Leighton Meester facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Leighton Meester
Meester in 2017
Born	Leighton Marissa Meester (1986-04-09) April 9, 1986 (age 39) Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
Occupation	Actress singer model
Years active	1999–present
Spouse(s)	Adam Brody ​ (m. 2014)​
Children	2
Musical career
Genres	Pop rock indie pop alternative rock
Instruments	Vocals guitar
Labels	Universal Republic Vagrant Hotly Wanting

Leighton Meester (born April 9, 1986) is an American actress and singer. She is famous for playing Blair Waldorf in the TV show Gossip Girl. This popular show ran from 2007 to 2012.

Leighton has also acted in many movies. Some of these include Country Strong (2010), The Roommate (2011), and Monte Carlo (2011). More recently, she appeared in The Weekend Away (2022) and EXmas (2023). She also starred in the TV comedy Single Parents from 2018 to 2020. In 2014, Leighton performed on Broadway in the play Of Mice and Men.

Besides acting, Leighton Meester is also a singer. In 2009, she sang on the song "Good Girls Go Bad" with Cobra Starship. This song became a top ten hit. She released her own song "Somebody to Love" in 2009. Her first album, Heartstrings, came out in 2014. Leighton has also worked as a model for brands like Jimmy Choo and Vera Wang.

Early life and growing up

Leighton Meester was born in Fort Worth, Texas. Her parents are Douglas and Constance Meester. She has two brothers, Douglas Logan and Alexander.

When Leighton was 11, she moved to New York City with her mother and brothers. She went to the Professional Children's School. This is a special school for young performers. She started modeling with Wilhelmina. She worked on campaigns for Ralph Lauren and commercials for Tamagotchi. She also modeled for Limited Too with Amanda Seyfried.

At age 14, Leighton moved to Los Angeles. She attended Hollywood and Beverly Hills High Schools. She later graduated from a private school a year early.

Acting career highlights

Meester at the premiere of Killer Movie in 2008.

Starting out in acting (1999–2006)

Leighton Meester's first acting job was in 1999. She appeared in an episode of the TV show Law & Order. Her first movie role was in Hangman's Curse (2003).

She had a regular role in the TV series Tarzan. She also appeared in popular shows like Entourage and Veronica Mars. Leighton also had guest roles in Crossing Jordan and 24. From 2005 to 2006, she was a regular on the show Surface.

In 2006, Leighton was in two movies, Flourish and Inside. She also appeared in TV shows like Numbers and House. She played the main female role in the horror movie Drive-Thru. For this movie, she recorded the song "Inside the Black".

Becoming famous with Gossip Girl (2007–2013)

Meester in 2009

In 2007, Leighton Meester got her most famous role. She was cast as Blair Waldorf in The CW's teen drama Gossip Girl. This show was based on a popular book series. She first tried out for the role of Serena van der Woodsen. But she told the producers she would be better as Blair. She even dyed her hair brown for the part.

Many people praised her acting as Blair. Blair became a very popular character on the show. The series ran for six seasons and had 120 episodes. After Gossip Girl, Leighton starred in the TV movie The Haunting of Sorority Row. She also appeared in the movie Killer Movie in 2008.

In 2009, Leighton started working on music. She signed a record deal with Universal Republic. She sang on Cobra Starship's hit song "Good Girls Go Bad". This song reached number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Her first solo song, "Somebody to Love", came out in October 2009. She also recorded a Christmas song for an album.

Leighton also acted in the comedies Date Night and Going the Distance. She then starred in the country music movie Country Strong. Critics really liked her performance in this film. She recorded several songs for the movie's soundtrack. After the movie, she learned to play the guitar. She said she was inspired by folk artists like Neil Young and Joni Mitchell.

Meester in September 2010

In 2010, Leighton became a spokesperson for Herbal Essences hair products. She also worked with Bulgari to help the Save the Children organization. In 2011, she became the face of Vera Wang's perfume, Lovestruck.

Leighton starred in the thriller movie The Roommate. She played an obsessive character. Even though the movie got mixed reviews, her acting was praised. She also appeared in the teen comedy Monte Carlo with Selena Gomez. Her last movie of 2011 was The Oranges.

In 2012, Leighton went on a music tour with her band, Check in the Dark. She said folk music was "a lot closer to [her] heart." She also starred in the comedy movie That's My Boy with Adam Sandler. In 2013, she became a global ambassador for the skincare company Biotherm.

Broadway and Heartstrings (2014–2017)

In 2014, Leighton's comedy movie Life Partners was released. She played a lesbian character in the film. She also made her Broadway debut in the play Of Mice and Men. She starred alongside James Franco and Chris O'Dowd.

She then appeared in the movie The Judge with Robert Downey, Jr. and Robert Duvall. Leighton also starred in Like Sunday, Like Rain and By the Gun. She won the Best Actress Award for Like Sunday, Like Rain.

On October 28, 2014, Leighton released her first album, Heartstrings. She released it independently on her own label. The album had nine songs written by Leighton. She went on a tour in 2015 to support the album. Later that year, she appeared in ads for the fashion brand Jimmy Choo. In 2016, she was cast in the TV comedy Making History.

Recent roles (2018–present)

In 2018, Leighton joined the cast of the movie Semper Fi. It was released in 2019. She also starred in the ABC sitcom Single Parents. This show ran for two seasons.

In 2018, Leighton had a guest role on The Last Man on Earth. In 2019 and 2022, she appeared in episodes of The Orville.

In 2022, she had a recurring role in How I Met Your Father. She also starred in the thriller movie The Weekend Away. She voiced a character in the animated film My Father's Dragon. In 2023, she starred in the holiday movie EXmas. It was announced in October 2024 that she will join the cast of The Buccaneers for its second season.

Helping others (Philanthropy)

Leighton Meester supporting DKMS in 2013.

Leighton Meester has helped with many charity campaigns. In 2008, she supported Sunsilk's "Life Can't Wait" campaign. This campaign encouraged women to follow their dreams. In 2009, she worked with Safe Horizon to raise awareness about domestic violence. In 2015, she sold some of her fashion items for charity. The money went to Many Hopes, which builds schools for children in Kenya.

Since 2017, Leighton has volunteered with Feeding America. This group helps people who don't have enough food. She has volunteered at a women's center in Los Angeles. She also helped with relief efforts in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria in 2017. Leighton and her husband, Adam Brody, have also helped serve lunches to children at a school in Los Angeles. In 2019, she took part in a campaign with Subway and Shamrock Farms. For every child's meal bought, money was donated to fight hunger.

In May 2019, Leighton worked with Feeding America and the Los Angeles Food Bank. They helped families get important groceries. She shared on Instagram how they helped fill grocery baskets for families in need.

In 2021, Leighton promoted meetings on Omaze to encourage donations. These donations help people with Congenital Central Hypoventilation Syndrome.

Personal life

Leighton Meester lives in Los Angeles. In November 2013, she got engaged to actor Adam Brody. They had worked together on the movie The Oranges. They got married in a private ceremony on February 15, 2014.

Their first child, a daughter named Arlo, was born on August 4, 2015. In April 2020, it was announced they were expecting their second child. In September 2020, Adam Brody confirmed their son was born. In January 2025, their home was sadly destroyed by the Palisades Fire.

Filmography

Movies

Television shows

Stage performances

Music releases

Albums

Singles

Other songs

Awards and nominations

Images for kids

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  Meester at the premiere of Killer Movie in 2008.

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  Meester in 2009.

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  Meester in September 2010.

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  Leighton Meester supporting DKMS in 2013.

See also

In Spanish: Leighton Meester para niños