Michelle Trachtenberg from 0 to 39 years old

Michelle Christine Trachtenberg (October 11, 1985 - February 26, 2025) was an American actress. After beginning her career in TV commercials at the age of three, she made her television debut in her first credited role on the Nickelodeon series The Adventures of Pete & Pete. As a child actress, Michelle starred in several Nickelodeon productions. In 1997, she won a Young Artist Award for her performance as Maggie in CBS's Meego. Born in New York City, she was the second daughter of Lana and Michael Trachtenberg, who were Jewish immigrants; Michael was from Germany, whereas Lana was from Russia. Her grandparents reside in Israel. She had an older sister named Irene. Michelle found success on the supernatural drama series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (2000 - 2003) as Dawn Summers, the younger sister of the show's eponymous protagonist, a role which won her another Young Artist Award and earned her three Saturn Award nominations. She was also nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for her role as the host of the Discovery Kids series Truth or Scare (2001–2003). In her late teens and early 20s, Michelle rose to further prominence in the film EuroTrip (2004) and as Georgina Sparks on the CW series Gossip Girl (2008–2012). During the mid-2000s, she also had a starring role in the film Ice Princess (2005) and supporting roles in the films Mysterious Skin (2004) and Black Christmas (2006). She also starred on the NBC series Mercy (2009–2010) as Chloe Payne. In the 2010s, she starred in several television films, including Killing Kennedy (2013) and Sister Cities (2015), and in the science fiction film The Scribbler (2014). She provided the lead voice of Judy in Facebook Watch's adult animated web series Human Kind Of (2018) and executive produced the teen drama web series Guidance (2015–2017) and Tubi's true crime series Meet, Marry, Murder (2021). Michelle was found was found dead in her New York City apartment near Columbus Circle by her mother on February 26, 2025. She was 39 years old. As a well known and loved actress, her death shocked the entertainment world. Just one year before, she spoke out in response to a fan who said she looked ‘’sick’’ as she posed for a selfie in January 2024. Although the cause of her death has yet to be determined, it has no criminal suspicions, according to police.