Stars Blake Lively, Chace Crawford… expressed their condolences and memories of co-star Michelle Trachtenberg upon hearing the news of her death at the age of 39 on February 26.
Chace Crawford – the actor famous for playing Nate Archibald in Gossip Girl – posted a series of old photos with Michelle Trachtenberg along with a tribute to his co-star: “Michelle Trachtenberg was one of a kind. I remember the first time she came on set and she completely took charge. She was full of energy, incredibly funny and naturally charming. This is a terrible loss. Love you.”
Chace Crawford posts a photo with Michelle Trachtenberg.
Ed Westwick – who played Chuck Bass on the hit teen drama – wrote on his Instagram Story: “So sad to hear of Michelle Trachtenberg’s passing . Sending prayers to her and her family.”
The film’s lead actress, Blake Lively , posted a long tribute to her close co-star. The 37-year-old star recalled the first day she met Michelle on the set of Gossip Girl : “She was full of energy. You could tell when she walked into the room because the whole space changed. Everything she did, she gave 200%. She laughed at everyone’s jokes, she confronted authority when she felt something was wrong, she cared so much about her work.”
Blake Livey (left) and Michelle Trachtenberg in ‘Gossip Girls’.
In the film, Blake plays Serena van der Woodsen while Michelle plays her friend Georgina Sparks, a wealthy, famous, drug-addicted woman known as the “Witch of the Upper East Side”. Blake describes Michelle in real life as strong, bold, kind, always true to herself and loyal to her friends. She is impressed by her co-star’s use of delicious caramel-scented lip gloss.
Reflecting on Michelle’s sudden passing, Blake wrote that tragedy always comes unexpectedly in life and told fans: “Cherish the people you love and have loved. The world has lost a kind and sensitive person. May Michelle’s work and open heart be remembered by all who were fortunate enough to meet her.”
Actress Rosie O’Donnell , 62, who starred alongside Michelle Trachtenberg in the 1996 film Harriet the Spy, told E! News : “It’s heartbreaking. I love her so much. She’s been struggling for the last few years. I wish I could help her.”
Michelle Trachtenberg and Rosie O’Donnell in “Harriet the Spy” (1996).
Michelle Trachtenberg died on the morning of February 26 (local time) at her apartment in New York. According to NyPost , the 39-year-old actress underwent a liver transplant last year and her health seemed to have deteriorated since then. A close source also revealed to People that Michelle had told close friends that she had been struggling with health problems for the past year and that the actress had been looking increasingly frail. However, Michelle Trachtenberg did not share her problems publicly.
Michelle Trachtenberg was born in New York in 1985 and has been acting since the age of three, playing a child detective in Harriet the Spy (1996). From 2008 to 2012, she appeared in 28 episodes of the hit TV series Gossip Girl. She has also starred in films such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer , EuroTrip , Ice Princess and 17 Again .