Buffy The Vampire Slayer star is unrecognisable 24 years on from breakout role
Actress Michelle Trachtenberg might be remembered by Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans as the fresh faced yet annoying sister Dawn Summers.
However the star looks worlds away from her former character 24 years on from when she first starred in the cult TV show. Appearing in Buffy from 2000 until 2023 as Dawn, Michelle no longer rocks the doe eyed youngster image and instead is a sultry dark haired 38-year-old actress that has appeared in some of TV's classic shows like Gossip Girl and Weeds.
Michelle was born and raised in Brooklyn and first began acting at just three years old before heading on to pick up roles from aged 10 such as the movie Harriet The Spy alongside Rosie O'Donnell. At 14 she landed the part as Sarah Michelle Gellar's younger sister which then saw her appear from the fifth season of the cult classic.
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Michelle Trachtenberg as Dawn Summers in Buffy The Vampire Slayer in 2003 (20th Century Fox Television/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock)
The actress looks totally different now 24 years on (WWD via Getty Images)At the time, Buffy's sister Dawn was not a huge hit with the fans and Michelle empathised with viewers. She told Entertainment Weekly: "Oh my God! I think Dawn is so annoying!’ I do get a lot of ‘Oh she was so whiny!' Yet she defended Dawn as she added: "Were you a teenager? Oh, you were docile, sitting in the corner, doe-eyed and happy to be there? No. There’s a reason why teenagers have a stigma and that is what Joss wrote."
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Michelle joined the cast alongside lead actress Sarah Michelle Gellar as the ultimate vampire slayer Buffy Summers, Alyson Hannigan as Buffy's shy friend Willow Rosenberg and Nicholas Brendon as Buffy's funny pal Xander Harris.
Buffy wasn't her only TV role as Michelle also starred in Gossip Girl, Weeds, Sleepy Hollow and movies 17 Again with Zac Efron and Black Christmas. In 2021 she also hosted True Crime Docuseries 'Meet, Marry, Murder' For Tubi where she explored the true stories of people who were murdered by their partners. Michelle also executive produced a teen streaming series, Guidance, back in 2015. According to IMDB she is not currently acting, with her last role listed as cunning socialite Georgina Sparks in Gossip Girl.
Michelle Trachtenberg has appeared in shows such as Gossip Girl and Weeds since her stint on Buffy (WWD via Getty Images)
The actress's last active role was in 2023 in Gossip Girl as socialite Georgina Sparks (WWD via Getty Images)She keeps fans updated with her life with regular Instagram updates, including Buffy throwback pictures and snaps of her cat Sir Winston.
Michelle has also previously spoken out about Buffy creator Joss Whedon and said accused him of being "not appropriate" on set. She opened up in 2021 in the wake of fellow cast member Charisma Carpenter’s allegations against the show creator. Michelle reposted a statement from the show's star Sarah Michelle Gellar who told the world she stands "with all survivors of abuse and am proud of them for speaking out." Sharing the post from her on screen sister, Michelle added: "I am brave enough now as a 35 year old woman....To repost this. Because. This must. Be known. As a teenager. With his not appropriate behavior....very. Not. Appropriate. So now. People know. What Joss. Did."
In response to the allegations, Whedon denied many of the repeated allegations, including that he threatened people: "I don’t threaten people. Who does that?" He did acknowledge to New York magazine that he had 'yelled' at people on set, as he defended his past actions as he said: "I was young. I yelled, and sometimes you had to yell. This was a very young cast, and it was easy for everything to turn into a cocktail party.”
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