Michelle Trachtenberg, the actor best known for roles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Gossip Girl, has died at age 39. She rose to fame in the 1990s with Nickelodeon, starring in the studio’s first feature film, Harriet The Spy. Recently, she has been appearing in various show episodes but has definitely stepped away from the acting scene in recent years. Anytime an actor dies this young, many questions are asked by fans.
Michelle Trachtenberg Dead At 39
According to the New York Post, police responded to a 911 call at 8 am local time. The woman, later identified as Michelle Trachtenberg, was unconscious and unresponsive, according to an NYPD spokesperson. The spokesperson went on further, saying, “Criminality is not suspected,” but the investigation is ongoing. An official cause of death will come from the Medical Examiner’s office. A source from the NYPD confirmed that natural causes are the most likely cause of death.
Reports indicated Trachtenberg recently underwent a liver transplant, leading many to believe that some complications with the procedure caused her death. Until an official report comes out from the Medical Examiner, all of this is speculation. She leaves behind a legacy of being one of the actors who was a staple of entertainment in the 1990s.
Legacy
Her work in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Gossip Girl will live on forever. Even though these two series have been off the air for years, they still have massive followings. She returned as Georgina Sparks for two episodes in the Max reboot of the series, setting it in a more modern era. She narrated a Discovery Kids series, Truth or Scare, for three years and provided her voice to a variety of shows, including Robot Chicken.
For fans of the birth of Nickelodeon, Michelle Trachtenberg was one of the catalysts for success. She was on many shows in the 1990s and made her big breakthrough in the aforementioned Harriet the Spy. She laid the groundwork for what the studio would become in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Final Thoughts
Hollywood will mourn the loss of Michelle Trachtenberg. While she wasn’t an Oscar-winning actor and didn’t appear in the most popular shows every year, she still made a profound impact on the industry. At this point, we will wait for more information, and our thoughts and prayers are with her friends and family.
