Michelle Trachtenberg was born on October 11, 1985 in New York City. Her father is from Germany and her mother was born in Russia, Michelle can speak Russian fluently. She was raised in Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn, and attended high school at Notre Dame High School with Katharine McPhee, Rachel Bilson and Kirstin Dunst. Imagine what that drama department must be like! Michelle started making television appearances at age 3 (a commercial for Wisk detergent), and has been in over 100 commercials. She first started appearing on TV in 1994, and was on All My Children from 1994 to 1996 with Sarah Michelle Gellar. She has now appeared in dozens of TV shows and movies, from House, M.D. to Gossip Girl on TV to 17 Again, Cop Out and Ice Princess in the theaters.