-> 

v

"I come from a place where the press makes or breaks an actor and it is more of a teamwork relationship."

 -> 

v

If you were growing up in the nineties, you probably first saw Michelle Trachtenberg on The Adventures of Pete & Pete (1994-95) as little Pete's close friend Nona F. Mecklenberg. From there, Michelle has had a successful career on shows like Meego (1997), for which she won a Young Artist Award, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (2000-03), and in movies like Inspector Gadget (1999) and EuroTrip (2004). Most recently you may have heard her voice on the web series Human Kind Of (2018) as Judy.

What's She Worth?

 -> 

v

Although Michelle Trachtenberg never pivoted her work as an actress into a career as a full-blown movie star earning seven, eight figures a project, she does have an estimated net worth of around nine million dollars, which isn't bad for an actress who never starred in a Marvel movie.

Trachtenberg's acting career has become somewhat sporadic over the last decade or so, so it may seem odd that she's still raking in the dollars. As it turns out, acting isn't her only source of income. Having graduated from the Notre Dame High School, she actually comes from a fairly well-off family, being born to a bank manager and a fiber-optics engineer. Additionally, she has her hand in business as an entrepreneur.

 -> 

v

Michelle Trachtenberg has her own vodka brand, Pure Wondertrachtenberg, she runs a restaurant chain, Fat Trachtenberg Burger, and has a perfume named after her, With Love from Michelle. Plus, she's a part owner of the New York Angels football team. Acting may have helped her to earn her first million, but her business savvy has allowed her to thrive well beyond her paychecks for appearing on camera.

Little known fact: She was actually on the shortlist to play Bella in the Twilight film series. Had that gone through, chances are she'd be the one starring in Charlie's Angels right now.

 -> 

v

Trachtenberg's diversification into business and investing shows that she has a pretty good sense of how to handle her finances. Acting is good money, but the business can be very fickle. Yesterday's star may be tomorrow's guest appearance. Someone may become a movie star overnight, or they may struggle for years, or even decades, to get a decent supporting role in a big TV series. Michelle has always understood that every acting job is a blessing, and you can't always count on that income rolling in.

As to how she has fun with her money, while she may not be seen cruising Hollywood Boulevard in Italian convertibles, she's known to have a thing for Gucci, being given a Gucci bag by her mother when she turned sixteen years old.

 -> 

v

What's She Up To Now?

Michelle Trachtenberg is still active as a performer, but doesn't seem to be chasing parts anymore. Her last major role on a big project was playing Georgina Sparks on twenty eight episodes of Gossip Girl (2008-12). As of the time of this writing, that was around eight years ago.

Not to say that she hasn't been busy since then, having appeared on Criminal Minds, NCIS: Los Angeles, Sleepy Hollow and judging an episode of Chopped Junior. She just doesn't seem to be looking for the big lead and supporting roles that helped her to build her career anymore. It's hard to blame her, of course. Acting may be easier than some jobs, but it's still hard work, so when you've already got nine million in the bank, a Gucci bag under your arm, and several business interests to juggle, why not focus on the acting roles that will let you complete your whole shoot in under a week? Not to say her fans wouldn't welcome a return to a leading part, but it's not a priority for the actress right now.

"When you grow up on film, people sometimes have difficulties accepting the fact that you are growing up."