Mara Wilson is deeply immersed in grief over the tragic demise of her beloved childhood companion, Michelle Trachtenberg, who passed away last month at the tender age of 39. Both girls soared to immense fame as child stars following the release of their iconic films, 'Matilda' for Wilson and 'Harriet the Spy' for Trachtenberg, in 1996, catapulting them further into the glare of the limelight. While they attended the same middle school in Burbank, Wilson penned a heartfelt essay for Vulture, published on Tuesday, reminiscing about how Trachtenberg faced unfair treatment from their peers.
Wilson recalls, "I had imagined she would be one of those beloved girls at school. However, that was far from the truth. Whenever I heard someone mention Michelle Trachtenberg's name, kids couldn't wait to jump in and declare her mean, pretentious, and a complete bitch." "That's not true," I would always counter, "She's incredibly kind!" Just before Trachtenberg's graduation from middle school in 1999, Wilson remembers the 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' star tearfully pulling her aside and asking, "Do the kids here treat you badly too? Because they do that to me. They call me Harriet Bitch, Harriet Bitch Spy, Harriet Mean Spy... and worse." It was the first time Wilson saw Trachtenberg cry. "I had never seen her lose her composure or lack confidence before. I realized that's why they called her 'mean.' Because they were mean to her first, and when she defended herself, they called her a bitch." She adds, "The problem wasn't just that she was bullied; it was that she couldn't get them to stop hating her. Being a child star is, in many ways, about pleasing everyone."
From the moment they met, Wilson found Trachtenberg "exceptionally smart" and "poised beyond her years." Although they lost touch after middle school and Trachtenberg continued to star in numerous films and TV shows, Wilson "never stopped defending her." Wilson mentions a college acquaintance who once said to her, "Michelle Trachtenberg played such a bitch in 'Gossip Girl,' I think she must be a bitch in real life." Wilson immediately countered, "She's not! I know her. She's a sweetheart." The acquaintance confused Trachtenberg's character with her actual personality: "But she played a bitch so well!" Wilson replied, "Because she's a great actress."
Wilson remembers Trachtenberg as being vastly different from her peers, always treating others kindly when they didn't deserve it. For instance, when Jonathan Lipnicki, the child star from 'Jerry Maguire,' was being bullied, she "was nice to him." Wilson continues, "Jonathan was five years younger than her, but she never treated him like a burden. I know plenty of older girls who would be mean to younger kids, but she wasn't, even when Jonathan tried to sneak ice cubes into her shirt."
On February 26th, Trachtenberg was found deceased in her New York City apartment by her mother. Numerous celebrities she had worked with posted tributes on social media, including Blake Lively, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Chace Crawford, Ed Westwick, Kim Cattrall, Kenan Thompson, David Boreanaz, and Melissa Joan Hart.
