For a generation that came of age in the early 2000s, it was hard not to love Michelle Trachtenberg.
If you were a Nickelodeon kid growing up, she was Nona F. Mecklenberg from The Adventures of Pete & Pete. Or, Harriot the Spy, where Trachtenberg first gained worldwide recognition. Maybe you first got to know her as Dawn Summer in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, starring Sarah Michelle Gellar in the lead. And if all these iconic roles somehow evaded you, there’s no chance you wouldn’t have not known her as Georgina Sparks in the OG Gossip Girl. As the intimidating yet hilarious bad girl on the show, Trachtenberg gave many iconic moments to fans that are still repeated ad nauseum on social media through GIFs and memes.
Trachtenberg had the kind of star power that lent itself equally well to all kinds of parts. She could be the lovable girl next door while also transforming into a savage diva. Even when you hated her character – like when she was traumatising Blake Lively’s Serena in Gossip Girl – you couldn’t help but fall in love with her part. You waited for her to show up on screen and every time she did, she gave you a moment unlike any other.
Since her Gossip Girl days, she did a host of guest parts and supporting characters and we, her fans, always got excited every time she played a new role. She remained one of those rare actors who transitioned from child actor to adult actor both with ease and success. Such was her allure that she was the only actor from the OG cast to have reprised her role in the reboot of the show.
She didn't do a lot of work but whatever she did, she did it to perfection. And it feels horrible that there won’t be another brilliant Michelle Trachtenberg performance for us to enjoy.
Maybe we’ll have to rewatch Gossip Girl again. That wouldn’t be a bad idea though. To quote Georgina, “Bless us, Father. I have a feeling we’re about to sin!”
RIP, Michelle Trachtenberg. You’ll always be missed!