Reflecting on her early days as a struggling actress, Meester recalled, “I would be on the verge of thinking, ‘I don’t know if I can afford to do this.’ But every couple of months, I would get a job, pay rent, and keep auditioning until the next thing.”
“It was the goal to be on something that people saw—or, before that, even to just be on something.”
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"My family has a crazy history. Probably the craziest I've ever heard of," she told Marie Claire in 2012. Still, she managed to see the bright side: "It wasn't uncomplicated, but I played outside, I went to the beach. There were happy, fun times."
By December 2006, eager to return to the East Coast, Meester auditioned for Gossip Girl. “At the time, I wanted to move to New York, but I didn’t have a reason or any money,” she told The Hollywood Reporter. “So when my agent sent me the Gossip Girl script, I thought Blair was perfect for me.” The show’s creators agreed, and the rest is television history.
Was Leighton Meester a model before acting?
Yes. By age 11, she was appearing in Ralph Lauren campaigns photographed by the likes of Bruce Weber and Sofia Coppola.
When was Leighton Meester cast in Gossip Girl?
Meester started auditioning for the show in December 2006, and she was cast sometime shortly thereafter (the series premiered in September 2007). “Leighton was a blonde when she came in to read, but Blake [Lively] was the blonde, so we asked her to color her hair,” co-creator Josh Schwartz recalled in an oral history with THR. “A risky move on her part in the middle of pilot season, but she did a sink-rinse dye job to audition as a brunette.” The gamble paid off.
Related: All About Leighton Meester and Adam Brody's Marriage
How much did Leighton Meester make for Gossip Girl?
When it comes to residuals, Netflix reportedly paid $600,000 per episode for the rights to Gossip Girl back in 2011, but the show’s stars probably didn’t see much of a cut. That was one of the major points of contention during the most recent SAG‑AFTRA strike in 2023: many actors believe the current system for residuals doesn’t fairly compensate performers in the streaming era.
In 2011, Meester sued her mother, Constance Meester, over a dispute involving money the actress had been sending home to support her younger brother during treatment for a brain tumor. According to court documents, Meester had been providing about $7,500 a month to help cover his care, but she alleged that her mother was using the money for personal expenses, including cosmetic procedures, Botox and hair extensions.
Meester’s suit asked the court to declare that she was not legally obligated to continue financially supporting her mother, and a judge ultimately ruled in the actress’s favor.
What did Leighton Meester do after Gossip Girl?
A lot! Since hanging up her headband, the actress has kept busy with roles in films like The Judge (2014), Life Partners (2014) and River Wild (2023), as well as TV series including Making History, Single Parents and How I Met Your Father. She also took the Broadway stage in 2014, starring in Of Mice and Men, and released her first and only studio album to date, Heartstrings, that same year.
Related: 'Gossip Girl' Stars Kristen Bell and Leighton Meester Had 'Twinning' Red Carpet Looks
Meester filmed several movies while she was still shooting Gossip Girl, including the 2010 musical drama Country Strong, in which she played an aspiring country singer opposite Gwyneth Paltrow's troubled, once-famous star attempting a comeback.
Related: Chace Crawford Reveals Surprise ‘Gossip Girl’ Reunion at Beyonce Concert
What was Leighton Meester’s biggest box office hit?
The mom of two has released one studio album to date, Heartstrings. Prior to that, in 2009, she was featured on Cobra Starship's "Good Girls Go Bad,” which she followed up with singles "Somebody to Love" and "Your Love's a Drug" that same year.
Why did Leighton Meester quit music?
She didn’t. While she hasn’t released new music since Heartstrings, Meester has said she hasn’t ruled out a return. “Truly, I do think that I’m going to be working more on music in the next handful of months,” she told Harpers Bazaar in December 2025. “I really like writing and playing music, and it’s therapeutic to me.”
How much did Leighton Meester lose in the L.A. Fires?
Meester and Brody were among the many Southern California residents affected by the devastating Pacific Palisades wildfires. In early January 2025, the couple’s Los Angeles home—a five‑bedroom, six‑bathroom property they bought in 2019 for about $6.5 million—was destroyed by the blaze.
Commenting on the experience, Meester said, “It’s a roller coaster because sometimes it’s all right, and then, sometimes, there are moments that are harder. The best thing I can do is just take it one step at a time. There are so many people who are in this position, so that’s not a positive. But that being said, I am not alone.”
Next: What Is Blake Lively’s Net Worth—And How Are Those Lawsuits Affecting It?
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