Michelle Trachtenberg Had an Acting Career That Spanned Decades — What Was Her Net Worth?

When it comes to an actor like Michelle Trachtenberg, how you know her depends on when you met her during her career. One of her very first gigs was on Nickelodeon's The Adventures of Pete & Pete when she was only 3 years old. From there, she stepped into several iconic roles that included a beloved child spy and a supernatural being whose sister was a vampire slayer. Speaking of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, in February 2025 it was announced that a sequel was close to getting greenlit.

Fans of the series immediately rejoiced. Naturally, people wondered who from the original run might return. Michelle played Buffy's younger sister Dawn, who survived the end of the world on more than one occasion. Sadly Michelle herself passed away weeks after the announcement. What was her net worth at the time? Here's what we know.

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Michelle was worth $7 million. It mostly came from her numerous television appearances as well as the occasional motion picture. Before her time on The Adventures of Pete & Pete, Michelle cut her teeth on commercial gigs like the Wisk detergent spot she did as a wee toddler. In October 2012, Michelle told The Los Angeles Daily News that she still remembered the jingle.

Like many actors, Michelle's first television role was on Law & Order, during its second season. While on The Adventures of Pete & Pete, Michelle was pulling double duty as Lily Montgomery on All My Children. Her big film break came as the titular Harriet in Harriet the Spy, which really set her up for 1999's Inspector Gadget a few years later.

Most would agree that her standout part was Dawn Summers, which was initially met with mixed reviews. It wasn't easy joining an established show where she embodied the bratty younger sister of the all-powerful Buffy the Vampire Slayer. What made things more complicated was Dawn's magical introduction to the show, as there was no sibling in the previous seasons. Still, Michelle managed to craft a character that fans grew to love over time.

From there she continued on with parts in movies like EuroTrip, Black Christmas, and 17 Again. She also joined the cast of another iconic show. We don't like to gossip, but Georgina Sparks on Gossip Girl was the best at being one of the worst. She even popped into the reboot in 2022. That was one of the last projects she participated in before her death.