Michelle Christine Trachtenberg is an American actress and voice actress best known for her roles in The Adventures of Pete & Pete, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Gossip Girl.
Biography
Trachtenberg was born in New York City, New York, to Lana, a Russian bank manager, and Michael Trachtenberg, a German fiber-optics engineer. She had one older sister named Irene. Trachtenberg is also of Jewish descent and her grandparents live in Israel. Trachtenberg was raised in Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn, where she attended P.S. 99 Elementary School and The Bay Academy for the Arts and Sciences. She later moved to Los Angeles, California, where she attended Notre Dame High School. Trachtenberg made her first television appearance when she was three years old, starring in a commercial for Wisk Detergent. She then went on to be featured in over 100 commercials. She then appeared in her first credited role, starring as Nona F. Mecklenberg on the Nickelodeon series The Adventures of Pete & Pete, which ran from 1994 until 1996. During that same period, she portrayed Lily Montgomery on the soap-opera series All My Children, in which she first worked with Sarah Michelle Gellar.
Trachtenberg's film career began in 1996 when she landed the role as the titular character in Harriet the Spy. She then starred in the short-lived TV series Meego, which, despite its short run, garnered her a Young Artist Award. She returned to the film industry in 1999 for Inspector Gadget, as the titular inspector's niece, Penny. She also starred in the film Can't Be Heaven. In the summer of 2000, Trachtenberg took on one of her best-known roles, starring as Dawn Summers in Buffy the Vampire Slayer; she remained in the role until the show ended its run in 2003. She also hosted the Discovery Kids series Truth or Scare, which ran from 2001 to 2003. Afterwards, she appeared in the comedy film EuroTrip and also landed a recurring role in the HBO series Six Feet Under. In March 2005, Trachtenberg portrayed the titular character in the Walt Disney Pictures family comedy-drama film Ice Princess. In the film, she played a science whiz named Casey Carlyle, who is torn between a future in academics and her newfound dream of becoming a professional figure skater. In April 2006, Trachtenberg guest-starred in an episode of House.
In November 2006, Trachtenberg guest-starred in the sixth season of the Emmy-nominated crime drama Law & Order: Criminal Intent, where she portrayed the role of Willow, an abducted video blogger. In December, she starred in Black Christmas, the remake of the 1974 slasher film of the same name. In 2007, she was cast as the female lead in an ABC comedy pilot called The Hill, which is 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. She later appeared on The CW hit show Gossip Girl as Georgina Sparks. Leaving the show, her character then made a return in a multi-episode story arc towards the end of the second season. Trachtenberg also appeared in the third season finale episode and the fourth season premiere episode. In 2009, she became a cast member on the NBC drama Mercy, but the series was not renewed for a second season.
On June 9, 2011, Trachtenberg guest-starred on Love Bites as Jodie, a role which she reprised on June 16, 2011. She reprised the role again on July 21, 2011, during the series finale. On June 28, 2011, Trachtenberg guest-starred on Weeds during its seventh season, starring as Emma, a pot dealer. In June 2012, she was cast in the film The Scribbler. On January 16, 2013, Trachtenberg made a guest appearance on the CBS drama Criminal Minds as Diane Turner, the stalker of Reid's love interest Maeve Donovan. Trachtenberg returned to film with the 2009 picture 17 Again and a small role in the comedy film Cop Out. In March 2011, she was the featured cover girl in Maxim.
On Criminal Minds
Trachtenberg portrayed Diane Turner, the stalker of Reid's love interest Maeve Donovan, who appeared in the Season Eight episode Zugzwang.
Filmography
- Sexy Evil Genius (2013) as Miranda Prague (video)
- Criminal Minds - Zugzwang (2013) TV episode - Diane Turner
- Gossip Girl (2008-2012) as Georgina Sparks (28 episodes)
- Robot Chicken (2006-2012) as Gummy Bear/Woman/Samantha Jones/Cindy/Wife/Cleaning Woman/Mugging Victim/Dina Lohan (5 episodes, voices)
- Untitled Peter Knight Comedy Project (2011) as Gracie
- Weeds (2011) as Emma Karlin (5 episodes)
- Love Bites (2011) as Jodie (3 episodes)
- Take Me Home Tonight (2011) as Ashley
- DC Showcase Original Shorts Collection (2010) as Bar Girl (video, voice)
- DC Showcase: Jonah Hex (2010) as Bar Girl (video short, voice)
- Mercy (2009-2010) as Nurse Chloe Payne (22 episodes)
- Cop Out (2010) as Ava
- The Super Hero Squad Show (2009) as Valkyrie (2 episodes, voice)
- 17 Again (2009) as Maggie
- Against the Current (2009) as Suzanne
- The Circuit (2008) as Kylie Shines
- Dragonlance: Dragons of Autumn Twilight (2008) as Tika (video, voice)
- The Hill (2007) as Maggie Rogers
- Black Christmas (2006) as Melissa
- Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2006) as Lisa Willow Tyler
- Beautiful Ohio (2006) as Sandra
- House M.D. (2006) as Melinda Bardach
- The Dive from Clausen's Pier (2005) as Carrie Beal
- Ice Princess (2005) as Casey Carlyle
- Mysterious Skin (2004) as Wendy
- Six Feet Under (2004) as Celeste (4 episodes)
- EuroTrip (2004) as Jenny
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer (2000-2003) as Dawn Summers (66 episodes)
- Can't Be Heaven (2000) as Julie
- A Father's Choice (2000) as Kelly McClain
- Inspector Gadget (1999) as Penny
- Ri¢hie Ri¢h's Christmas Wish (1998) as Gloria (video)
- Guys Like Us (1998) as Katie
- Meego (1997) as Maggie Parker (13 episodes)
- A Holiday for Love (1996) as Noelle Murphy
- Space Cases (1996) as Prankster #1
- Dave's World (1996) as Angela
- Harriet the Spy (1996) as Harriet M. Welsch
- The Adventures of Pete & Pete (1994-1996) as Nona Mecklenberg (10 episodes)
- Melissa (1995) as Lena (uncredited)
- Clarissa Explains It All (1993) as Elsie Soaperstein
- Law & Order (1991) as Dinah Driscoll (uncredited)
LINKS
For an up-to-date filmography, see here.