This past Wednesday, Michelle Trachtenberg, an American actress passed away due to unknown circumstances at the age of 39. Trachtenberg is known for playing roles in various popular movies and series. She was found dead in her apartment by her mother at around 8:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time.
Her cause of death was ruled as “unknown,” as her family objected to an autopsy for religious reasons. There has been speculation as to the cause, with rumors of liver failure due to a liver transplant she had earlier on.
“I was really surprised when I first heard about her death,” sophomore Charlotte McGinty said. “I was curious about what caused her death, since it was ruled unknown.”
Trachtenberg was known as a prominent character in the movie Gossip Girl. She appeared on several consecutive seasons, and she also played Georgina’s character in the recent reboot of the show. In response to her death, many former cast members, co-workers, and fans shared messages in her mourning.
“It is sad to see this actress die so young,” freshman Seneca Moeller said. “Her death will negatively impact watching Gossip Girl for me.”
Blake Lively, the main actress in Gossip Girl posted a statement in remembrance of Trachtenberg, as well as Alyson Hannigan, Tractenberg’s co-worker on the set of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. A writer and producer on Gossip Girl, Josh Safran, also made remarks as to Trachtenberg’s talent as an actress.
Trachtenberg is best known for her characters of Georgina Sparks in Gossip Girl and Dawn Summers in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She played Harriet in Harriet the Spy as a much younger actress during the 90’s. A couple of other main roles were Casey in Ice Princess and Jenny in EuroTrip.
“I remember her from a lot of movies,” McGinty said. “I especially thought she was a really good actress in Gossip Girl.”
