in 2008, in her early 20s, trachtenberg landed the coveted role of the conniving georgina sparks on gossipgside blake lively and the mega-popular cw show about the scandalous lives of elite new york teens. >> all my life, i've been the one that they write stories about. now i'm just another anonymous shut in with an online shopping addiction. >> lively recently writing a lengthy tribute to trachtenberg, saying she was electricity. everything she did, she did 200%. she laughed the fullest at someone's joke. she faced authority head on when she felt something was wrong. she cared deeply about her work, adding the world lost a deeply sensitive and good person in michelle. >> she actually won an award for playing, you know, an evil girl in in the series, and she joked that she loved, you know, playing a baddie because she really loved it. it was such a far departure from who she was as a person. >> please don't hurt me. >> and though she returned to that character in the short lived gossip girl reboot. >> georgina sparks. >> you know who i am. well, of course you do. you're a gossip girl. >> t

trachtenberg played the manipulative and slightly evil georgina sparks. >> i'm not her spy, you idioti am her. >> reporter: this morning nypd officers discovered the 39-year-old actor unresponsive in a manhattan apartment. according to police, she was pronounced dead at the scene, criminality is not suspected. trachtenberg got her start very young. but it was her role as "harriet the spy" at 10 years old that created a generation of fans. >> what are you writing? >> notes. >> can we read them? >> can you read this? >> reporter: she starred alongside rosie o'donnell. >> did you enjoy making the movie? >> yes, i loved making the movie. >> reporter: today o'donnell called her death heartbreaking, adding, "i loved her very much. she struggled the last w years. i wish i could have helped." police say a medical examiner is determining the cause of death. while recent photos on social media had some fans concerned for her health. at one point, she responding, "fun fact, this is my face, not malnutrition. no problems." today, the creators of "gossip girl" remembered her talent, turning georgi

today, the creators of "gossip girl" remembered her talent, turning georgina sparks into an iconic fanavorite. adding she was funny and kind, a delight to have on set. >> cute, you think this was about you. >> reporter: trachtenberg was a child actor whose fans grew up with her, and tonight are left stunned by her sudden death. stephanie gosk. nbc news. >>> today the u.s. secretary of agriculture announced a new strategy to combat the bird flu and bring down the price of eggs. our erin mclaughlin joins us with more. erin, how would it work? >> lester, the new billion dollar strategy was published in a "wall street journal" op-ed. it includes enhancing biosecurity, exploring the use of vaccines and therapeutics, and temporary import options to reduce egg costs. the new plan would be paid for at least in part by the doge cuts. the strategy was announced when the usda issued a new report predicting egg prices could jump more than 40% this year. keep in mind the average wholesale price of a dozen is already more than $8. experts tell me while the strategys a good start, there is no quick f

. >> reporter: as mean girl georgina sparks in "gossip girl." >> now if you excuse me, i'm going to go drunk enough to make you all seem interesting. >> reporter: and feisty dawn summers in "buffy the vampire slayer." >> is that supposed to scare me? >> a little tremble wouldn't hurt. >> reporter: on wednesday morning at the nypd said paramedics declared the 39-year-old actress dead in a manhattan apartment building. officials do not suspect foul play and are investigating. born in new york city in 1985, trachtenberg began her acting career as a child. she played a breakout role in the 1986 movie "harriet the spy". >> okay, survey of the day. today's question is what wouldn't you eat for a million dollars? >> bratwurst. >> reporter: starring alongside veteran actors like rosie o'donnell, her long list of credits on well-known movies and shows includes an inspiring skater in "ice princess." >> could you try not to like squish me. >> i'm sorry. >> reporter: a typical teen in the comedy "17 again." >> jenny! >> hey! >> reporter: and part of the rowdy crew in "euro trip." over the years, t

trachtenberg was best known for her work as dawn summers in buffy and playing georgina sparks on gossipigation into her death has been opened, but criminality is not suspected. that�*s is not suspected. that's according to the police. those are the latest gb news headlines. now it's back to martin. >> for the very latest gb news direct to your smartphone. sign up direct to your smartphone. sign up to news alerts by scanning the qr code or go to the qr code, or go to gbnews.com/poll. >> michaela community school. >> michaela community school. >> very, very good evening to you and thank you, sophia. now, new figures from the centre for migration control reveal a staggering trend. migrants who are overwhelmingly dependent on uk benefits are still being handed settled status in huge numbers. now take this 42% of numbers. now take this a2% of congolese migrants in britain are on benefits. for iraqis, it's lrlr% afghans 42%. and yet it's 44%, afghans 42%. and yet in the past four years alone, the government has granted settled status to over 26,000 afghans, 22,000 iranians and nearly 18,000 e

trachtenberg was best known for her work as dawn summers in buffy and playing georgina sparks on gossiper death has been opened, but criminality is not suspected. that�*s is not suspected. that's according to the police. those are the latest gb news headlines. now it's back to martin. >> for the very latest gb news direct to your smartphone. sign up direct to your smartphone. sign up to news alerts by scanning the qr code or go to the qr code, or go to gbnews.com/poll. >> michaela community school. >> michaela community school. >> very, very good evening to you and thank you, sophia. now, new figures from the centre for migration control reveal a staggering trend. migrants who are overwhelmingly dependent on uk benefits are still being handed settled status in huge numbers. now take this 42% of numbers. now take this a2% of congolese migrants in britain are on benefits. for iraqis, it's mr% are on benefits. for iraqis, it's lrlr% afghans 42%. and yet it's 44%, afghans 42%. and yet in the past four years alone, the government has granted settled status to over 26,000 afghans, 22,000 iran