Leighton Meester

Leighton Meester

Active - 2003 - 2023  |   Born - Apr 9, 1986 in Fort Worth, Texas, United States  |   Genres - Drama, Comedy, Family & Personal Relationships

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Biography by AllMovie

The petite and dazzling American actress Leighton Meester began her career somewhat prestigiously and intelligently, with appearances in such popular series as 24, Law & Order, and 7th Heaven, but in time Meester's involvement in a few less-esteemed projects (such as the TV series Tarzan, and the slasher movie Drive-Thru, about a killer fast-food mascot who dresses as a clown) threatened to overshadow this early promise. Fortunately, Meester continued to demonstrate genre versatility and prolificness as she aggressively tackled new roles. In fall 2007, she could be be seen co-starring on the new CW teen drama Gossip Girl. She became one of the breakout stars of that show, leading to appearances in films like Going the Distance, Date Night, The Oranges, Monte Carlo, and The Roommate. In 2012 she landed a role in the Adam Sandler comedy That's My Boy. She had a supporting role in The Judge in 2014, and also made her Broadway debut the same year, in the play Of Mice and Men.

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Factsheet

  • Was born while her mother was serving a jail sentence for drug smuggling.
  • Moved to New York at age 11 and worked as a model.
  • Made her TV debut at age 13 in an episode of Law & Order.
  • Recorded a song for the 2007 slasher flick Drive-Thru, in which she also starred with future Gossip Girl cast mate Penn Badgley.
  • Dyed her naturally blond hair brown to play Blair Waldorf on Gossip Girl.
  • Contributed vocals to Cobra Starship's hit 2009 single "Good Girls Go Bad."
  • Signed a recording contract with Universal Republic in April 2009 and subsequently worked on her debut album, Love Is a Drug.