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Michelle Trachtenberg biography and detailed
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Michelle
Christine Trachtenberg
B
I O G R A P H Y
Mikesp
BIOGRAPHY
Occupation - Actress
Date of Birth - October 11, 1985
Birth Place - New York, New York, USA
Residence - Sherman Oaks, California, USA
Height -
5' 7" (1.70 m)
Eyes: Brown
Hair:
Black
Education: Graduated Notre Dame high school in
Sherman Oaks, California September 2002.
Maritial Status: Single never married. Currently dating Canadian actor Shawn Ashmore
Michelle Christine Trachtenberg was born in New York City. Her father, Michael Trachtenberg, is a fiberoptics engineer, and her Russian-born mother, Lana, is a former actress turned puppeteer. Trachtenberg is of Jewish heritage and speaks Russian. She was raised, along with older sister Irene, in Sheepshead Bay. Michelle studied ballet as a child and learned to love playing tennis. "I love tennis. I tried gymnastics at one point, but my tush got a whole lot of black and blue so that wasn't fun."
Michelle had her first television appearance in 1988 in a commercial for Wisk Detergent. In the years that followed, she appeared in over 100 commercials. She went on to feature in over 100 more commercials. Her first credited role came in 1993. She played Nona F. 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 Michelle first worked with future Buffy co-star, Sarah Michelle Gellar.
Michelle'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, at 15 years old Trachtenberg took up the role of Dawn Summers in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She remained in the role until the show ended in 2003. She grew up in New York but moved to LA when she was 14 with her mom. Her dad still lives in New York. Since Buffy, she has returned to film, with the recent 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 in 2004, a spoiled pop star for whom Keith Charles serves as a bodyguard. She appears briefly in indie flick Mysterious Skin late in 2004.
Her latest role in a feature film came March of 2005, where she played the title character in Walt Disney Pictures' family comedy/drama Ice Princess with the erotically notorious Kim Cattrall of "Sex Me in my City" fame. In this film, she plays a science whiz named Casey Carlyle who gives up her future academic life in order to chase her lifelong dream of being a professional figure skater. This was her first starring role in which she performs well. However her career has yet to enter the real film roles stage for the 20 year old hottie.
Michelle is currently dating Canadian actor Shawn Ashmore (of X-Men Movie "Iceman" fame. b1979). Despite their fragile relationship, Ashmore was selected as one of People magazine's "Hot Bachelors" of 2006.[3]
FACTS
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.
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.
She helped 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.
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" (1997) set when the show ended, a wooden stake.
Studied ballet as a child, which helped her perfect her skating abilities for Ice Princess (2005).
Is of Russian and German descent.
Participated in the golf tournament in Jamaica hosted by Carmen Electra.
Hobbies: Swimming, ice skating, writing poems
Attended Isaac Asimov Public School 99 for elementary school.
Has an older sister Irene, b. 1978
Spent the summer of 2005 as a non-paid apprentice at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Massachusetts.
Has separately played the daughter of both actors who played the young married couple Laura Ingalls Wilder and Almanzo Wilder in "Little House on the Prairie" (1974). She played Melissa Gilbert's daughter in Christmas in My Hometown (1996) (TV) and played Dean Butler's daughter in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1997).
QUOTES
"I love gardening. I think it's very therapeutic
when you're having a bad day."
[On being involved in a Buffy spin-off] "I didn't see myself continuing as Dawn because I like to have diversity in my roles. A lot of people are like: "Oh my God! Little Dawn grew up!" And as much as I love you guys, suck it up."
[On why she chose not to continue her role as Dawn Summers] "I felt like every year, my character got younger as I got older. The scripts even had me speaking grammatically incorrectly. So I had to do something else. Besides, the show is over. If you miss it, get the DVDs."
[on the future of Buffy] I'm sure that in some way, shape or form "Buffy" will be continued or the story, through the fans, because we do have such devoted fans and that's always been very sweet.
"One day I'd like to win an Oscar. But, I tell my mom if I ever get to be rude and demanding to let me know and I'll stop it. I don't want to be an actor like that."
"My confidence comes from me, Michelle, as a person. I don't necessarily believe that I will act and be a lead forever, but I want to continue to act for a long time. I love to do what I do."
"A fashion editor at Vogue, that would be awesome."
(On her dream job)
"Anything you throw at me, I'll try to tackle."
"I adore London and Paris, and I hope to live in London for a period of time when I'm older."
"I love tennis. I tried gymnastics at one point, but my tush got a whole lot of black and blue so that wasn't fun."
S T A R C H
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