Michelle Trachtenberg: podcast appearances and interviews

Michelle Christine Trachtenberg (October 11, 1985 – February 26, 2025) was an American actress who began her career in commercials at age three. She made her television debut on the Nickelodeon series The Adventures of Pete & Pete and her feature film debut in the comedy Harriet the Spy. As a child actress, she starred in several Nickelodeon productions and received a Young Artist Award in 1997 for her performance in the CBS sitcom Meego. She also played Penny Brown in the 1999 Disney superhero comedy film Inspector Gadget. Trachtenberg gained recognition for her role as Dawn Summers on the supernatural drama series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, earning another Young Artist Award and three Saturn Award nominations. She was also nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award as the host of the Discovery Kids series Truth or Scare. In her late teens and early twenties, she appeared in films such as EuroTrip and Ice Princess and played Georgina Sparks on the CW series Gossip Girl. Her supporting roles include films like Mysterious Skin and Black Christmas, as well as leading roles in 17 Again and on the NBC series Mercy. During the 2010s, she participated in several television films including Killing Kennedy and Sister Cities, and appeared in the science fiction film The Scribbler. She provided voice work in the web series Human Kind Of and served as an executive producer for series including Guidance and Meet, Marry, Murder. Trachtenberg continued acting until her death in 2025 at the age of 39, despite health struggles in her final years.