Michelle Trachtenberg was born October 11th, 1985 in New York. Trachtenberg began her acting career early on when she appeared in a commercial for Whisk detergent when she was just 3 years old. When she was 11, Trachtenberg made a recognized splash into the Hollywood scene when she starred with Rosie O'Donnell in Harriet the Spy. Before the film, she had commercial and television acting experience, most notably with future Buffy the Vampire Slayer co-star Sarah Michelle Gellar on the soap opera All My Children. After Harriet, Trachtenberg made smaller film appearances, along with additional television roles. In 1999, she co-starred as Penny in Inspector Gadget with Matthew Broderick. She took on the role of Gellar's younger sister on the WB series Buffy the Vampire Slayer in 2001, and a recurring turn as pop star Celeste on Six Feet Under in 2004.

Michelle has always put an emphasis on education. When filming, she is tutored on the set; otherwise, she attends normal schools. She is also active in various charities including but not limited to DARE, RADD, Youth of America, the Starlight Children's Foundation. When Trachtenberg isn't acting or in school, you can most likely find her writing, reading, or creating beaded jewelry.