Trachtenberg Cast in “17 Again” to Avoid “Creepiness”

Actress Michelle Trachtenberg, best known for her role as Dawn on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” won the role in the upcoming fantasy comedy, “17 Again” because she had “zero chemistry” with co-star Zac Effron, says producer Jessica Gibgot.

Gibgot explained this was a good thing because Effron plays a man who is magically transformed back into his 17-year-old self. Trachtenberg will play his daughter. The desire in finding an actress for the role was to avoid the creepiness factor, especially in scenes where Trachtenberg’s character will hit on Effron, not knowing it’s her father as 17-year-old boy.

“It was really important to us in finding the girl that she had no chemistry with Zac,” Gibgot told SciFi Wire “There were certain girls that we brought in to read for that role, and we actually had to read them together because they literally wanted to jump his bones. So he and Michelle had no chemistry, so it worked.”

In “17 Again”, executive producer Adam Shankman said the filmmakers sought a different kind of spark between Trachtenberg and Efron. “They had less overtly sexual chemistry,” he said. “They had chemistry as people; they didn’t have chemistry sexually.”

For her part, Trachtenberg said that her immediate rapport with Efron eliminated any potential awkwardness. “I don’t know,” she said. “He’s my daddy, and it’s weird for a father and daughter to have sexual chemistry. Personally, Zac and I interact as brother and sister. Like, we update each other on our lives, and there’s nothing like, ‘Hey! How are you doing?'”

Trachtenberg added that the scene itself set the tone for their interaction. “I guess it was inherent, just sort of the second we met, there was a fantastic camaraderie, and, yes, he is a very sexy man,” she said. “But I would hope when you’re watching the scene where I’m chasing after my father and asking him to play bedroom games with me that you’re really creeped out. Because if you’re not, you should consult a physician.”