Michelle Christine Trachtenberg (born October 11, 1985 in New York, United States) is an American television and movie actress best known for her role as Dawn Summers in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Born in New York City, she had her first television appearance in 1988 in a commercial for Wisk Detergent . She went on to feature in over 100 more commercials. Her first credited role came in 1993. She played Nona Mecklenberg in The Adventures of Pete & Pete from 1994 until 1996. During the same period she played the second Lily Montgomery in All My Children. It was on All My Children that Trachtenberg first worked with future Buffy 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 and Can't Be Heaven .

In Summer 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. Since Buffy she has returned to film, with the recent Eurotrip, co-starring Scott Mechlowicz and Travis Wester and directed by Jeff Schaffer .

She had a recurring role in the HBO series Six Feet Under as Celeste, a spoiled pop star for whom Keith serves as a bodyguard.

Filmography

• Vinyl (2005) (in pre-production)
• Ice Princess (2005)
• Mysterious Skin (2004)
• Eurotrip (2004)
• Inspector Gadget (1999)
• Harriet the Spy (1996)

External links

• Delicate (regularly updated fan site)
• michelle-trachtenberg.com: be back before dawn (fan site)
• Michelle Trachteberg (Italian fan site)