Sarah Michelle Gellar remembers co-star Michelle Trachtenberg: "I will always love you"
Alyson Hannigan, James Marsters, and more Buffy alumni posted remembrances on social media.
Photo: SGranitz/WireImage
Fans and friends alike are mourning the loss of Michelle Trachtenberg, who died this week at age 39. Sarah Michelle Gellar was among those sharing tributes to the actor, with whom she co-starred on Buffy The Vampire Slayer. As a caption to several photos of the pair together on Instagram, Gellar paraphrased a famous Buffy speech from the fifth season finale: “‘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.'”
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Trachtenberg joined the series in its fifth season as Buffy’s younger sister who was magically implanted into the Summers family. “I am devastated by the news of Michelle’s death,” Kristine Sutherland, who played the sisters’ mom Joyce, said in a statement (via People). “The day she joined the Buffy family she brought a joy and innocence with her along with her talent. She was lovely to work with and will be missed. My heart goes out to her family.”
Trachtenberg was also remembered by Alyson Hannigan, who posted that she “brought a loving energy to the set of Buffy,” and Emma Caulfield, who played ex-demon Anya. “I’m so sorry your bright light died so young. Our Buffy family lost a little sister today… Rest in peace lovely Mish Mish. You were loved,” Caulfield wrote on her Instagram Story. James Marsters, a.k.a. Spike, also released a statement (via People) saying, “My heart is heavy today. We have lost a beautiful soul. Michelle was fiercely intelligent, howlingly funny and a very talented person. She died much too young, and leaves behind scores of people who knew and loved her. My heart goes out to her family, who are good people and are suffering the greatest loss anyone could bear. I hope everyone can give them space to heal in this most difficult time. Godspeed Michelle. You are missed.”
Tributes to Trachtenberg continue to pour in from the Buffyverse and beyond, from fellow stars including David Boreanaz, J. August Richards, Kenan Thompson, and more. She was also remembered by her colleagues on Gossip Girl, including Blake Lively, who wrote in part (via Deadline), “She was electricity. You knew when she entered a room because the vibration changed. Everything she did, she did 200%. 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.”
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