Michelle Trachtenberg’s Comic Timing Shined Bright, From ‘Buffy’ to ‘Gossip Girl’ to Nickelodeon
variety.comDaniel D'Addario Chief TV Critic On the page, the character of Harriet Welsch, the inquisitive and sharply judgmental preteen at the center of Louise Fitzhugh’s novel “Harriet the Spy,” is a little tough to take; her habit of writing down mean observations about her classmates is, rightly, seen by her peers as rather harsh.
It works — Harriet learns valuable lessons about tact, and grows a great deal — but the role would seem like a tricky assignment.
Michelle Trachtenberg made it look easy. A preternaturally gifted child performer, Trachtenberg starred in the 1996 film adaptation of Fitzhugh’s book.
And her Harriet, like so many other characters she would go on to play, was endearing and lovable. Her habit of “spying” on her peers became legible, through Trachtenberg’s performance, as the outlet for a fast-moving creative mind.
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