Blake Lively has urged the world to remember her Gossip Girl co-star Michelle Trachtenberg's work and "huge heart" following her death at the age of 39.
Trachtenberg, also known for her role in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, was confirmed dead after emergency medical services arrived at One Columbus Place, New York, following a call at about 8am on Wednesday, the city's police department said.
Her death is not being treated as suspicious and the police said the medical examiner will determine the cause of her death.
A representative for Trachtenberg told the PA news agency: "It is with great sadness to confirm that Michelle has passed away. The family requests privacy for their loss. There are no further details at this time."
Writing on her Instagram story, Lively captioned a photo of the pair: "Everything she did, she did 200%.
"She laughed the fullest at someone's joke, she faced authority head on when she felt something was wrong, she cared deeply about her work, she was proud to be a part of this community and industry as painful as it could be sometimes, she was fiercely loyal to her friends and brave for those she loved, she was big and bold and distinctly herself.
"Time passes. You take for granted that you get the chance to see an old friend. To paraphrase, the real tragedies in life are the ones that blindside you on an idle Tuesday. Hold those you love and have loved dear."
She added: "The world lost a deeply sensitive and good person in Michelle. May her work and her huge heart be remembered by those who were lucky enough to experience her fire."
In Gossip Girl, Trachtenberg played young socialite Georgina Sparks of Manhattan's Upper East Side who created havoc throughout the show, blackmailing Serena van der Woodsen (Lively), among other schemes.
Born on 11 October 1985 in New York, Trachtenberg began her acting career at the age of three, appearing in adverts before roles on television.
In 1992, she secured a recurring role in the children's sitcom The Adventures of Pete & Pete.
In 1996, she starred in the film Harriet the Spy as an 11-year-old given to spying on neighbours and classmates and concocting outrageous lies to embellish the everyday details in her private journal.
She was also known for playing Penny in the 1999 spy film Inspector Gadget and Jenny in the 2004 movie EuroTrip.
In 2005, she starred opposite Kim Cattrall in Ice Princess and was also in the 2009 teen comedy 17 Again alongside Zac Efron.
More recently, Trachtenberg reprised her role in the second series of the Gossip Girl sequel.
The actress, who was born in Manhattan and grew up in Brooklyn, told the XOXO podcast with Jessica Szohr she knew a lot of people from the Upper East Side in her 20s who were "very similar to the Gossip Girl characters and involved in that world", adding "and some were actually more scandalous than the show portrayed".
Source: Press Association
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