Who did Rosie O'Donnell play in Harriet the Spy? Michelle Trachtenberg once remarked on Comedian’s protection on set

Michelle Trachtenberg's relationship with former co-star, Rosie O'Donnell, is coming into the limelight once again following her demise this Wednesday morning.

The 39-year-old made her debut alongside O'Donnell back in 1996 on Harriet the Spy, when she was just 10 years old. While Trachtenberg embodied the role of the titular character, O'Donnell played the nanny and confidant, Ole Golly.

Reflecting on their relationship during a 2021 interview with Entertainment Tonight, she referred to Rosie O'Donnell as her "biggest supporter":

“She protected me so much,” she said of O’Donnell. “I held her first baby, Parker, on set on Harriet.”

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Rosie O'Donnell says Michelle Trachtenberg was "struggling" before she died: Read more

Reflecting on the film's 25th anniversary during the same interview, Michelle Trachtenberg said at the time:

"Don’t you effing make me cry. 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.”

She spoke of how she had to audition over 30 times to bag the role, noting that she still had the "striped T-shirt that I auditioned with in a memory box."

In the wake of Michelle Trachtenberg's demise, Rosie O’Donnell spoke with People Magazine to reveal that her former co-star was “struggling” before she died. Hours after she passed away, the comedian acknowledged that it was “heartbreaking” to learn of her passing, before adding:

“I loved her very much. She struggled the last few years. I wish I could have helped."

Harriet the Spy chronicled the life of a sixth-grade aspiring writer and spy. The film was one of Trachtenberg's first. The New York Post was the first to break the news of Trachtenberg’s demise on Wednesday. As per People Magazine, the NYPD was responding to 911 calls at a home 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.”

At the time of writing, the exact cause of death remains unclear, though officials are not treating it as suspicious. According to The New York Post, Michelle Trachtenberg had recently undergone a liver transplant.

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Following her work on Harriet the Spy, Michelle Trachtenberg secured several noteworthy roles, including on series like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Gossip Girl. In the wake of her demise, several of her former co-stars have begun paying their respects, including Blake Lively, Kim Cattrall, and Ed Westwick.