TV Article

'Six' And The Single Girl

Actress channels Britney for ''Six Feet Under'' role -- Michelle Trachtenberg says her pop diva character Celeste is heavily based on the pop tart, as well as Christina Aguilera and Jessica Simpson

By Karyn L. Barr | Jul 16, 2004

She played spunky in 1996's ''Harriet the Spy,'' irksome as Buffy the Vampire Slayer's little sister, Dawn, and bikinilicious in last February's big-screen romp ''Eurotrip.'' Now, with a role in HBO's ''Six Feet Under,'' Michelle Trachtenberg finally gets to tap into her self-proclaimed ''inner bitch.'' The 18-year-old actress plays Keith's bodyguarding charge, a fabulously diva-esque pop tart named Celeste who frolics with bad boys like Colin Farrell but also vows to remain a virgin until marriage. Hmmm, could the show's creator, Alan Ball, be paying homage to a certain former Mouseketeer whose name rhymes with Whitney Beers? ''Well, kind of,'' says a diplomatic Trachtenberg, who debuted on June 27 and will appear in three more episodes. ''Celeste is really a combination of everyone -- Britney, Christina, and Jessica Simpson.'' Not to mention...herself. ''When I auditioned, I was sick; I was hardly the perfect angel,'' she confesses. ''I was like, 'I totally don't feel well. Let's just do this.' Guess it worked!'' Totally.

Originally posted Jul 16, 2004 Published in issue #774 Jul 16, 2004 Order article reprints