NEW YORK 鈥 Michelle Trachtenberg, a former child star who appeared in the 1996 鈥淗arriet the Spy鈥 hit movie and went on to co-star in two buzzy millennial-era TV shows 鈥 鈥淏uffy the Vampire Slayer鈥 and 鈥淕ossip Girl鈥 鈥 has died. She was 39.
Police responded to a 911 call shortly after 8 a.m. at a 51-story luxury apartment tower in Manhattan鈥檚 Hell鈥檚 Kitchen neighborhood where officers found Trachtenberg "unconscious and unresponsive,鈥 according to an NYPD statement.
FILE - Actress Michelle Trachtenberg poses for a portrait during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 19, 2009. (AP Photo/Mark Mainz, File)
Paramedics pronounced her dead at聽the scene. No foul play was suspected and the New York Medical Examiner is investigating the cause of death, police said.
Representatives for Trachtenberg did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Her death was first reported by the New York Post.
Trachtenberg was 8 when she began playing Nona Mecklenberg on Nickelodeon鈥檚 鈥淭he Adventures of Pete & Pete Nona鈥 from 1994 to 1996 and then starred in the title role in the film adaptations of 鈥淗arriet the Spy鈥 and 鈥淚nspector Gadget,鈥 opposite Matthew Broderick.
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Michelle Trachtenberg appears at The Art of Elysium's Ninth annual Heaven Gala in Culver City, Calif., on Jan. 9, 2016.
鈥淢ichelle comes off as genuine because she really is a genuine kid. Everyone can identify with her,鈥 said Debby Beece, president of Nickelodeon Movies in 1996.
In 2000 Trachtenberg joined the cast of 鈥淏uffy,鈥 playing Dawn Summers, the younger sister of the title character played by Sarah Michelle Gellar between 2000 and 2003.
Trachtenberg thanked Gellar for speaking out against Joss Whedon in 2021, following abuse allegations made against the 鈥淏uffy鈥 showrunner. 鈥淚 am brave enough now as a 35-year-old woman to repost this,鈥 she wrote on social media, and alluded to 鈥渉is not appropriate behavior鈥 she experienced as a teenage actor.
FILE - Actor Michelle Trachtenberg, left, who portrays Dawn, Buffy's sister Emmy, playfully spears series producer-creator Joss Whedon, during the taping of the final episode of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" in Santa Monica, Calif., April 16, 2003. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)
In 2001, she received a Daytime Emmy nomination for hosting Discovery鈥檚 鈥淭ruth or Scare.鈥 Trachtenberg went on to recurring roles on 鈥淪ix Feet Under,鈥 鈥淲eeds鈥 and 鈥淕ossip Girl,鈥 where she played the gang鈥檚 scheming nemesis, Georgina Sparks.
As if to cement herself in millennial culture, Trachtenberg made a cameo in Fall Out Boy鈥檚 music video for the 鈥淭his Ain鈥檛 a Scene, It鈥檚 an Arms Race鈥 alongside Seth Green.
Her other credits included 鈥淚ce Princess鈥 in 2005 鈥 playing a math prodigy and aspiring figure skater 鈥 and the 2004 teen sex comedy 鈥淓uroTrip.鈥 She co-starred with Zac Efron and Leslie Mann in 2009's 鈥17 Again.鈥
For 鈥淜illing Kennedy,鈥 the 2013 film in which she played the wife of Lee Harvey Oswald, around 80% of Trachtenberg鈥檚 dialogue was in Russian. She had learned the language from her mother growing up.
Other credits included supporting roles in the films 鈥淢ysterious Skin鈥 in 2004 and 鈥淏lack Christmas鈥 in 2006. She also starred on the NBC medical series "Mercy" (2009鈥2010) opposite Taylor Schilling. More recently, she hosted the true-crime docuseries 鈥淢eet, Marry, Murder鈥 on Tubi.
___
Associated Press Writer Michael R. Sisak contributed to this report.
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