Michelle Trachtenberg Said Rosie O’Donnell ‘Protected Me So Much’ on Set of Harriet the Spy

News of Michelle Trachtenberg’s tragic death on Feb. 26 at the age of 39 is bound to hit fans of Harriet the Spy particularly hard.

The actress was just 10 years old when she made her film debut in the 1996 movie based on the beloved 1964 children’s novel, starring as the titular Harriet opposite Rosie O’Donnell as nanny and confidant “Ole Golly.”

Trachtenberg went on to play memorable roles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Gossip Girl, but Harriet always held a special place in her heart.

Asked about the film’s 25th anniversary in a 2021 interview with ET, she was nearly brought to tears.

“Don’t you effing make me cry,” she said.

“I turned 10 years old on the first day of principal photography of Harriet the Spy,” Trachtenberg recalled. “Rosie was my biggest supporter. There was a lot required of me. I’m extremely grateful for the experience.”

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At the same time, Trachtenberg said she was even more grateful to see fans on social media continuing to share the impact the film had on them.

“ ‘You inspired my life.’ ‘You made me become a writer,’ All of those, just beautiful things,” she said of the messages she’s seen.

Trachtenberg said she auditioned more than 30 times to play the role of aspiring spy and writer Harriet in the film. “I still have the striped T-shirt that I auditioned with in a memory box,” she said.

Trachtenberg added that she had recently reconnected with O’Donnell on Instagram. “She protected me so much,” she said of O’Donnell. “I held her first baby, Parker, on set on Harriet.”

On Wednesday, Feb. 26, the New York Post broke the news of Trachtenberg’s death. The NYPD confirmed to PEOPLE that officers had responded to a 911 call at a residence in New York City around 8:00 a.m. “Upon arrival, officers observed a 39-year-old female unconscious and unresponsive,” the NYPD said. “EMS responded to the location and pronounced the victim deceased. Criminality is not suspected.”

In a Feb. 26 statement, O’Donnell called Trachtenberg’s death “heartbreaking,” noting that the actress had “struggled the last few years.”

“I wish I could have helped,” O’Donnell said.