Michelle Christine Trachtenberg,

17, was born in New York, and now resides in LA. She has been acting since she was just three years old, appearing in more than one hundred commercials. Michelle also appeared for two years on the ABC soap opera All My Children as Lily Montgomery. It was at AMC that she met Sarah Michelle Gellar, who portrayed Kendall on the soap, and when Sarah heard about the new character of Dawn, she suggested Michelle for the role. When not working on Buffy, Michelle attends high school (she gets tutored on set while filming). Her immediate family includes her parents, one older sister (Irene) and one cat (Casey). Her hobbies include writing, reading, and creating beaded jewelry. She also collects fairies and BtVS items — she was a fan of BtVS long before winning the role of Dawn. Michelle is also active in various charities, including DARE, RADD, Youth of America, and the Starlight Children's Foundation.