Sarah Michelle Gellar is paying tribute to her “Buffy” sister, Michelle Trachtenberg, who died on Feb. 26 at 39 years old. Trachtenberg, who had been acting since age three, was found unresponsive in her New York City apartment, according to police. At the time of publication, her cause of death has not been confirmed.
“Michelle, listen to me. Listen. I love you. I will always love you,” Gellar wrote on Instagram accompanied by a photo gallery of the two actors together in “Buffy.” “The hardest thing in this world, is to live in it. I will be brave. I will live… for you”
Trachtenberg broke through as Buffy’s sister, Dawn Summers. She joined the series during Season 5 in 2000 and went on to appear on 66 episodes, remaining on the show until it ended in 2003.
Trachtenberg started her career in commercials and, like many, made her TV debut on a 1991 episode of “Law & Order.” She then landed a role on Nickelodeon’s “The Adventures of Pete & Pete.” She landed her first film role in “Harriet the Spy” in 1996, playing the lead role as the aspiring sleuth.
She appeared in many films through the early 2000s, including “Inspector Gadget,” “EuroTrip” and “17 Again.” In 2008, she joined the cast of “Gossip Girl,” appearing as Georgina Sparks for 28 episodes. She’d later reprise the role in two episodes of the 2022 spinoff of the same title.
