Michelle Trachtenberg’s producing companion, Casey Tebo, shared his last dialog with the “Gossip Girl” star earlier than her stunning demise.
Trachtenberg handed away on Feb. 26 on the age of 39, as The Publish solely revealed. She was discovered by her mom round 8 a.m. at her luxurious house advanced in Manhattan’s Central Park South neighborhood, sources stated.
The actress underwent a liver transplant throughout the final 12 months, although her physique could have rejected the organ, insiders revealed, including that she died of pure causes. Her explanation for demise has been dominated “undetermined” after her household objected to an post-mortem.
Earlier than her passing, Trachtenberg was buying a screenplay she wrote, “Toy Monster,” based mostly on a ebook of the identical identify by Jerry Oppenheimer.
Described by Tebo as “a dizzying tale of jealousy soaked in whiskey and clad in ’50s fashion,” the story follows the scandalous lifetime of infamous playboy Jack Ryan, who left a job on the Pentagon designing missiles for a place at Mattel, the place he turned the toy firm’s chief engineer and constructed a repute for pursuing “sundry sexual pursuits.”
“My last conversation with [Michelle] was sending her director names to consider [for the movie],” Tebo solely informed The Publish.
The “Black Sunday” director was working with Trachtenberg’s boyfriend, Hollywood expertise agent Jay Cohen, to supply the movie.
“When you’re making a film, you kind of put lists together, and people would like to go to – directors and actors,” Tebo defined.
The “Harriet the Spy” actress wrote “Toy Monster” round 2015, he stated, including that by 2017, “two of the biggest studios” – “one huge classic studio” and “one huge streamer” – had been within the challenge.
“It was being championed by a studio head, and they had two A-list directors they were going to,” Tebo continued, including that Trachtenberg was additionally slated to behave within the film.
“Michelle was going to play one of the minor roles, and she was adamant about [attaching] A-list directing and acting talent,” he revealed.
However growth stalled when the chief shepherding the challenge left the studio they had been at.
One other hurdle the movie confronted was that many in Hollywood didn’t take into account Trachtenberg to be “a serious writer,” in keeping with Tebo. To most of the city’s high gamers, she would all the time simply be “Harriet the Spy” or Georgina from “Gossip Girl,” he stated.
Nevertheless, within the months earlier than her demise, Tebo and Cohen had been pushing arduous to get the film made, going “full court press for 2025.”
“Jay and I had just started to ramp up,” he revealed.
After Trachtenberg’s passing, the script attracted renewed consideration.
“Sadly, her passing has increased interest in the project for obvious reasons,” Tebo stated.
Reflecting on his friendship with the late star, Tebo shared how he’ll bear in mind her.
“Michelle was an endearing ballbreaker,” he stated. “So smart and funny. She also liked to make fun of me when I FaceTimed with Jay.”
When requested to share a reminiscence of Trachtenberg that stood out, Tebo recalled assembly the star for the primary time.
“I was having lunch with Jay at Sunset Tower,” he stated, referring to famed Sundown Tower Lodge in Los Angeles. “He told me he was dating Michelle, and I kind of laughed and said ‘Yeah right.’ Then she came to meet us and she was so beautiful in person it almost knocked me over.”
Tebo beforehand informed The Publish that he and Cohen are decided to make Trachtenberg’s movie “if it’s the last movie Jay and I ever make.”
Of Cohen, Tebo added, “I might say that he’ll do no matter he must do to honor her and present the trade — that he has finished a lot for thus many in — what she was really able to.
“When it gets made, my hope is that our industry will maybe take a second look at the thought that maybe what you know someone for isn’t all they’re good at,” he shared.
