She worked with Sarah Michelle Gellar on "All My Children" (1970) before "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1997) and they were good friends. Sarah was the one who recommended Michelle for the part of Dawn.
She grew up in New York but moved to LA three years ago with her mom. Her dad still lives in New York. Her sister Irene recently graduated from college.
Appeared at the Xcel Center at a Sci-fi expo alongside Kristine Sutherland (May 2002)
Said the last line ever in the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1997) series.
Dating X-Men actor Shawn Ashmore (2004-)
She loves to play tennis.
She helped then President Bill Clinton launch The Coalition for a Drug Free America campaign.
Attended Notre Dame High School. She graduated with awards in Social Studies and Religion and was also named under the California Scholarship Federation.
Shares a birthday with Joan Cusack and Luke Perry.
Attended Bay Academy Junior High School in Brooklyn, New York
Speaks Russian.
Her birthday is also the wedding anniversary of her "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1997) cast mate Alyson Hannigan (Willow) and "Angel" (1999/I)'s Alexis Denisof (Wesley).
Was able to sneak a souvenir from the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" set when the show ended, a wooden stake.
Studied ballet as a child, which helped her perfect her skating abilities for "The Ice Princess."
Michelle Trachtenberg Detailed Biography
Michelle Trachtenberg's television acting career took off with a guest starring role on the Nickelodeon series, The Adventures of Pete and Pete as Nona Mecklenberg. While that series continued, Michelle moved on to daytime soaps as Lily Montgomery on All My Children. While on the show for two years, Michelle worked with her now Buffy co-star, Sarah Michelle Gellar.
In 1996, Michelle got her first leading role as Harriet in the Nickelodeon movie, Harriet the Spy. Her career continued with roles in the TV movies, A Holiday for Love and A Father's Choice, the TV series Meego and was a recurring guest on the Nickelodeon game show, Figure It Out. In 1999, Michelle landed the role of Penny in the movie, Inspector Gadget and co-starred as Julie in Can't Be Heaven. Her latest movie released to theaters was Snow Days.
In the summer of 2000, Michelle Trachtenberg got the role of Dawn on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and is the first character since the show's start to begin as a regular cast member.
