Danny Tamberelli Pays Heartfelt Tribute to Adventures of Pete & Pete Costar Michelle Trachtenberg After Her Passing
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Former Nickelodeon star Danny Tamberelli honored his Adventures of Pete & Pete co-star Michelle Trachtenberg with an emotional tribute on Instagram, remembering their time together on set and her impact on those around her.
“We grew up learning how to make people laugh together,” Tamberelli, 43, wrote, sharing nostalgic photos from their time on the show. “More importantly, we learned to make each other laugh and pull pranks on everyone. We were doing improv when it was still called playing pretend to get laughs.”
Remembering Michelle’s Playful Spirit
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Trachtenberg, who passed away at age 39 on February 26, was known for her mischievous and lively personality.
“She was a master of the clothespin game, tagging any and everyone she could,” Tamberelli recalled. “She once got upset when I got my first bass on set because I wouldn’t hang out during lunch. She hid the cable so I couldn’t play through the amp. I got the message.”
He described her as “a bright light, firecracker, and caring person who spent a lot of time and effort advocating for people who needed a louder voice.”
“Michelle was someone to look up to in this business and to the general world at large. She will be missed. All my love, sympathy, and compassion to [her mother] Lana, [her sister] Irene, and the rest of her family and friends.”
Trachtenberg’s Nickelodeon Legacy
Trachtenberg joined The Adventures of Pete & Pete in its second season, playing Nona F. Mecklenberg, the sidekick to Tamberelli’s character, Little Pete. The show, which ran from 1993 to 1996, became a cult classic, with Michael C. Maronna playing the older Pete.
Beyond Pete & Pete, Trachtenberg was a familiar face on Nickelodeon, appearing in Clarissa Explains It All, the game show Figure It Out, and an episode of Blue’s Clues. She also starred in the network’s 1996 film Harriet the Spy, which marked her first major movie role.
A Career Beyond Nickelodeon
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After her Nickelodeon days, Trachtenberg became widely recognized for playing Dawn Summers in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Georgina Sparks in Gossip Girl, and Casey Carlyle in Ice Princess.
Her Buffy co-star Sarah Michelle Gellar paid tribute to her with a touching reference to the season 5 finale, writing:
“Michelle, listen to me. Listen. I love you. I will always love you.”
She continued, quoting Buffy’s famous words to Dawn: “The hardest thing in this world is to live in it. I will be brave. I will live… for you.”
Meanwhile, Gossip Girl co-star Blake Lively described Trachtenberg’s bold and passionate nature, writing:
“She was electricity. You knew when she entered a room because the vibration changed. Everything she did, she did 200%.”
Lively added, “She laughed the fullest at someone’s joke, she faced authority head-on when she felt something was wrong, she cared deeply about her work, she was proud to be a part of this community and industry as painful as it could be sometimes, she was fiercely loyal to her friends and brave for those she loved, she was big and bold and distinctly herself.”
A Lasting Legacy
Trachtenberg’s passing has left a void in the entertainment industry, but the memories shared by her friends and colleagues serve as a testament to her talent, kindness, and unwavering spirit.