Changes: Michelle Trachtenberg

Revision as of 23:32, 14 May 2020

Michelle Trachtenberg is the actress who portrayed Dawn Summers in Buffy the Vampire Slayer television series. She is also known for her roles as Nona F. Mecklenberg in The Adventures of Pete & Pete, Georgina Sparks in Gossip Girl, and in the films Harriet the Spy, EuroTrip, Ice Princess, the Black Christmas remake, and 17 Again.

Early life

Trachtenberg was born in New York City, the younger of two daughters of Lana, a bank manager, and Michael Trachtenberg, a fiber-optics engineer. Her father is from Germany and her mother was born in Russia; Trachtenberg can speak Russian fluently. Trachtenberg is of Jewish heritage, and celebrates both Christmas and Hanukkah, her grandparents live in Israel. Trachtenberg was raised, along with older sister Irene, in Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn, where she attended P.S. 99 Elementary School and The Bay Academy for the Arts and Sciences.

Career

Early career

Trachtenberg made her first television appearance at the age of three, in a commercial for Wisk Detergent. She went on to feature in over 100 more commercials. She appeared in her first credited role as Nona F. Mecklenberg on the Nickelodeon series The Adventures of Pete & Pete from 1994 until 1996. During the same period, she played Lily Montgomery on the soap opera All My Children, in which she first worked with future Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Sarah Michelle Gellar.

Breakthrough career

Trachtenberg's film career began in 1996 with the titular role in Harriet the Spy, a film with screenplay written by Douglas Petrie. During this time, she also began a recurring role in season two of the television series The Adventures of Pete & Pete, of which she later became a regular. She then starred in the short-lived television series Meego, which garnered her a Young Artist Award. She returned to film in 1999 for Inspector Gadget, as the inspector's niece, Penny. She also starred in the film Can't Be Heaven. In the summer of 2000, Trachtenberg took on the role of Dawn Summers in Buffy the Vampire Slayer; she remained in the role until the show ended in 2003. Trachtenberg also hosted the Discovery Kids series Truth or Scare, from 2001 to 2003.

After both series, she appeared in the comedy film EuroTrip. She also had a recurring role in the HBO series Six Feet Under as Celeste, a spoiled pop star for whom Keith Charles served as a bodyguard. In March 2005, Trachtenberg played the title character in Walt Disney Pictures' family comedy-drama Ice Princess. In the film, Trachtenberg played a science whiz named Casey Carlyle who is torn between a future in academia and her newfound dream of being a professional figure skater.

Guest appearances

In April 2006 Trachtenberg guest-starred in the episode of House, M.D., "Safe". In November 2006, she guest-starred in the sixth season of the Emmy-nominated crime drama Law & Order: Criminal Intent. In the episode "Weeping Willow", she played the role of Willow, a kidnapped video blogger based on lonelygirl15. Trachtenberg also made a cameo in the Fall Out Boy music video for "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" (with fellow Buffy cast member Seth Green), Joaquin Phoenix-directed video "Tired of Being Sorry" for Balthazar Getty's band Ringside, and Trapt's video Echo.

In December 2006, Trachtenberg starred in Black Christmas, the remake of the 1974 slasher of the same name. In 2007, she was cast as the female lead in an ABC comedy pilot called The Hill. Trachtenberg provided the voice of Tika Waylan for Dragonlance: Dragons of Autumn Twilight, a direct-to-video animated movie based on the novel of the same name.

Trachtenberg appeared on The CW hit show Gossip Girl as Georgina Sparks, who recently left rehab and brings back the dark past Serena van der Woodsen desperately wants to leave behind. She returned to the show for a multi-episode story arc towards the end of the second season. Trachtenberg appeared in the season 3 finale and the season 4 premiere. In 2009, Trachtenberg was a cast member on the NBC drama Mercy, the series however was not renewed for a second season.

On June 9, 2011, Trachtenberg guest-starred on Love Bites as Jodie, who, after being unceremoniously dumped, decides — with a vengeance — to accept her ex's offer to "be friends". She reprised the role on June 16, 2011, then finally in the series finale on July 21, 2011. On June 28, 2011, it was announced Trachtenberg would guest star on Weeds during its seventh season, as the character Emma.

Other work

Trachtenberg returned to film with the 2009 picture 17 Again alongside Zac Efron, Sterling Knight and Matthew Perry. She also had a small role in the comedy film Cop Out.

In March 2011, she was the featured cover girl in Maxim magazine.

Buffyverse credits

Trachtenberg appeared in all episodes from season 5 to season 7 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, portraying Dawn Summers:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 5 (Guest Starring in "Buffy vs. Dracula")
Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 6
Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 7

External links

Michelle Trachtenberg on Wikipedia
Michelle Trachtenberg on IMDb

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 ==Career==
 ===Early career===
-Trachtenberg made her first television appearance at the age of three, in a commercial for Wisk Detergent. She went on to feature in over 100 more commercials. She appeared in her first credited role as Nona F. Mecklenberg on the Nickelodeon series The Adventures of Pete & Pete from 1994 until 1996. During the same period she played Lily Montgomery on the soap opera All My Children, in which she first worked with future Buffy the Vampire Slayer star [[Sarah Michelle Gellar]].
+Trachtenberg made her first television appearance at the age of three, in a commercial for Wisk Detergent. She went on to feature in over 100 more commercials. She appeared in her first credited role as Nona F. Mecklenberg on the Nickelodeon series ''The Adventures of Pete & Pete'' from 1994 until 1996. During the same period, she played Lily Montgomery on the soap opera ''All My Children'', in which she first worked with future ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' star [[Sarah Michelle Gellar]].
 ===Breakthrough career===
-Trachtenberg's film career began in 1996 with the titular role in Harriet the Spy, a film with screenplay written by [[Douglas Petrie]]. During this time, she also began a recurring role in season two of the television series The Adventures of Pete & Pete, of which she later became a regular. She then starred in the short-lived television series Meego, which garnered her a Young Artist Award. She returned to film in 1999 for Inspector Gadget, as the inspector's niece, Penny. She also starred in the film Can't Be Heaven. In the summer of 2000, Trachtenberg took on the role of Dawn Summers in Buffy the Vampire Slayer; she remained in the role until the show ended in 2003. Trachtenberg also hosted the Discovery Kids series Truth or Scare, from 2001 to 2003. After Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Truth or Scare, she appeared in the comedy film EuroTrip, directed by Jeff Schaffer and co-starring Scott Mechlowicz, Jacob Pitts, and Travis Wester. She also had a recurring role in the HBO series Six Feet Under as Celeste, a spoiled pop star for whom Keith Charles served as a bodyguard.
+Trachtenberg's film career began in 1996 with the titular role in ''Harriet the Spy'', a film with screenplay written by [[Douglas Petrie]]. During this time, she also began a recurring role in season two of the television series ''The Adventures of Pete & Pete'', of which she later became a regular. She then starred in the short-lived television series ''Meego'', which garnered her a Young Artist Award. She returned to film in 1999 for ''Inspector Gadget'', as the inspector's niece, Penny. She also starred in the film ''Can't Be Heaven''. In the summer of 2000, Trachtenberg took on the role of Dawn Summers in ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer''; she remained in the role until the show ended in 2003. Trachtenberg also hosted the Discovery Kids series ''Truth or Scare'', from 2001 to 2003.
-In March 2005, Trachtenberg played the title character in Walt Disney Pictures' family comedy-drama Ice Princess, with Kim Cattrall, Joan Cusack, and Hayden Panettiere. In the film, Trachtenberg played a science whiz named Casey Carlyle who is torn between a future in academia and her newfound dream of being a professional figure skater.
+After both series, she appeared in the comedy film ''EuroTrip''. She also had a recurring role in the HBO series ''Six Feet Under'' as Celeste, a spoiled pop star for whom Keith Charles served as a bodyguard. In March 2005, Trachtenberg played the title character in Walt Disney Pictures' family comedy-drama ''Ice Princess''. In the film, Trachtenberg played a science whiz named Casey Carlyle who is torn between a future in academia and her newfound dream of being a professional figure skater.
 ===Guest appearances===
-In April 2006 Trachtenberg guest-starred in the episode of House, M.D., "Safe". She revealed on the December 22, 2006, episode of Late Night With Conan O'Brien that House is her favorite show, she is friends with one of the producers and she asked to be a guest star.
+In April 2006 Trachtenberg guest-starred in the episode of ''House, M.D.'', "Safe". In November 2006, she guest-starred in the sixth season of the Emmy-nominated crime drama ''Law & Order: Criminal Intent''. In the episode "Weeping Willow", she played the role of Willow, a kidnapped video blogger based on lonelygirl15. Trachtenberg also made a cameo in the Fall Out Boy music video for "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" (with fellow Buffy cast member [[Seth Green]]), Joaquin Phoenix-directed video "Tired of Being Sorry" for Balthazar Getty's band Ringside, and Trapt's video Echo.
-In November 2006, Trachtenberg guest-starred in the sixth season of the Emmy-nominated crime drama Law & Order: Criminal Intent. In the episode "Weeping Willow", she played the role of Willow, a kidnapped video blogger based on lonelygirl15. Trachtenberg also made a cameo in the Fall Out Boy music video for "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" (with fellow Buffy cast member [[Seth Green]]), Joaquin Phoenix-directed video "Tired of Being Sorry" for Balthazar Getty's band Ringside, and Trapt's video Echo. In December 2006, Trachtenberg starred in Black Christmas, the remake of the 1974 slasher of the same name. In 2007, she was cast as the female lead in an ABC comedy pilot called The Hill, set in Washington, D.C. Trachtenberg provided the voice of Tika Waylan for Dragonlance: Dragons of Autumn Twilight, a direct-to-video animated movie based on the novel of the same name.
+In December 2006, Trachtenberg starred in ''Black Christmas'', the remake of the 1974 slasher of the same name. In 2007, she was cast as the female lead in an ABC comedy pilot called ''The Hill''. Trachtenberg provided the voice of Tika Waylan for ''Dragonlance: Dragons of Autumn Twilight'', a direct-to-video animated movie based on the novel of the same name.
-Trachtenberg appeared on The CW hit show Gossip Girl as Georgina Sparks, who recently left rehab and brings back the dark past Serena van der Woodsen desperately wants to leave behind. She returned to the show for a multi-episode story arc towards the end of the second season. Trachtenberg appeared in the season 3 finale and the season 4 premiere. In 2009, Trachtenberg was a cast member on the NBC drama Mercy, the series however was not renewed for a second season.
+Trachtenberg appeared on The CW hit show ''Gossip Girl'' as Georgina Sparks, who recently left rehab and brings back the dark past Serena van der Woodsen desperately wants to leave behind. She returned to the show for a multi-episode story arc towards the end of the second season. Trachtenberg appeared in the season 3 finale and the season 4 premiere. In 2009, Trachtenberg was a cast member on the NBC drama ''Mercy'', the series however was not renewed for a second season.
-On June 9, 2011, Trachtenberg guest-starred on Love Bites as Jodie, who, after being unceremoniously dumped, decides - with a vengeance - to accept her ex's offer to 'be friends'. She reprised the role on June 16, 2011, where Jodie augments her friend Annie's bust with so-called chicken cutlets - which later embarrassingly slip out. She finally reprised the role on July 21, 2011, in the series finale, where Jodie and her on-again boyfriend are tormented - to the point of homelessness - by bedbugs.
+On June 9, 2011, Trachtenberg guest-starred on ''Love Bites'' as Jodie, who, after being unceremoniously dumped, decides — with a vengeance — to accept her ex's offer to "be friends". She reprised the role on June 16, 2011, then finally in the series finale on July 21, 2011. On June 28, 2011, it was announced Trachtenberg would guest star on ''Weeds'' during its seventh season, as the character Emma.
-On June 28, 2011, it was announced Trachtenberg would guest star on Weeds during its seventh season. Her character Emma is a rival pot dealer who causes problems for Silas Botwin.
 ===Other work===
-Trachtenberg returned to film with the 2009 picture 17 Again alongside Zac Efron, Sterling Knight and Matthew Perry. She also had a small role in the comedy film Cop Out.
+Trachtenberg returned to film with the 2009 picture ''17 Again'' alongside Zac Efron, Sterling Knight and Matthew Perry. She also had a small role in the comedy film ''Cop Out''.
-In March 2011, she was the featured cover girl in Maxim.
+In March 2011, she was the featured cover girl in ''Maxim'' magazine.
 ==Buffyverse credits==
-Trachtenberg appeared from season 5 to season 7 of ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer''.
+Trachtenberg appeared in all episodes from season 5 to season 7 of ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'', portraying Dawn Summers:
 *[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 5|''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' season 5]] <small>(Guest Starring in "[[Buffy vs. Dracula]]")</small>