These are always the worst articles for journalists to write:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Gossip Girl's Michelle Trachtenberg has passed away at the age of 39.
According to Variety, the actress was found by her mother in her New York City apartment. While the cause of death is unknown at this time, Trachtenberg recently underwent liver transplant surgery. We have to wait and see if that may have been a cause.
I keep looking at Trachtenberg's age, only two years more than mine. She was so ridiculously young, and she was one of those actresses that I grew up alongside of. Her work defined an era, and already, tributes and well wishes for her family are pouring out from fans.
I know a lot of people will focus on Buffy and Gossip Girl as those were her two prominent shows. I remember watching the occasional episodes with my older sister. However, Buffy was my sister's show as I was just a bit too young according to my parents. I never really got into Buffy when I aged up. Still, when I did watch with my sister, I kept thinking one thing:
"That's Harriett."
Harriet the Spy was such an important movie to my younger self. I remember watching it for the first time on a Girl Scout trip, and our entire troupe was enamored with Trachtenberg's character. Our poor troupe leaders had the worst time trying to get us to go to bed in our sleeping bags that night. We all wanted to explore our surroundings, look for clues that weren't there, and solve mysteries just like Harriett did in the film.
Harriett was also a writer, someone so inspiring to me. I wanted desperately to be her. After seeing the film, I got my own journals and would jot down my own observations about my surroundings. These tales weren't as interesting as Harriett's life, so I started making up my own twists. They were some of the first stories I crafted. After all these years later, I'm now a full time writer, something I can credit to Trachtenberg and her portrayal.
This is a heartbreaking loss. Michelle Trachtenberg was such an inspiration for so many people, myself included. I hope her friends and family can find peace during this time.