the show. Who could forget her callous manipulations? Or her reformed-by-Christ act after her stint at Bible camp? With each appearance of Sparks on the screen, audiences are promised equal parts irritation and entertainment, and none could have portrayed Sparks better than Trachtenberg herself. She even made an appearance on the 2021 reboot of the show.
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, the actress described her role as Sparks as her favorite character she’s ever played.
“Georgina is actually my favorite character that I’ve played because she’s such an evil b-*-*-*-h that it was fun,” Trachtenberg said.
While her co-star Taylor Momsen, who portrayed Jenny Humphrey in “Gossip Girl,” left acting long ago to focus on her rock band The Pretty Reckless, she paid tribute to her friendship with the late actress.
“When I met this girl 17 years ago I knew we’d be friends..she was smart and sassy, bold and sensitive, funny as f**k and filled with fire. She was simply awesome. I’ll miss our late night calls that no one should ever hear but us,” Momsen said.
Despite her untimely death, Trachtenberg’s legacy is immortalized on television through her portrayal of some of the most iconic characters of the 2000s.
Tessa Kang is an Arts & Entertainment Staff Writer. She can be reached at tokang@uci.edu.
Edited by June Min.