The late Michelle Trachtenberg has received a touching tribute from her former Buffy the Vampire Slayer co-star. The actor, who was found dead at the age of 39 in her apartment on Wednesday morning, joined the popular supernatural teen drama at the beginning of season 5, remaining a series regular in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer cast through the series finale at the end of season 7. Her character Dawn Summers, to whom there was much more than met the eye, was the younger sister of Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar).
On her official Instagram account, Sarah Michelle Gellar has shared a tribute to Michelle Trachtenberg. In addition to a gallery of images of the pair together, both on the screen and off, she shared a quote from the Buffy season 5 finale “The Gift,” in which Buffy sacrifices herself to save Dawn. The slightly modified quote reads “Michelle, listen to me. Listen. I love you. I will always love you. The hardest thing in this world, is to live in it. I will be brave. I will live… for you.“
Gellar also shared three broken heart emojis and a key emoji, referencing how Dawn’s character was “The Key,” an important force that can unlock the dimensional gate and is given human form in order for Buffy to protect its power. See the post below:
Michelle Trachtenberg’s Legacy Goes Beyond Buffy
Dawn Is One Of Many Iconic Roles For The Star
Sarah Michelle Gellar is not the first co-star to honor Michelle Trachtenberg’s time playing Dawn in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She joins a chorus of voices that already includes Alyson Hannigan (Willow), James Marsters (Spike), David Boreanaz (Angel), and Angel star J. August Richards (Charles Gunn). This outpouring of grief speaks to the loving impression the late star made during her three-season tenure on the series.
Angel was a Buffy spinoff following David Boreanaz’s character which ran for five seasons between 1999 and 2004.
However, the legacy that Trachtenberg leaves behind extends far beyond the bounds of a single show. Her iconic roles extend across multiple decades, beginning with her first credited role as Nona F. Mecklenberg in the 1990s Nickelodeon series The Adventures of Pete & Pete and continuing with her roles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the 2005 ice skating dramedy Ice Princess, the teen drama Gossip Girl (in which she appeared from 2008 through 2012), and many more.
Michelle Trachtenberg’s Memory Lives On
She Will Be Remembered In Many Different Ways
By focusing in on Michelle Trachtenberg’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer role, this tribute from Sarah Michelle Gellar highlights the way that the late actor has touched so many people across the world. Not only did she forge a sisterly relationship with Buffy onscreen, she held a similar place in the hearts of many audience members. The wide variety of characters she played onscreen have all connected with various viewers over the years in similar ways, ensuring that she will be remembered via the vast body of work she leaves behind.
Source: Sarah Michelle Gellar/Instagram