Michelle Trachtenberg’s demise on the far-too-young age of 39 follows a remarkably strong profession, because the actress started working on the age of three, and appeared in a exceptional vary of roles over the course of her profession — changing into a standout baby star and Nickelodeon mainstay earlier than transitioning into more and more extra attention-grabbing and complex work on each movie and TV.
Lots of her most notable performances had been rooted in tv, together with two teen drama favorites. Some smaller appearances included taking part in a nurse on the one-season NBC drama Mercy and taking part in Abigail Adams on Fox’s supernatural drama Sleepy Hole. She additionally made a number of voice appearing appearances on Grownup Swim’s Robotic Rooster, and her ultimate display screen credit score got here from returning to one in all her most notable roles, on the Max revival of Gossip Lady. Under, we have a look at six important moments from her profession, and the way they guarantee she received’t be forgotten.
— Liz Shannon Miller
Senior Leisure Editor
The Adventures of Pete and Pete (1991-1996)
Trachtenberg was one in all a number of notable baby stars featured on this Nickelodeon favourite, a delicate and surreal tackle childhood that emphasised the fun of being your self, particularly if your self is a weirdo. The youthful Pete’s finest buddy, Nona F. Mecklenberg, was most memorable for the forged on her arm in addition to her exceptional quantities of gumption; regardless of being an actor from a younger age, she all the time managed to really feel very pure in her efficiency. — L.S. Miller
Harriet the Spy (1996)
The 1996 adaptation of this traditional kids’s novel wanted a more-than-capable younger actress to steer it, and on the age of 9 Trachtenberg was the appropriate child for the job. Whereas the variation doesn’t have the identical stage of pathos because the e-book, what Trachtenberg dropped at the function of Harriet was the appropriate diploma of nuance: Harriet is a younger woman whose love of spying on her neighbors and mates leads her to brushing up proper in opposition to the sting of maturity, in all its surprise and terror. — L.S. Miller
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)
When Trachtenberg joined the forged of Buffy the Vampire Slayer as Buffy’s little sister Daybreak, it was one of many present’s greatest twists so far, as up till within the Season 5 premiere, Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar) had all the time been an solely baby. No have to get into the magical the reason why Daybreak existed — the purpose is that Trachtenberg did a remarkably good job of slipping proper into the ensemble like she’d been there from the start. And whereas Daybreak as a personality had her ups and downs, the actress introduced a precious new power to the present in its later seasons, particularly as Buffy herself was additionally nonetheless rising up; their bond as sisters was an important a part of the present’s journey. — L.S. Miller
Ice Princess (2005)
This pretty 2005 movie put Trachtenberg in a number one function, one which has since achieved one thing of cult traditional standing for many who grew up with the film. Trachtenberg joined Hayden Panettiere, Joan Cusack, and Kim Cattrall on this story of a science wiz with an unbelievable expertise for determine skating. The heartfelt story was set in a comfy, fictional Connecticut city and provided a young spin on the highschool, coming-of-age format, and Trachtenberg completely sparkled and shone as Casey. — Mary Siroky
Gossip Lady (2007-2012)
As an alternative of being the nice woman, Trachtenberg received to chop free on Gossip Lady as a supply of chaos: In a 2008 interview, the actress described Georgina Sparks as “the evil bitch from hell,” a reign of terror she continued on and off throughout the present’s run. To be clear: On a present like Gossip Lady, this made her probably the most thrilling and gratifying characters — a firecracker who would fortunately burn you if given the chance. — L.S. Miller
17 Once more (2009)
Alongside a stacked forged that included Zac Efron, Leslie Mann, Matthew Perry, and Melora Hardin, Trachtenberg introduced second-chance comedy 17 Once more to life. Her function within the movie is, in truth, the emotional cornerstone of the story — she deftly portrayed Maggie, the product of her dad and mom’ highschool romance and the rationale they deserted their respective goals to create a household collectively. Whereas the film is undoubtedly a comedy, Trachtenberg threaded an unforgettable tenderness into the father-daughter relationship at its coronary heart. — M. Siroky
