MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG


'Michelle Christine Trachtenberg' (born October 11, 1985) is an American television and film actress.

Contents
Biography
Early life
Career
Personal life
Filmography
Television roles
Footnotes
External links

Biography


Early life

Trachtenberg was born in New York City. Her father, Michael, is an AT&T field engineer, and her Russian-born mother,[1] Lana, is a former actress turned puppeteer. Trachtenberg can speak Russian fluently.1 She is of Jewish heritage and celebrates both Christmas and Hanukkah;[2] her grandparents live in Israel.[3] Trachtenberg was raised, along with older sister Irene, in Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn and attended P.S. 254 Elementary School and Bay Academy Junior High School.
Career

She made her first television appearance in 1988 in a commercial for Wisk Detergent. She went on to feature in over 100 more commercials. She appeared in her first credited role as Nona F. Mecklenberg in ''The Adventures of Pete & Pete'' from 1994 until 1996. During the same period she played Lily Montgomery in ''All My Children''. It was on ''All My Children'' that Trachtenberg first worked with future ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' co-star Sarah Michelle Gellar.
Trachtenberg's film career began in 1996 with the lead role in ''Harriet the Spy''. She then returned to television for ''Meego'', for which she won a Young Artist Award. She returned to film in 1999 for ''Inspector Gadget'', as the gadget-master's niece, Penny. She also starred in the film ''Can't Be Heaven''.
In the summer of 2000, Trachtenberg took up the role of Dawn Summers in ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer''. She remained in the role until the show ended in 2003. After ''Buffy'', she returned to film in ''EuroTrip'', co-starring Scott Mechlowicz and Travis Wester and directed by Jeff Schaffer. She also had a recurring role in the HBO series ''Six Feet Under'' as Celeste, a spoiled pop star for whom Keith Charles serves as a bodyguard.
In March 2005, she played the title character in Walt Disney Pictures' family comedy/drama ''Ice Princess'' with Kim Cattrall. In this film, Trachtenberg plays a science whiz named Casey Carlyle who gives up her future academic life in order to chase her newfound dream of being a professional figure skater.
In November 2006, Trachtenberg guest starred in the sixth season of the Emmy-nominated crime drama ''. In the episode "Weeping Willow", she played the role of Willow, a kidnapped video blogger based on lonelygirl15. Trachtenberg also made a cameo in the Fall Out Boy music video for "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" and the Joaquin Phoenix-directed video "Tired of Being Sorry" for Balthazar Getty's band Ringside. She was recently cast as the female lead in an ABC comedy pilot called ''The Hill'', set in Washington, D.C.[4]
Trachtenberg will provide the voice of Tika Waylan for , a direct-to-video animated movie based on the novel of the same name. The movie is scheduled for release in 3rd quarter 2007.
Personal life

Trachtenberg dated Canadian actor Shawn Ashmore from 2004 to December 2006.

Filmography


Year Title Role Notes
1996 ''Harriet the Spy'' Harriet M. Welsch
1998 ''Richie Rich's Christmas Wish'' Gloria direct-to-video
1999 ''Inspector Gadget'' Penny
2004 ''EuroTrip'' Jenny co-star
2005 ''Mysterious Skin'' Wendy limited release
''Ice Princess'' Casey Carlyle
2006 ''Black Christmas'' Melissa Kitt co-star
2007 ''Kickin' It Old Skool'' Kim
''Beautiful Ohio'' Sandra

Television roles


Year Title Role Notes
1991 ''Law & Order'' Dinah Driscoll television series
1993 ''All My Children'' Lilly Benton Montgomery #1 television series
''Clarissa Explains It All'' Elsie Soaperstein television series
1994 ''The Adventures of Pete & Pete'' Nona Mecklenberg television series
1995 ''Melissa'' Lena television series
''Christmas in My Hometown'' Noelle Murphy made-for-television
1997 ''Meego'' Maggie Parker television series
''Figure It Out'' Panelist television series
2000 ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' Dawn Summers television series (2000-2003)
''A Father's Choice'' Kelly McClain made-for-television
2001 ''Truth or Scare'' Host/narrator television series
''The Teen Choice Awards 2001'' presenter television special
2002 ''The Teen Choice Awards 2002'' presenter television special
''Can't Be Heaven'' Julie television series
''Echo by Trapt'' music video
2003 ''A&E Biography: Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' television special
''Echo by Trapt'' music video
2004 ''The Dive From Clausen's Pier'' Carrie Beal made-for-television
''Six Feet Under'' Celeste television series
''Child Stars II - Growing Up Hollywood'' herself A&E Biography
''The 20th IFP Independent Spirit Awards'' presenter
2005 ''House'' Melinda Bardach (in Safe) television series
2006 '' Lisa Willow Tyler television series

Footnotes


1. Radio Free Entertainment
2. http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0IBX/is_3_7/ai_67718265/pg_2
3. Interview with James Marsters and Michelle Trachtenberg
4. Trachtenberg goes to Washington in ABC comedy

External links







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