Michelle Trachtenberg’s former “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” costar Sarah Michelle Gellar is looking back at their time together on screen and off, one day after Trachtenberg died in New York City.
On Thursday, Gellar posted a series of photos to her verified Instagram account that showed her and the late 39-year-old former child actress throughout the years. They included moments from the show, their time promoting it and some seemingly personal photographs, including one of Trachtenberg smiling at an infant in a tender moment.
Gellar added a message alongside the photos in quotation marks that read: “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”
Police responded to a 911 call on Wednesday just after 8 a.m. local time and found a woman unconscious and unresponsive inside a Manhattan apartment. She was later identified as Trachtenberg, according to an NYPD spokesperson.
The NYPD said in a statement that “criminality is not suspected.”
On Thursday, the New York City Medical Examiner ruled the actress’ death “undetermined,” according to an agency spokesperson. Her family declined an autopsy and because Trachtenberg’s death was not deemed suspicious by law enforcement, the medical examiner’s office honored that request, the spokesperson said.
Though they worked together for several years on “Buffy,” Trachtenberg and Gellar actually first crossed paths on “All My Children.” Gellar played Kendall Hart from 1993 to ’95, and Trachtenberg worked on the show from 1994 to 1996.
Trachtenberg joined “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” in the show’s fifth season, playing the title character’s teenage sister Dawn – a surprising addition because Buffy had until that point been portrayed as an only child.
Prior to joining the cast, Trachtenberg described herself as a “HUGE fan” of the WB series, inspired by a 1992 movie of the same name about a teenage vampire hunter.
“I’m a walking encyclopedia of ‘Buffy,’” she told Entertainment Weekly in 2000. “I watched the show from day 1 because I worked with Sarah on ‘All My Children.’”
A supernatural explanation for Dawn’s abrupt appearance was eventually revealed during the course of the show, and she appeared in episodes until the series concluded in 2003.
Trachtenberg seemingly stayed in touch with Gellar, who just months ago commented on an old, undated photo Trachtenberg posted of the two of them.
“Yes I’m taller @sarahmgellar #sisters #throwback,” Trachtenberg wrote in the caption at the time.
Gellar replied: “What like that’s hard?!?”
Following news of her death, several of Trachtenberg’s other “Buffy” co-stars paid tribute to her.
James Marsters, who played Spike, called her “a beautiful soul” who was “fiercely intelligent, howlingly funny, and a very talented person.”
David Boreanaz, Alyson Hannigan and Emma Caufield also expressed their sadness over her passing.
“She brought a loving energy to the set of Buffy. My thoughts are with Michelle’s family and friends,” Hannigan wrote.
After “Buffy‘s” conclusion, Trachtenberg went on to have roles on “Gossip Girl,” “Weeds” and NBC medical drama “Mercy.”
