Leighton Meester

Leighton Marissa Meester is an American actress, singer, and model. She is best known for her starring role as Blair Waldorf on The CW television series Gossip Girl, which ran from 2007 to 2012. Over her career, she has performed in television series, feature films, stage productions, and independent music projects, alongside modeling for prominent global brands.

Meester was born on April 9, 1986, in Fort Worth, Texas, to Constance Lynn and Douglas Jay Meester. Raised initially in Marco Island, Florida, she participated in local playhouse productions. At age 11, she moved with her family to New York City, where she attended the Professional Children's School and began modeling with Wilhelmina, booking campaigns for Ralph Lauren, Limited Too, Clearasil, and Tamagotchi. She later relocated to Los Angeles at age 14, attended Hollywood and Beverly Hills High Schools, and subsequently graduated a year early from a private school.

Meester made her screen debut in a 1999 episode of Law & Order, followed by her feature film debut in 2003's Hangman's Curse. She gained early television experience with roles in Tarzan, Entourage, Veronica Mars, Surface, and guest appearances on shows such as House and CSI: Miami. Her breakout role came in 2007 when she was cast as Blair Waldorf in Gossip Girl, a performance that earned significant critical praise throughout the show's six-season run.

Following her success on Gossip Girl, Meester appeared in several feature films, including Killer Movie (2008), Country Strong (2010), The Roommate (2011), Monte Carlo (2011), The Oranges (2011), That's My Boy (2012), Life Partners (2014), The Judge (2014), Like Sunday, Like Rain (2014), By the Gun (2014), Semper Fi (2019), The Weekend Away (2022), and EXmas (2023). In 2014, she made her Broadway debut in a stage adaptation of Of Mice and Men. On television, she starred as Angie D'Amato in the ABC sitcom Single Parents (2018–2020) and was cast in the comedy drama series Good Cop/Bad Cop (2025).

In addition to acting, Meester has maintained a music career. In 2009, she was featured on Cobra Starship's single "Good Girls Go Bad," which reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. She released solo pop singles such as "Somebody to Love" (2009) and "Your Love's a Drug" (2010) through Universal Republic, and recorded tracks for the Country Strong soundtrack. Transitioning toward a folk-inspired style, she released her debut independent studio album, Heartstrings, in 2014 and embarked on a promotional tour in 2015.

Throughout her career, Meester has worked extensively as a model and brand ambassador. She has been featured in campaigns for fashion and beauty brands including Jimmy Choo, Herbal Essences, Vera Wang, Missoni, Biotherm, Naf Naf, Reebok, and Penshoppe. Her artistic accomplishments include winning the Best Actress Award at the 2014 Williamsburg Independent Film Festival for Like Sunday, Like Rain and receiving a nomination for the Australian Logie Award for Best Actress for her work in Good Cop/Bad Cop.