Where are Harriet the Spy cast now? Nicklelodeon’s first movie trends on X following Michelle Trachtenberg’s death

Bronwen Hughes’s 1996 movie Harriet the Spy is an underrated film, according to its fans. However, almost three decades later, the film has gained traction on social media platforms, following Michelle Trachtenberg’s death on February 26, 2025. In the film, Trachtenberg played the titular character Harriet M. Welsch, aka Young Harriet.

One X user shared clips from the film in a video writing:

“HARRIET THE SPY was the first Nickelodeon film released in theaters and introduced the world to an adorable & hysterical Michelle Trachtenberg. If you remember this then you remember the orange VHS tape that went with it.”

“My whole TL talking about Michelle Tractenberg’s passing. I love how we all grew up with her whether people discovered her through Harriet the Spy, Ice Princess, Buffy, Gossip Girl or any of the other great roles she was in. RIP to an icon,” a social media user wrote.

“Utterly shocked & sad by this unexpected news!! R.I.P. Harriet the Spy!! 1985 - 2025 #MichelleTrachtenberg,” a netizen posted.

Although three decades old, the film included some popular actors in various roles. Rosie O’Donnell, who played Ole Golly, worked on several films after 1996. She worked on Tarzan (1999), Web Therapy (2011), Queer As Folk (Season 5), The Fosters (2013) and others. According to US Magazine, O’Donnell hosted her daytime talk show and was also a panelist on The View.

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Cast members’ works following Harriet the Spy

Gregory Smith, who played Sport in Harriet the Spy, went on with roles in Krippendorf's Tribe (1998), Small Soldiers (1998), The Patriot (2000), and American Outlaws (2001) before starring as Ephram Brown on Everwood for four seasons. He also appeared in Boot Camp (2008), Hobo With a Shotgun (2011), and Dream House (2011) and played Dov Epstein on Rookie Blue from 2011 to 2015.

Vanessa Lee Chester, who portrayed Janie Gibbs in Harriet the Spy, worked in films like The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), She's All That (1999), and 17 Again, along with TV appearances in Crossing Jordan, Without a Trace, and Veronica Mars. She later appeared in Switched at Birth, How I Met Your Mother, Scorpion, Shameless, and Dollface.

Since playing Mrs. Welsch in Harriet the Spy, J Smith-Cameron acted in films like The First Wives Club (1996), In & Out (1997), Man on a Ledge (2012), You Can Count on Me (2000), Margaret (2011), Nancy (2018), and Vengeance (2022).

She also appeared in True Blood and Search Party but became well-known for her roles as Janet Talbot on Rectify and Gerri Kellman on Succession, earning an Emmy nomination for the latter.

Robert Joy, as Ben Welsch in Harriet the Spy, expanded his film credits with Fallen (1998), Resurrection (1999), Sweet November (2001), The Hills Have Eyes (2006)The Shipping News (2001), Land of the Dead (2005), Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007), The Goldfinch (2019), and Don't Look Up (2021). He appeared in Masters of Sex, The Good Wife, Prodigal Son, and Julia.

Eartha Kitt, who portrayed Agatha K. Plummer, was featured in The Emperor's New Groove (2000) and later voiced Yzma in The Emperor's New School for two years.

She had a career as a singer and actress, starring in films such as The Serpent Warriors, Living Doll, Fatal Instinct, Holes, My Life as a Teenage Robot, And Then Came Love, and Wonder Pets. She passed away in December 2008 at age 81 after battling colon cancer.

Charlotte Sullivan, who played Marion Hawthorne, appeared in TV shows like Goosebumps, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, and The Famous Jett Jackson before moving on to films such as How to Deal (2003), Fever Pitch (2005), Citizen Gangster (2011), The Colony (2013), and Radius (2017).

She spent five years as Gail Peck on Rookie Blue and later appeared in Chicago Fire, Wynonna Earp, Law & Order: Organized Crime, and So Help Me Todd.