Michelle Trachtenberg portrays Dawn, Buffy's mystery-laden younger sister. Coming into her own as a fledgling member of the Scooby Gang, she overcame her personal demons and grew closer to her sister, who is finally beginning to include Dawn in her world. Trachtenberg is anything but an ordinary 16-year-old. She is perhaps best known for her starring role in "Harriet the Spy," opposite Rosie O'Donnell, when she was only 10-years-old. The role earned her the "Best Lead Actress in a Feature Film" award from Young Artists of Hollywood. A native New Yorker, Trachtenberg began her acting career at the age of three when she appeared in her first television commercial. Since then, she has appeared in more than 100 national spots and has had starring roles both in film and on television. In 1999, Trachtenberg starred opposite Matthew Broderick in the live-action feature film "Inspector Gadget." Her other feature credits include roles in the independent films "Can't Be Heaven," "The Cage" and "Melissa." Daytime television fans will remember Trachtenberg from her role as the autistic Lily Montgomery on "All My Children," at which time the drama also starred Sarah Michelle Gellar. She was also a series regular on the Nickelodeon series "The Adventures of Pete & Pete," as well as the CBS comedy "Meego." Trachtenberg's other television credits include guest-starring roles on "Guys Like Us," "Figure It Out," "Dave's World," "Law & Order," "Saturday Night Live," "Clarissa Explains It All" and "Space Cases," as well as the television movies "A Father's Choice" opposite Peter Strauss and Mary McDonnell, and "Christmas in Our Home Town," with Melissa Gilbert. For the past five years, Trachtenberg has been an active spokesperson for R.A.D.D., DARE America, The Starlight Foundation and many others. Her contributions to the fight against drugs earned her the prestigious responsibility of representing the youth of America at CNN's headquarters in Atlanta, where she helped President Clinton launch "The Coalition for a Drug Free America" campaign. In her spare time, Trachtenberg enjoys yoga, swimming, bicycling, ice-skating, crafts, writing short stories and spending time with her family and friends and her two cats.
