Michelle Trachtenberg, an actress known for her roles on the hit television shows “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Gossip Girl,” has died at the age of 39.
Trachtenberg was found “unconscious and unresponsive” in her apartment on Manhattan’s Upper West Side on Wednesday, a spokesperson for the New York Police Department’s Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Public Information (DCPI) told The Epoch Times via email.
“At approximately 0801 hours, police responded to a 911 call of an aided individual at 1 Columbus Place, within the confines of the Midtown North Precinct,” the spokesperson said.
“EMS responded to the location and pronounced the victim deceased.”
Trachtenberg, who reportedly underwent a recent liver transplant, was found by her mother, according to ABC News.
Although the official cause of death remains to be determined by the medical examiner, foul play is not suspected, the DCPI spokesperson said.
“The investigation remains ongoing,” the representative noted.
Trachtenberg’s peers paid tribute to her online in the wake of her unexpected death.
“So very sad ... horrible news. RIP and prayers to her and her family,” David Boreanaz, who starred alongside Trachtenberg on “Buffy,” wrote in an Instagram Story post.
British actor Ed Westwick, known for playing Chuck Bass on “Gossip Girl,” shared a similar sentiment online, writing that he was “so sad to hear” of the actress’s passing.
“Sending prayers,” Westwick penned.
“So so sad to hear the Michelle Trachtenberg news,” author Shane Bitterling wrote on social media platform X.
“Been a fan since 1st seeing her as the 9yr old Nona (Iggy Pop played her pop) on the sweet, funny and melancholic ‘Adventures of Pete & Pete.’
“Always a pleasure when she came into our home via the TV and she'll be sorely missed.”
Michelle Trachtenberg attends the "Geezer" premiere in New York City on April 23, 2016. (Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival)
Born on Oct. 11, 1985, in New York City, Trachtenberg launched her acting career at an early age, appearing in television commercials when she was just three years old, according to her IMDb biography.
After appearing on episodes of “Law & Order,” “Clarissa Explains It All,” and “All My Children,” the actress landed a recurring role on the 1990s Nickelodeon sitcom “The Adventures of Pete & Pete.”
She later garnered her breakout role in the 1996 family comedy “Harriet the Spy,” starring alongside Rosie O'Donnell, J. Smith-Cameron, and Eartha Kitt.
Trachtenberg reflected on her experience making the film during an October 2021 interview with Entertainment Tonight.
“I turned 10 years old on the first day of principal photography of ‘Harriet the Spy,’” she told the publication. “There was a lot required of me. I’m extremely grateful for the experience.”
Following a three-year stint on the horror television series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” in the early aughts, Trachtenberg went on to star in films such as “EuroTrip” (2004), “Ice Princess” (2005), “The Dive from Clausen’s Pier” (2005), “Beautiful Ohio” (2006), and “Black Christmas” (2006).
In 2008, the actress began playing Georgina Sparks on The CW teen drama “Gossip Girl,” which centered on a blogger who chronicled the scandalous lives of a group of privileged New York teenagers living on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. The show was based on Cecily von Ziegesar’s series of bestselling novels of the same name.
The following year, she appeared in the films “Against The Current” and “17 Again.” The latter starred actors Zac Efron, Leslie Mann, Thomas Lennon, and the late Matthew Perry, who died in October 2023 at the age of 54.
Most recently, Trachtenberg reprised her role in HBO Max’s “Gossip Girl” reboot, which premiered in July 2021. The show was canceled in 2023 after only two seasons.
