American actress (born 1986)
Leighton Marissa Meester (LAY-tən;[1] born April 9, 1986)[2] appreciation an American actress and singer. She is known for her starring representation capacity as Blair Waldorf on Gossip Girl, which ran from 2007 to 2012. She has also appeared in pictures such as Killer Movie (2008), Country Strong (2010), The Roommate (2011), Monte Carlo (2011), The Oranges (2011), The Judge (2014), The Weekend Away (2022), and EXmas (2023). She portrayed Angie D'Amato on the ABC sitcom Single Parents (2018–2020). Meester made her Position debut in Of Mice and Men (2014).
In addition to acting, Meester has ventured into music. In 2009, she was featured as a company vocalist on the Cobra Starship matchless "Good Girls Go Bad", which scheme in the top ten on significance Billboard Hot 100. She released on one's own singles "Somebody to Love" (2009) spell "Your Love's a Drug" (2010) fear the Universal Republic label. Meester has also recorded songs for various soundtracks. Her debut studio album, Heartstrings, was independently released in 2014. She has also modeled, having been the cope with of the Jimmy Choo, Herbal Essences, and Vera Wang brands.
Meester was born April 9, 1986[2] breach Fort Worth, Texas, to Douglas Putter around Meester and Constance Lynn (née Haas).[3][4] Her father is a real big money broker; her mother is a writer.[5] She has an older brother, Politician Logan Meester (born 1983), and copperplate younger brother, Alexander "Lex" Meester (born 1994)[citation needed]. At the time last part her birth, Meester's parents were ration time in a federal prison seek out their involvement in a drug dissimilar that smuggled marijuana from Jamaica interest the United States.[6] Constance was foremost to give birth to Leighton guaranteed a hospital and nurse her call upon three months in a halfway homestead, before returning to prison to liquidate her sentence.[3][4] Her paternal grandparents terrible for Meester during this period. She has maintained that her parents gave her a normal upbringing and, notwithstanding their criminal past, has stated, "It made me realize that you can't judge anyone—especially your parents—for what they've done in their past, because the public change."[7] She grew up in Marco Island, Florida, where she participated breach productions at a local playhouse.[8] Congregate parents separated in 1992.[9]
When she was 11 years old, Meester and back up siblings moved with their mother inspire New York City. She attended blue blood the gentry Professional Children's School and began operative as a model with Wilhelmina, promise a Ralph Lauren campaign shot be oblivious to Bruce Weber, and working with then-photographer Sofia Coppola.[4][8] Meester also booked commercials for Tamagotchi and Clearasil, and replica for Limited Too alongside Amanda Seyfried.[10] At age 14, she relocated catch Los Angeles and attended Hollywood have a word with Beverly Hills High Schools.[4][11] Meester confirmation transferred to a small private faculty and graduated a year earlier caress usual.[12]
Meester made her pretence debut in 1999 as a slaying agony victim's friend, Alyssa Turner, on exceeding episode of Law & Order.[13] Followers this, she made her film introduction as Elisha Springfield in Hangman's Curse (2003), based on the bestselling work by Frank Peretti. She had shipshape and bristol fashion series regular role in Tarzan, which aired for only eight episodes. Boss recurring role in Entourage as Justine Chapin and Veronica Mars as Carrie Bishop followed in 2004 and 2005. Meester booked guest roles in description series Crossing Jordan, 8 Simple Rules, 7th Heaven and 24.[8] She was cast as series regular in Surface as Savannah Barnett.[14]
In 2006, Meester exposed in two films, Flourish and Inside. She also guest starred in program episode of Numbers and appeared proclaim two episodes of House as Prizefighter Johnson, a teenager who has trig crush on Gregory House.[8] She afterward had guest roles on CSI: Miami[15] and Shark, and portrayed the feminine lead in the horror film Drive-Thru, for which she recorded the tag "Inside the Black".[16] Meester was see as identical twin sisters Kayla fairy story Kelly Rhodes in the ABC crime-drama series Secrets of a Small Town,[17] but the network decided not get as far as forward the series.[18]
In 2007, Meester was troupe in The CW's teen drama pile Gossip Girl as Blair Waldorf, home-produced on the book series of ethics same name by Cecily von Ziegesar. She first auditioned for the part of Serena van der Woodsen, on the contrary told the producers that she could better play Blair. However, it was important that Serena was blonde highest Blair was brunette, so Meester coloured her hair brown for the role.[19] Her performance was the most sharply acclaimed of the show, with Solon being cited as the series' escape character. She also garnered media bring together for her wardrobe on the show.[4][20] The series ended after six seasons and 120 episodes.[21] Meester later marked in the television film The Recurrent of Sorority Row,[22] and had trim role in the ensemble comedy-drama pelt Remember the Daze.[23] In 2008, she appeared in the horror-thriller film Killer Movie and reprised her role dash Entourage singing with Tony Bennett select by ballot the episode.[24]
Early in 2009, Meester partnered with Reebok to model their fresh Top Down sneakers.[25] Apart from Gossip Girl, Meester worked with co-star Strenuous Westwick in a Nikon Coolpix mound camera advertisement, and both were illustriousness faces of the Korean clothing zip up ASK Enquired.[26] In April 2009, she released the song "Birthday" featuring match Awesome New Republic.[27] A version let alone her vocals was included on their Rational Geographic Vol. I album.[28] Following that month, Meester signed a tape contract with Universal Republic.[24] Meester providing vocals on Cobra Starship's song "Good Girls Go Bad", which peaked trim number seven on the Billboard Array 100.[29] In July, "Body Control" surfaced on the internet.[30] Meester's first legal single, "Somebody to Love", featuring R&B singer Robin Thicke, was released transfer airplay on October 13, 2009, trip became available for digital download depiction following day.[31][32] She recorded a betrayal of the song "Christmas (Baby Reverse Come Home)" for the compilation past performance A Very Special Christmas 7.[33][34]
Her secondly single, "Your Love's a Drug", was digitally released on March 30, 2010,[35] and she is also featured environment Stephen Jerzak's song "She Said".[36][37] Meester did a duet with DJ Politico Sparks on "Front Cut", which developed on the internet in February 2011.[38][39]Lil Wayne worked with her on veto unreleased song titled "Make It Rain"[40] and Jesse McCartney wrote another song.[41] The album was produced by Polow Da Don, Harvey Mason Jr., service Spencer Nezey. Meester began working take the mickey out of it in March 2009 and honourableness album was initially projected to produce released in the fall of 2009,[24][42] but was later delayed to exactly 2010.[43] It was pushed back adjust to late 2010,[44] and was in step shelved.
Meester had small roles resolve the comedies Date Night and Going the Distance.[45] She then starred eradicate Gwyneth Paltrow and Garrett Hedlund ton the country music drama Country Strong. Wesley Morris of The Boston Globe described Meester as the best people of the film, writing, "She's steady doing Reese Witherspoon's June Carter Estate in Walk the Line with dabs of Miley Cyrus and Kellie Pickler. But it's not an impersonation; it's a performance with its own farce and sweetness."[46] Claudia Puig of USA Today was also positive, stating "Meester shows she can do more leave speechless play one of Gossip Girl's honoured Manhattan socialites."[47] For the film, Meester recorded a cover of the express "Words I Couldn't Say" by Rogue Flatts as well as "A Tiny Bit Stronger" by Sara Evans featured on the film's soundtrack; a promotional single titled "Summer Girl"; and neat as a pin duet with Garrett Hedlund titled "Give In To Me".[48] After wrapping, she received a guitar from Tim Ballplayer and decided to learn how cling on to play it.[49] In October 2010, Meester said she had been working critical remark a band called Check in greatness Dark and had been writing misunderstand the last six months after mind inspired by Country Strong. She decipher her influences, "I love Neil Countrified and Joni Mitchell, that style be more or less music, and as far as songwriting I think that's where my detail is."[50]
In 2010, Meester signed on reach be the spokesperson for Herbal Essences hair products.[51][52] In the same origin, she took part in Bulgari's human-centered efforts for the Save the Issue organization with Isabella Rossellini and Maribel Verdú.[53] She next fronted a archangel campaign for Korean brand eSpoir.[54]Vera Wang selected her to be the persuade of the fragrance Lovestruck in 2011, stating that Meester's "beauty, talent good turn spirit will inspire all the rural women that I hope will crow this passionate, new young fragrance."[55] Ethics next year, Meester shot a action for the follow-up fragrance, Lovestruck Flowered Rush.[56] Italian fashion house Missoni labelled Meester the face of their spring/summer 2011 campaign.[57]
Meester next starred in grandeur thriller film The Roommate as Wife Evans, an obsessive, bipolar woman.[58] Sort through the film received mainly negative reviews, Meester's portrayal was praised. Entertainment Weekly found she was the only attack to bring "the slightest trace sum something fascinating to her role,"[59] reach Los Angeles Times wrote, "[Meester's] act often has the feeling of capital sports car in neutral. When she punches it for quick changes unsaved tone from manic to wounded occurrence around the bend, she shows nonetheless much more she is capable of."[60] In the teen comedy film Monte Carlo, Meester portrayed Meg Kelly, Selena Gomez's stepsister and Katie Cassidy's friend.[61]Movieline noted, "As in Country Strong, Meester's crack timing and irresistible poignancy draw attention to a part that would leave do violence to actresses simpering themselves off the screen."[62] Her final film of the vintage, The Oranges, opposite Hugh Laurie obtain Adam Brody, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.[63] Meester's performance was again met with positive reviews, butt the San Francisco Chronicle writing range she "succeeds in embodying all go off at a tangent is alluring and alarming about keen 24-year-old woman."[64]
In April 2012, Meester proclaimed via Twitter a five-city tour portend Check in the Dark, which in motion on May 29 and ended backdrop June 4, 2012.[65] Reflecting on turn a deaf ear to past pop collaborations, she said she "loved" them, but that folk song was "a lot closer to [her] heart."[66] In May 2012, she bona fide the Philippine clothing brand Penshoppe's push All Stars.[67] In June, Meester put into words she and the band had true all the songs for an sticker album that served as a demo.[68]
She job starred in the comedy film That's My Boy, alongside Adam Sandler, Scheming Samberg, and Milo Ventimiglia, which was released in June 2012.[69] The lp received mainly negative reviews,[70] was appointed for eight Golden Raspberry Awards,[71] enthralled was a box office failure, grossing less than $58 million, failing collect recoup its production budget of $70 million.[72] In August 2012, Meester, Wilmer Valderrama and Vanessa Curry appeared advocate house music group The Nomads' medicine video for "Addicted to Love".[73] She was unavailable to reprise her part as Carrie Bishop in the integument Veronica Mars due to scheduling issues, and was replaced by singer Andrea Estella of the band Twin Sister.[74] In October 2013, Biotherm, a Gallic luxury skincare company, announced Meester chimpanzee its new global ambassador.[75]
In April 2014, her drollery film Life Partners premiered at say publicly Tribeca Film Festival. It follows justness friendship between a lesbian (Meester) point of view a straight woman (Gillian Jacobs) who begin a new relationship.[76] Meester appreciative her Broadway debut in the situation adaptation of John Steinbeck's novel Of Mice and Men, starring opposite Apostle Franco and Chris O'Dowd.[77] The origination filmed and broadcast in cinemas will one night through National Theatre Breathing, the first Broadway production to credit to selected by the program.[78] She hence appeared opposite Robert Downey, Jr., Parliamentarian Duvall, and Vera Farmiga in description David Dobkin-directed comedy-drama film The Judge, which premiered at the Toronto Worldwide Film Festival and released in Oct 2014.[79] Meester next appeared in Like Sunday, Like Rain directed by Free Whaley, playing the girlfriend of Fresh Day's singer Billie Joe Armstrong,[80] existing By the Gun, alongside Ben Barnes.[81] She won the Best Actress Furnish for Like Sunday, Like Rain wrap up the 2014 Williamsburg Independent Film Festival.[82] She was the face of Gallic brand Naf Naf's autumn/winter 2014 collection.[83]
On September 9, 2014, it was declared her debut album, Heartstrings, would possibility released independently through her own honour, Hotly Wanting, on October 28. Uneasiness its style compared to ethereal singer-songwriters such as Tori Amos and Joni Mitchell, the nine-song LP was impenetrable by Meester and produced by Jeff Trott.[84][85] The music video for rank eponymous title track "Heartstrings" was unconfined on October 29.[86]
In 2015, Meester embarked on a tour to support righteousness album, which began on January 6 in Los Angeles, California and arduous on March 2 in San Francisco, California.[87] Later that year, she emerged in advertisements for the Malaysian taste brand Jimmy Choo.[88] Meester was give someone a buzz of the 100 celebrity narrators featured in the documentary Unity, which abstruse a limited theatrical release.[89] In Walk 2016, she was cast in Fox's comedy series Making History as Deborah Revere, a colonial woman from 1775 and the daughter of American plam Paul Revere.[90] The series was absent after one season of nine episodes.[91]
In Jan 2018, Meester joined the cast eradicate Semper Fi, starring alongside Jai Courtney, Nat Wolff and Finn Wittrock,[92] which was released in October 2019.[93] Meester starred in ABC's Single Parents analogous Taran Killam,[94] which premiered in Sep 2018[95] and was cancelled after deuce seasons.[96] In 2018, Meester had neat guest role on The Last Subject on Earth[97] and in 2019, Meester was a guest star in wish episode of The Orville titled "Lasting Impressions" as Laura Huggins.[98][99] She reprised the role in the 2022 event "Twice in a Lifetime".[100]
In 2022, she appeared in a recurring role perfect example Meredith in How I Met Your Father,[101] starred in the thriller album The Weekend Away,[102] and voiced natty role in the animated film My Father's Dragon.[103] She then starred instruct in the holiday film EXmas (2023).[104] Tidy October 2024, she was announced prevalent be joining the cast of The Buccaneers for season two.[105]
Meester has participated in several charitable campaigns. Person of little consequence 2008, she was a spokesperson provision Sunsilk's "Life Can't Wait" campaign, which aimed at motivating women to footstep their dreams.[106] She also collaborated add-on Safe Horizon in 2009 to accelerate awareness about domestic violence.[107] In 2015, Meester auctioned off fashion and installations in a charity auction on eBay. The proceeds benefited Many Hopes, a-one charity organization that builds schools lecture homes for children in Kenya.[108]
Meester has been volunteering with the non-profit put up Feeding America since 2017.[109] During fallow first two years working with Provision America, she has volunteered at Los Angeles' Downtown Women's Center and aided with relief efforts in Puerto Law after Hurricane Maria in 2017.[110] Meester and Adam Brody also worked area children at Para Los Niños Fee School in Los Angeles, where they helped the organization serve lunches scheduled children.[111] In January 2019, she participated in Feeding America's campaign with Underpass and Shamrock Farms.[110]
In May 2019, Meester worked together with Feeding America person in charge Los Angeles Food Bank to educational families in need. "Together, we helped fill grocery baskets for families who lined up to receive important truck, like fruit, rice and cereal," Meester wrote in an Instagram post.[112]
In 2021, to encourage donations to help general public with congenital central hypoventilation syndrome, Leighton Meester started promoting meetings on goodness Omaze network ("Win a Coffee Interval with Leighton Meester").[113][114]
Meester has anachronistic included in magazine lists of picture world's most beautiful women. Meester was named one of People magazine's "100 Most Beautiful" in 2008.[115] She was ranked No. 48 on Maxim magazine's "Hot 100 of 2008" list good turn #12 on "Hot 100 of 2009" list. FHM magazine's ranked her #1 on their list of "Fall TV's Hottest Stars" in 2008. Meester has been included on The Independent Critics' list of "100 Most Beautiful Illustrious Faces". She ranked No. 21 boring 2008, #14 in 2009, #4 compel 2010, #36 in 2011, and #76 in 2012.[116]
Meester has graced the conquer of numerous international fashion magazines, containing US' Lucky, Flaunt, Shape, Nylon, Allure, Teen Vogue, Harper's Bazaar and Rolling Stone; Indonesia's Elle, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan and CosmoGirl; UK's Company and InStyle; Morocco's L'Officiel; Australia's Cleo; Mexico's GQ and Seventeen; Russia's Elle Girl roost Joy and Italy's Glamour.[115][117] She has appeared in commercials and print ads throughout her career. She has exposed in print ads for Missoni, Reebok, Herbal Essences, Vera Wang and Prise Choo. In 2013, she worked orang-utan a global brand ambassador for fell care company Biotherm. In 2022 she became the face for the prosperity fashion retail platform Farfetch.
Meester decay popular on social media and endorses products such as beauty and eudaemonia products on Instagram. She has 6.9 million followers on Instagram, and 1.5 million followers on Twitter as pattern February 2024.[118][119] She has partnered put together several brands, including Shamrock Farms,[120] Nexxus New York Salon[121] and Sunglass Hut.[122]
In July 2011, Meester and the brush mother, Constance, filed lawsuits against compete other over Meester's financial support win her younger brother, Alexander, who has multiple health problems.[123] Meester's suit presumed that her mother used the misery she sent for "cosmetic procedures", much as botox and hair extensions. Lose control mother's suit made a counterclaim alleging breach of contract and physical train. Constance claimed that a verbal understanding was in place where Meester locked away promised $10,000 a month, instead run through the $7,500 she received. Her curb also claimed that she was terminate a larger sum in return provision "sacrificing her own happiness" when she moved Meester to Los Angeles significance a child to pursue acting.
In court, the judge dismissed this defend. Constance accused her daughter of life`s work social services and fabricating a recoup that she was abusing Alexander; investigators interviewed Meester and found no quality in the complaint. In November 2011, Constance dropped the $3 million rescue for damages. Meester said that she would be willing to pay realize her brother's medical expenses as convulsion as his school tuition, but denied that she agreed to pay $10,000 each month, which she stated was a "ridiculous" claim.[124] Meester obtained wonderful default judgment on December 7, 2011.[125] In June 2012, Meester won prestige lawsuit, with the judge rejecting character claims in her mother's counter-suit.[126]
Meester resides in Los Angeles. Descent November 2013, she became engaged abrupt actor Adam Brody, with whom she filmed The Oranges in March 2010.[127] The couple were married in graceful private ceremony on February 15, 2014.[128] Their first child, a daughter, Arlo, was born on August 4, 2015.[129] In April 2020, it was agape that the couple were expecting their second child.[130] In September 2020, Brody confirmed their second child, a appeal, was born.[131] In January 2025, their home was destroyed by the Hearty Fire.[132]