Posted in: CW, Movies, TV | Tagged: buffy, Michelle Trachtenberg

Buffy, Gossip Girl Star Michelle Trachtenberg Dead at Age 39

Reports hit earlier today that Michelle Trachtenberg (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Gossip Girl) was found dead in her NYC apartment, at age 39.

Some heartbreaking news to report, with ABC News confirming from police sources that Michelle Trachtenberg has passed away at the age of 39 – with Trachtenberg's mother making the discovery earlier today in Tranchtenberg's NYC apartment. "It is with great sadness to confirm that Michelle Trachtenberg has passed away. The family requests privacy for their loss. There are no further details at this time," a representative for the family shared. Trachtenberg's first television role was in the second season of NBC's Law & Order, with her first credited role in Nickelodeon's The Adventures of Pete & Pete. Over the course of the next 30+ years, Trachtenberg would make the transition from child actor to adult actor, amassing an impressive filmography along the way. But in terms of pop culture impact, fans of Gossip Girl and Buffy the Vampire Slayer will always remember Trachtenberg as Georgina Sparks and Dawn Summers, respectively.

In terms of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Trachtenberg had the unenviable task of joining the hit ensemble series at the start of its fifth season – and as Buffy Summers' (Sarah Michelle Gellar) sister, no less. It was a role that carried a ton of responsibility with it, with Dawn being introduced as if she had been part of the "Scooby Gang" all along – as if Buffy always had a sister. Before long, we learn the truth behind Dawn's existence – with Trachtenberg delivering a diversity in feeling and emotion that matches the confusion and heartbreak that Dawn was experiencing. Even after Dawn's backstory is revealed and the day is saved, it was Trachtenberg who kept us tuning in to see where Dawn's journey would eventually take her.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Michelle Trachtenberg on Dawn's Development

"I was introduced to the show like, 'Boom, here I am!' Take it or leave it, and I hope you take it," Trachtenberg shared with the BBC during a 2014 interview, explaining how she was introduced to the character of Dawn Summers and how she developed the role. "Dawn was introduced as Buffy's sister, and she's just a regular teenage girl, she has her opinions on the world and all that. I never like to think ahead to the end of the season, 'Oh, will I be coming back,' because if you're thinking too much about the technicalities of what you do, you can't really put all the creative ingredients into what you're doing now. That was a big thing for me especially playing Dawn, because I didn't know that much about her at all."

After meeting with the series creator, Trachtenberg realized that she would be carrying the weight when it came to fleshing out Dawn. Thankfully, being a fan of the series made the process easier for her. "What really helped and was very lucky was the fact that I was such a huge fan of the show that I understood how things were going to play out. Not that I knew what was going to happen during the course of the season, but I could guess," Trachtenberg shared. "It was really interesting to see all the hardships Dawn goes through, because even though she has this secret, she still has to play out her life like a regular teenage girl. She has to go to school, she has to do her chores and homework, she has to keep her room clean."

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