Trachtenberg grew up in Brooklyn and started her acting career young;
she began appearing in commercials at the age of 3.
She continued to act and dance through her school years, making regular
television appearances from the age of 10. She landed a recurring role
in the kids' TV show
Pete & Pete (1992)
and starred in
Harriet, die kleine Detektivin (1996), but it
was her role as Buffy's sister Dawn from the fifth season of
Buffy - Im Bann der Dämonen (1997)
that really brought her to worldwide attention, and all before she was
18 years old.
More high profile TV and movie work followed.
