Michelle Trachtenberg Death: Harriet The Spy Director Bronwen Hughes Recalls Working With Late Actress; ‘She Had Fire…’

Bronwen Hughes reflects on working with Michelle Trachtenberg on the sets of the iconic film, Harriet the Spy. Read on.

Written by Sakshi Shelke , Entertainment Journalist

Published on Feb 27, 2025 | 06:50 PM IST | 5.5K

Michelle Trachtenberg (CC: Getty images)

Trigger Warning: This article contains mention of death.

Michelle Trachtenberg’s passing has truly impacted many people. Since the news of her death resurfaced, many have been remembering the actress and reminiscing about the time they spent with her. Harriet the Spy’s director, Bronwen Hughes, is one of them.

The director opened up to The Hollywood Reporter, stating that the film was special not only for the late star but also for her. For the unversed, the film marked Hughes’s directorial debut.

The filmmaker told the outlet that Trachtenberg was “like a lightning bolt of a casting discovery.” Hughes further praised her, stating, “She had fire, she had spark, she had truth, and she had Harriet’s conviction—her sense of self. No one else came into the room like that.”

Hughes added that Trachtenberg possessed the “acting gene”—a talent that cannot be taught. She described it as “innate” and something one does not often discover.

Additionally, Hughes reminisced about how the actress was always willing to give whatever was needed for the film. She recalled that during shooting, they would ask Trachtenberg to do multiple things—such as climbing, fighting, teasing, or even throwing herself face-down into blue-colored paint—and she could do it all.

The director further stated that Trachtenberg did everything with total immersion and “total conviction.” She emphasized that the actress was “everything” their film’s titular character needed to be. “She never had a false note, and you couldn’t really take your eyes off her. That was magical casting for us,” Hughes remarked.

Hughes also noted that the film held a lot of meaning for the late star and that she still hears from its fans. She expressed pride in Trachtenberg’s career achievements, concluding, “She had the ‘it’ factor, for sure.”