From the EW Archives: Revisit our “Buffy ”forged reunion with Michelle Trachtenberg: ‘I used to be a fan first’

In 2017, the forged of Buffy the Vampire Slayer got here again collectively for a stroll down reminiscence lane with Leisure Weekly, in honor of the present's twentieth anniversary. We're sharing it once more following Michelle Trachtenberg's loss of life at 39, after being present in her house on Wednesday February, 26, 2025.

The prolonged Buffy the Vampire Slayer household is reeling after struggling a sudden lack of costar Michelle Trachtenberg.

The actress, who spent the ultimate two seasons of the present as Buffy's cussed little sister Daybreak, was discovered lifeless in her house Wednesday morning. Whereas authorities informed Leisure Weekly that the investigation "stays ongoing," police famous that "criminality isn’t suspected" and {that a} health worker will verify her explanation for loss of life.

Although it's been over twenty years for the reason that monster-of-the-week drama was final on air, it wasn't that way back that Trachtenberg shared a room along with her fellow Buffy alums. To mark the present's twentieth anniversary, the forged reunited for unique interviews and images for EW, with a lineup that included Trachtenberg, the present's star Sarah Michelle Gellar, and fellow alums David Boreanaz, James Marsters, Alyson Hannigan, Nicholas Brendon, Emma Caulfield, Amber Benson, Seth Inexperienced, Charisma Carpenter, Alexis Denisof, and Kristine Sutherland.

As Buffy followers little doubt bear in mind, Trachtenberg wasn't all the time a member of the present's most important forged — though her introduction tried to persuade viewers in any other case. Enjoying Daybreak Summers, Trachtenberg joined the present in 2000, as Buffy's youthful sister, who was at instances bratty, sulky, and a little bit of a klutz — however nonetheless provided a brand new and thrilling sibling dynamic for the present to discover. Nonetheless, her introduction earned ire from some followers, who have been weary of Daybreak's whining and immature tendencies.

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Reflecting on her introduction into the present, Trachtenberg confirmed that followers didn't all the time have essentially the most constructive suggestions about Daybreak, even years after the present got here to an finish.

“A lot of the haters don’t have the heart to say issues in individual,” the actress informed EW, alluding to the trolls nonetheless haunting her social media feeds. "I nonetheless get feedback like, 'Oh my God! I feel Daybreak is so annoying!' I get it. It’s positive."

However, she famous, the tide had begun to show.

"It was a 60-40 ‘I hate Daybreak.’ Then, it grew to become 50-50. Now, I feel it’s 60-40 being supportive of Daybreak. Possibly even 70-30," she stated. "I not often get the ‘Oh she ruined the present.’ I do get numerous ‘Oh she was so whiny!’"

To these followers, Trachtenberg responded, "Hello, have been you a young person? Oh, you have been docile, sitting within the nook, doe-eyed and completely satisfied to be there? No. There’s a cause why youngsters have a stigma and that’s what [creator] Joss [Whedon] wrote.”

The sequence was 5 seasons into its run when Trachtenberg got here aboard and by then, had earned crucial and standard acclaim, launched the spinoff Angel, and garnered a devoted fanbase. Trachtenberg herself was a member.

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"I used to be a fan first," she informed her costars in 2017. "I used to be an enormous fan of the present. I went and browse for Joss and [Showrunner] Marti [Noxon], and was like, 'I actually like Willow and he or she has cool garments.'"

She added, "It was actually prevalent all through my complete faculty, how huge Buffy was an affect."

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer launched in 1997 and in the end ran for seven seasons, telling the story of its titular hero, a younger lady who should combat vampires, demons, and different evil forces whereas making her method via highschool.

Watch Trachtenberg and her castmates within the full 2017 Buffy reunion above.

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