Michelle Trachtenberg’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer co-stars pay tribute to ‘little sister’ following her death

Michelle Trachtenberg's Buffy the Vampire Slayer co-stars have paid tribute to the actress, following the news of her death.

Yesterday (26 February), it was confirmed that Trachtenberg had passed away at the age of 39. The news was confirmed by the NYPD, who stated that emergency services had been called to the actor's New York residence at 8.00am local time, she was later pronounced dead at the scene.

Her death is not being treated as suspicious and the police said the medical examiner will determine the cause of her death.

"It is with great sadness to confirm that Michelle has passed away," a representative for Trachtenberg said in a statement.

"The family requests privacy for their loss. There are no further details at this time."

Trachtenberg began acting in TV shows and commercials at the age of three, with notable roles including playing Dawn Summers, the younger sister of the titular character in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Georgina Sparks in Gossip Girl.

Tributes have since begun to pour in from Trachtenberg's friends and co-stars, with the cast of the supernatural horror series referring to the actress as their 'little sister'.

"I am deeply saddened by the news of Michelle’s passing," How I Met Your Mother star Alyson Hannigan, who played Willow Rosenberg, wrote on Instagram.

"She brought a loving energy to the set of Buffy. My thoughts are with Michelle’s family and friends."

"Our Buffy family lost a little sister today," added Emma Caulfield, who played Anya Jenkins, via a post on her Instagram Story.

"Rest in peace lovely Mish Mish. You were loved."

Kristine Sutherland, who played Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and Dawn's mother Joyce, added that she was 'devastated' by the news.

"The day she joined the Buffy family she brought a joy and innocence with her along with her talent. She was lovely to work with and will be missed. My heart goes out to her family," the 69-year-old said in a statement.

Another co-star, actor David Boreanaz, posted a black and white picture of Trachtenberg to his Instagram Story, writing: "So very sad. Horrible news."

While James Marsters, who starred as Spike, called Trachtenberg 'a beautiful soul' and shared a selfie of the two together on Instagram.

"My heart is heavy today. We have lost a beautiful soul," he said.

"Michelle was fiercely intelligent, howlingly funny, and a very talented person. She died much too young and leaves behind scores of people who knew and loved her."

Marsters continued: "My heart goes out to her family who are good people and are suffering the greatest loss anyone could bear.

"I hope everyone can give them space to heal in this most difficult time. Godspeed Michelle. You are missed."

Trachtenberg's tragic passing comes just weeks after Gellar confirmed that she was 'on the path' to reviving the show.