Press || 2003

Michelle Trachtenberg - A New Dawn - Abercrombie and Fitch Magazine
Transcibed by Bree

Michelle Trachtenberg seems to inspire awe in her enemies. While he was trying to bleed her out onscreen, off-screen legend Joel Grey was "fascinated that she's so far beyond her years in passion and professionalism." The blood and mortal-enemy thing, that's all for the show. The sexy dance she did? Now that's forever. A showbiz veteran at 17, she's been slaying them - get it? - on Buffy the Vampire Slayer - now you do - for three years. She discovered she was a ball of mystic energy, watched her mother and sister die, and finally made it to high school, the apex of all things evil in Sunnydale. A&F sent Jason Adams to the Hellmouth for some dance lessons and witty quips on the brink of another apocalypse.

In one episode you had to exorcise an evil something-or-other from your house. You scared the shit out of me. (laughs) I know. That was pretty much the common thought, that I really couldn't watch it with my family - that was just too freakin' scary. Thank you, I appreciate that. I like that compliment, that "you scared the shit out of me." It makes me laugh. You know what? I scare the shit out of me too. That was freaky looking. But imagine flying around, the leaves and little bits of fake sticks.

Did you get hurt at all? I was, like, battling away so it was real pain! No.

You were a fan of the show before you started. What's it like to jump into your favorite show? Yeah I was a huge fan since the show's debut, and I'd always told my agents and managers that if there was a guest-starring role I would jump at it. I heard there might be a role, and it was my first meeting with my new manager and I mentioned it, and he got me the audition right away. I ended up keeping him. (laughs) They'd already had a girl in mind, the casting process was kind of complete, they were all set, but he convinced them that they had to see me and I went in. I guess I must've done something right since you watched me the other night.

A lot of old-school Buffy fans have had a hard time accepting Dawn as a part of the gang. Oh, the "Die Dawn Die" thing? Yeah when Dawn first appeared, people were really upset and were like, "Buffy's never had a sister. What's going on?" And they just had to trust Joss Whedon, the creator, because he had this amazing thing in store for the characters that just took it to a whole new level. And in season six, Dawn was doing a whole lot of whining, and I would got and ask, "Can we please have Dawn stop whining?" And Joss would tell me to trust him, this was all leading somewhere. Then, at the end of the season, Buffy handed Dawn the sword and had me help fight alongside her. It had this great feeling, and it wouldn't have been there if she'd hadn't been through everything before, with her mom dying and then her sister dying. "Oh she should stop whining. If I were there I'd tell her to shut up." What do they expect? Come on.

Is Dawn human now? Well, from everything I have been told, she is human. But with Joss you never know; anything can change. We're kept pretty much in the dark. But I'm under the assumption that she's human.

Until she starts shooting lighting bolts out from her fingertips? (laughs) Yeah, until then. She could start shooting lightning bolts, or if could just be a chipped nail. Who knows?

This season, they've been highlighting Dawn's other attributes, and you've gotten to play more comedy. It's been a lot of fun this season. Dawn's getting to grow up, which I know is very important. I spoke with the stylists and said I wanted Dawn to dress more adult. No cute little kitten shirts anymore. Teens don't wear that stuff. And with one episode, I got to make an idiot out my myself trying cheerleading.

Ooh, those scenes were painful. It was so much fun! The scene of me falling over was actually a lot longer. My friend asked me how I could make such an idiot of myself, but I was having the best time. And then I got to do that sexy dance later in the episode.

That was nice to watch. But behind the scenes, the future of the show is in question. The business answer is: I don't know what is going to happen; the me answer is: I'd love it to go on. But that'll all be decided in the next couple of months.

There are all sorts of rumors about spin-offs: perhaps Dawn the Vampire Slayer. Yeah. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't heard about all of that. But this is the kind of show you could have a spin-off with a character who'd shown up once in a throwaway episode. There are all kinds of possibilities.

What do you want to do? I know you're coming to the end of school yourself. I think education is important, but I'm glad to be finishing. As for college, I haven't decided yet. It's an important step for a lot of kids who haven't figured out what they want to do with their lives - it gives them four years to sort things out - but I've known what I wanted to do since I was four. I wanted to act. It's what I want to keep doing.

It must be difficult mixing what you do on Buffy with all your schoolwork. Well, other kids have clubs and sports after school, I just look at it like that. They're just as busy as I am. I have a tutor on set, and I get to go to my school when I have a day off. I couldn't go to homecoming, I had to work, but my friend won queen and I got to go congratulate her, and later I got to meet up with everyone. You know, it's funny. As a senior we get to go out for lunch, and everyone goes across the street to the mall and gathers at the Abercrombie store. It's like we're having class again there. "Yes, I did the homework. That sweater looks good on you!"

That's great. Yeah I thought you'd like that.


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