Whatever Happened To Michelle Trachtenberg After Gossip Girl?
Michelle Trachtenberg made her acting debut in an episode of "Law & Order," but her starring role as Harriet M. Welsch in the 1996 movie "Harriet the Spy" established her as one to watch. From there, she landed parts on series like "The Adventures of Pete & Pete" and "Meego," eventually leveraging her success in TV into a role on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." She got into crazy backpacker hijinks into the comedy "EuroTrip," learned to skate like a professional for "Ice Princess," and played one of Manhattan's wealthy elite on "Gossip Girl."
But after wrapping up her stint on "Gossip Girl," it seems like Trachtenberg hasn't had a high-profile role for a while. So why has the actress been staying away from the spotlight? Well, here's why Michelle Trachtenberg hasn't been popping up on your screen lately and what she's been working on while taking a short hiatus from acting.
Michelle Trachtenberg passed up a great opportunity
Can you envision Michelle Trachtenberg starring in "Twilight?" Well, she nearly landed a coveted role in the popular franchise, but in the end, it didn't pan out.
"There was definitely interest here and there because there's only so few pale girls in Hollywood," the "Buffy" actress told US Weekly. But ultimately, Trachtenberg had already signed on to other projects that would've conflicted with shooting the vampire romance, so she couldn't commit. As she went on to explain, "I guess schedules never worked out."
Being a part of the "Twilight" franchise would've undoubtedly taken Trachtenberg's career to new heights, and maybe if she'd backed out of another project, she could've made it happen. Yet Trachtenberg tries not to spend too much time looking back and wondering how her career might've changed if she'd landed a role in "Twilight." She explained, "[Hypothetical answers mean] you're not living in the moment and you're looking negatively at what you're doing now."
She was frustrated working in TV
In 2000, Michelle Trachtenberg joined the cast of the popular series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" for the show's fifth season. Here, she starred as Dawn Summers, Buffy's little sister, who plays a pivotal role in the series. And when Dawn discovers her true purpose, she struggles to accept who she is and her mystical connection to every single dimension of reality. But while Trachtenberg was grateful for the opportunity to be part of such an impactful show, she wasn't enthusiastic about the idea of working on another TV series once it was over.
"Honestly when I left 'Buffy,' I never thought I'd go back to TV because I've done it. I'm not a person to repeat myself creativity-wise. And I found TV to be rather stifling, especially 'Buffy,'" Trachtenberg said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. "Three years as one character — where they're not changing the character and your abilities aren't being tested or challenged — gets very repetitive." While Trachtenberg did eventually reconsider and returned to working in television, her experience of being held back as a creative individual in front of the camera may have discouraged her from accepting other TV roles.
She received a lot of negative comments after Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Perhaps Michelle Trachtenberg became so hesitant to accept certain roles because fans of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" responded so negatively to her character, Dawn Summers. Multiple people have labeled Dawn as one of the most annoying and hated characters on TV, but to Trachtenberg's credit, maybe this means she played the role of the annoying little sister incredibly well. Still, comments like that have to hurt.
To this day, Trachtenberg says that people will tell her about much they disliked Dawn. "I still get comments like, 'Oh my God! I think Dawn is so annoying!' I get it. It's fine," she told Entertainment Weekly in 2017. She continued on to say, "I rarely get the, 'Oh, she ruined the show.' I do get a lot of, 'Oh, she was so whiny!' Hi, 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 [Whedon] wrote."
It's true that Dawn was prone to sulking and complaining, but as Trachtenberg says, she was certainly a realistic character.
A major TV show fell through
After appearing in a supporting role on "Gossip Girl," Michelle Trachtenberg had her sights set on a new kind of part — she wanted to star in her own TV show. In 2010, Vulture reported that the production team behind "Gossip Girl" was also working on producing a new CW drama for Trachtenberg. The actress was set to star as a criminology student with a complicated past and an uncanny talent for profiling suspects. In fact, she'd pitched the idea for the show herself, so in addition to starring, she was also going to serve as a producer.
Originally, the show was supposed to begin airing with hour-long episodes in the fall of 2011. This would've represented a big step forward in Trachtenberg's career. But like so many other interesting series that never see the light of day, the pilot was simply never picked up. Losing the opportunity to produce and star in her own TV show was definitely a setback for Trachtenberg.
Michelle Trachtenberg has gotten mediocre reviews for recent projects
So, why haven't Michelle Trachtenberg's more recent films gotten the same attention as some of her earlier projects? Well, unfortunately, after appearing on "Gossip Girl," her subsequent projects just haven't earned many positive reviews.
In 2014, Trachtenberg appeared in "The Scribbler," which told the story of a woman who attempts to eliminate her multiple personalities through a risky experimental process. But this comic book adaptation fell flat, with critics panning the film. That same year, she starred in the made-for-TV comedy movie "Save the Date" as a woman who races to find a husband after having a few too many drinks and booking a wedding venue. With middling reviews, "Save the Date" wasn't exactly a boon for Trachtenberg's career. And in 2015, Trachtenberg played a curious reporter in "The Christmas Gift" who tries to track down a stranger who unknowingly changed her life after sending an anonymous present. Unfortunately, "The Christmas Gift" didn't make much of an impression on critics either, and for a couple of years, it seemed like Trachtenberg was struggling to find roles that truly suited her.
Her web series ended after one season
In 2015, Michelle Trachtenberg took on a starring role in the web series "Guidance," which was hosted on Verizon's mobile video streaming platform go90. In the show, Trachtenberg played Anna, a guidance counselor who tries to help one of her students investigate the source of some scandalous photos. But Trachtenberg only appeared in the first season of the series, as each season featured a new cast of characters dealing with different issues.
Ultimately, "Guidance" was canceled after three seasons. The short episodes just didn't pack enough punch into a few minutes, and critics and audiences felt relatively neutral about the series. In addition, the streaming platform ended up folding too, as there just wasn't enough interest in the go90 offerings. While the premise of the series was interesting (and could've been particularly intriguing to "Gossip Girl" fans), most people simply weren't checking out the go90 platform for streaming options. In other words, this short-lived project may have been a misstep for Trachtenberg.
Her guest spots haven't led to long-term roles
While Michelle Trachtenberg did have some frustrating experiences working in TV throughout her career, she's returned to the small screen plenty of times to appear as a guest on shows that she loves. Over the past few years, she's popped up on episodes of "Criminal Minds," "NCIS: Los Angeles," "Sleepy Hollow," and "SuperMansion." Trachtenberg was especially excited about getting the chance to play Abigail Adams on "Sleepy Hollow," and before her episode aired, she hinted that it was "very possible" that her character might return, explaining that she'd discussed the prospect of coming back with executive producer Len Wiseman.
But in the end, none of these guest appearances have led to long-term or even recurring roles on these shows for Trachtenberg. Judging by her past comments about the downsides of working on TV, this could've been her choice, but it does seem like she would have been open to committing to a show like "Sleepy Hollow" if the stars had aligned.
Her film Sister Cities didn't get much buzz
In 2016, Michelle Trachtenberg had a starring role as Dallas Baxter in the Lifetime movie "Sister Cities." Based on the play by Colette Freedman, the plot follows Dallas and her three sisters, who've been estranged for years until their mother's sudden death brings them together once again. Now, the four sisters have to untangle their past and investigate the strange circumstances surrounding their mom's death. The result is a family drama and a mystery wrapped into one, making for a suspenseful narrative ... one that kinda just faded away.
Granted, "Sister Cities" got a positive response from audiences. But despite the glowing reception from viewers, the movie didn't get much buzz amongst critics. Those that did take note of the film generally enjoyed it, with reviewer Virginia DeBolt declaring it an "all-star" movie and critic David Duprey describing it as a "tragic, unexpected, and moving journey." Perhaps it flew under the radar simply because it was a made-for-TV movie, but whatever the reason, it didn't do much for Trachtenberg's career.
She's been working on writing projects
Although Michelle Trachtenberg has always been passionate about acting, she's also interested in working in other roles in Hollywood. As it turns out, she's actually written several screenplays. It's only natural that the actress who made a name for herself starring as an aspiring writer in "Harriet the Spy" would have an interest in penning her own stories.
"I'm fully WGA [Writers Guild of America] and a writer and have sold several projects. I feel like [I'm living] a Hollywood version of Harriet's life," Trachtenberg told Entertainment Weekly in 2017. At the time, she explained that she was working on two projects that she was particularly passionate about. One project was "a period piece that spans about a 30-year decade, starting in the '50s," which Trachtenberg said was based on a true story. The other told the story of an "accessories editor who always wanted to be a writer."
However, Trachtenberg's screenplays never did make it to the big screen. Perhaps she's working on another, or maybe she's pushed these plans to the backburner for now.
Her animated series was short-lived
In 2018, Michelle Trachtenberg lent her voice to the Facebook web series "Human Kind Of." Here, Trachtenberg played Judy Reilly, an awkward teenager who discovers the unexpected reason she's always felt so out of place. It turns out that her estranged father was actually an extraterrestrial. Judy has no idea how she's going to navigate life as a half-human, half-alien teenager (as if high school wasn't hard enough already). But her optimistic mother and her best friend have her back, and as the series progresses, she learns to embrace both sides of her personality and everything that makes her unique.
Each episode ran about five minutes, making for an easy and entertaining watch. "Human Kind Of" did earn decent reviews, but unfortunately, the series turned out to be short-lived, as it only lasted for a single season. While Trachtenberg has definitely shown her willingness to think outside the box by taking on projects like this, it hasn't necessarily translated to mainstream attention.
The Gossip Girl reboot
Trachtenberg had a recurring role on the original network run of "Gossip Girl" as Georgina Sparks, a particularly malevolent member of the Upper East Side's elite who stirs up trouble every time she turns up in New York City. Georgina is a textbook example of the "TV character you love to hate." She promises total and delicious chaos every time she appears on screen. And to the delight of "Gossip Girl" fans everywhere, Tractenberg reprised Georgina in Season 2 of the series' reboot on HBO Max. In typical fashion, she raises havoc in her two appearances on the series, abducting Kate Keller (Tavi Gevinson) and blackmailing her into assisting her plan to upend Max's father's (Todd Almond) plans to renew his wedding vows.
Unfortunately, Tractenberg, who was the sole on-screen cast member to return for the reboot (Kristen Bell reprised her voice-over role as the anonymous narrator), wasn't able to spread more misery as Georgina in subsequent episodes of "Gossip Girl." Thwarted in her attempt to push Kate into even more diabolical schemes, Georgina disappears from the series in Episode 7 of Season 2; the series itself was canceled in 2023, ending Tractenberg's brief but memorable return.
Michelle Tractenberg produced a true crime show
After "Human Kind Of" wrapped in 2018, Michelle Trachtenberg appeared to go on hiatus from acting for several years. That streak remained unbroken until she reprised Georgina Sparks in the "Gossip Girl" reboot, but Trachtenberg remained busy in a different capacity between gigs. She teased an upcoming project on her social media accounts before revealing on Instagram in 2021 that she would serve as both host and executive producer of a true crime series. The show, which aired under several titles, including "Meet, Marry, Murder" and "Meet, Marry, Murder with Michelle Trachtenberg," covered "tragic love stories that lead to murder" (via The Hollywood Reporter) and aired on Tubi in 2021.
A similar series, titled "Meet Marry Murder" and produced in part by Lifetime, aired one year prior to Trachtenberg's show but appears to be unrelated beyond the subject matter and title. It, however, ran for 62 episodes over the course of two seasons. The Trachtenberg "Meet, Marry, Murder" appears to have snuffed out after a three seasons of 52 episodes total.
She supported her co-stars during the Joss Whedon scandal
Sadly, one of Michelle Trachtenberg's best-known and most enduring roles was tainted with scandal when allegations of misconduct and harassment by Joss Whedon on the set of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (among other projects) began surfacing between 2020 and 2021. When co-star Charisma Carpenter, who played Cordelia Chase on "Buffy" and its spin-off, "Angel," made statements on social media about Whedon's allegedly abusive statements and behavior toward her, Trachtenberg added her own alleged experience with the writer-producer by commenting on a post by "Buffy" star Sarah Michelle Gellar, who offered her support to survivors of abuse. Trachtenberg wrote on Instagram, "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."
Trachtenberg later updated her post, adding, "There was a rule. Saying. [Whedon is] not allowed in a room alone with Michelle again." At the time of her appearances on the series from 2000 to 2003, Trachtenberg was a teenager. She concluded the post by stating that she would not comment on the allegations against Whedon again.
She drew hurtful comments about her appearance
Michelle Trachtenberg returned to the media cycle in 2023, albeit for reasons she probably would have preferred to avoid. Selfies posted to her Instagram page generated unwelcome comments by fans and observers, who opined without proof that she appeared to be either unwell or exhibiting the fallout from plastic surgery procedures. Trachtenberg pushed back against the hurtful allegations, writing, "Fun fact. This is my face. Not malnutrition no problems. Why do you have to hate?"
Her response came on the heels of a mounting wave of speculation about her appearance by online commentators; some of the comments bordered on abusive, and suggested that Trachtenberg was hiding a serious illness. In response to a photo posted as part of a challenge by a friend to make public a selfie without makeup, Tractenberg wrote, "Saying 'still' before any fake comment is so pathetic. I'm 38 years old and grateful. Get a calendar."