Gossip Girl and Buffy The Vampire Slayer actress Michelle Trachtenberg dies aged 39

By Hannah Roberts, PA Entertainment Reporter

US actress Michelle Trachtenberg, known for her roles in Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Gossip Girl, has died aged 39.

The New York police department confirmed her death to the PA news agency in a statement on Wednesday.

The police said they responded to an emergency call at around 8am on Wednesday to One Columbus Place in New York and Trachtenberg was later confirmed dead after emergency medical services attended.

Her death is not being treated as suspicious and the police said the medical examiner will determine her cause of death.

Born on October 11, 1985, in New York City, Trachtenberg began her acting career at the age of three, appearing in adverts before landing roles on TV series.

She secured a recurring role in The Adventures Of Pete & Pete in 1992 and in 1996 she starred in film Harriet The Spy as an 11-year-old given to spying on neighbours and classmates, and concocting outrageous lies to embellish the everyday details in her private journal.

She was also known for playing Penny in 1999 spy film Inspector Gadget and Jenny in 2004 movie EuroTrip.

Trachtenberg entered hit show Buffy The Vampire Slayer in its fifth season as Dawn, the younger sister of Buffy, and became a regular until the show came to an end in 2003.

In 2005 she starred opposite Sex And The City actress Kim Cattrall in Ice Princess and was in 2009 teen comedy 17 Again alongside Zac Efron.

She reprised her role as Georgina Sparks in the second series of the recent Gossip Girl sequel.