9 April 1986, Fort Worth, Texas, USA
Birth Name
Leighton Marissa Meester
Height
5' 5" (1.65 m)
Mini Biography
Leighton Marissa Meester (born April 9, 1986) is an American actress and singer. Meester first garnered attention for playing Blair Waldorf in the CW Телевидение series Gossip Girl. She most recently appeared in the 2010 country drama film Country Strong, the 2011 thriller The Roommate, and the 2011 romantic-comedy Monte Carlo.
Early life and personal life
Meester was born in Fort Worth, Texas, to Constance (née Haas) and Douglas Meester and lived most of her life in New York City and Los Angeles. Meester's last name means "master" или "teacher" in Dutch.
Her mother was serving time in a federal prison for her involvement in a drug ring that smuggled Марихуана from Jamaica to the United States. She was able to give birth to Leighton in a hospital and nurse her for three months in a halfway house, before returning to prison to complete her sentence, after which Leighton's grandmother cared for her.
Meester has maintained that her parents gave her a normal upbringing and, despite their criminal past, are good people with experience that has only made Meester еще open-minded and non-judgmental, "It made me realize that Ты can't judge anyone — especially your parents — for what they've done in their past, because people change." Meester has joked, "Look, I could've turned out a lot worse." She has cited her mother as her style icon.
Meester grew up in Marco Island, Florida, where she participated in productions at a local playhouse. When she was 11 years old, Meester and her mother moved to New York City. Meester attended the Professional Children's School and also began working as a model with Wilhelmina, booking a Ralph Lauren campaign shot by Bruce Weber and working with then photographer (now film maker) Sofia Coppola as well as many commercials including Tamagotchi toys and Clearasil. Meester made her Телевидение Актёрское искусство debut as a murder victim's friend on an episode of Law & Order. At 14, Meester moved to Los Angeles, California, wanting еще stable work, and attended Hollywood High School and Beverly Hills High School. She then transferred to a small private school and graduated a год early.
In July 2011, she and her mother filed lawsuits against each other regarding Meester's financial support of her younger brother, who has multiple health problems. Meester's suit claims the money she sent was misused by her mother; her mother's suit makes a cross-claim alleging breach of contract and physical abuse.
Career
Acting
After her Телевидение debut in 1999 playing Alyssa Turner in Law & Order, Meester appeared as a guest in two еще series before landing her big role in the movie Hangman's Curse, based on the best-selling book by Frank Peretti. She appeared in Tarzan, which ran for only eight episodes. Meester then started to land guest roles in other series such as Crossing Jordan, 8 Simple Rules, 7th Heaven, Veronica Mars, 24, and Entourage.
In 2005, Meester began a regular role in the series Surface as Savannah Bennet. Meester appeared in two еще 2006 movies, Flourish and Inside. She also guest appeared in Numb3rs and in three episodes of House M.D. as Ali, a young girl who has a crush on House. She had guest roles on CSI: Miami and Shark, and played the female lead in the horror film Drive-Thru.
In 2007, Meester was cast in the CW's teen drama series Gossip Girl as Blair Waldorf. The Показать is based on the book series by Cecily von Ziegesar about the lives of New York's privileged Upper East Side young adults. Her performance is the most critically acclaimed of the show, with Blair being cited as the series' breakout character, and also garnering much media recognition due to her wardrobe.
Meester appeared on the Телевидение film The Haunting of Sorority Row, and played a part in the ensemble comedy/drama Remember the Daze. She also appeared in the horror/thriller film Killer Movie in 2008.
Meester had small roles in the 2010 comedies дата Night and Going The Distance. She starred in Screen Gems' 2010 country drama Country Strong and the 2011 thriller The Roommate. In 2011 she starred alongside Selena Gomez and Katie Cassidy in the young femme comedy Monte Carlo, loosely based on Jules Bass's young-adult book Headhunters. She is set to звезда in The Uncatchable Cowgirl Bandits of Nottingham, Texas alongside Amber Heard; in the indie dramatic comedy The Oranges opposite Hugh Laurie; and she also joined the cast of the comedy I Hate You, Dad, alongside Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, and Milo Ventimiglia.
Music
In April 2009, Meester signed a recording contract with Universal Republic. Meester's first official single, "Somebody To Love", featuring R&B singer Robin Thicke, was released for airplay on October 13, 2009 and became available for digital download on October 14, 2009. Her секунда single, "Your Love's a Drug", was digitally released on March 30, 2010.
Meester is featured on кобра Starship's song "Good Girls Go Bad", which reached the вверх 10 on Billboard Hot 100 peaking at #7, and on Stephen Jerzak's song "She Said". She recorded a cover of the song "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" for the compilation album A Very Special Рождество 7. For her 2010 country drama film Country Strong, she recorded a cover of the song "Words I Couldn't Say" by Rascal Flatts as well as "A Little Bit Stronger" by Sara Evans featured on the film's soundtrack; a promotional single titled "Summer Girl"; and a duet with Garrett Hedlund titled "Give In To Me".
Endorsements
Meester has fronted many charity as well as advertising campaigns. In 2008, she was a spokesperson for Sunsilk's "Life Can't Wait" campaign to motivate women to pursue their dreams and collaborated with безопасно, сейф Horizon to raise awareness about and prevent domestic violence. Early in 2009, Meester partnered with Reebok to model their new вверх Down sneakers. Outside of Gossip Girl, Meester has worked with co-star Ed Westwick in a Nikon Coolpix series camera advertisement and both were faces for a Korean clothing line called ASK Enquired. Most recently, in 2010, Meester has signed on to be the current spokesperson for Herbal Essences hair products. In the same year, Meester took part in Bulgari's humanitarian efforts for the Save the Children organization with Isabella Rossellini and Maribel Verdútaken. Vera Wang has also chosen Meester to be the face of her newest scent Lovestruck, breaking in summer of 2011, stating that the actress's "beauty, talent and spirit will inspire all the young women that I hope will enjoy this passionate, new young fragrance." In 2011, Italian fashion house Missoni revealed they have tapped Meester to be part of their Spring/Summer 2011 campaign. She fronts another South Korean brand, this time a beauty campaign, called eSpoir. Leighton is additionally the new face of Vera Wang's scent "Lovestruck" which was first sold in Harrods on the 9th June with many adoring Фаны queueing to get the world famous designer's and actress's signature.
Trivia
Has an older brother, Douglas Meester.
Her surname "Meester" is Dutch for "master" или "teacher".
She has worked with famous photographer Sofia Coppola.
She enjoys Пение and even sang in the movie Drive Thru (2007).
She is naturally blonde but dyed her hair brown for the role of "Blair Waldorf" for her TV series "Gossip Girl" (2007).
Named one of People Magazines' 100 Most Beautiful in 2008.
Ranked #48 on the Maxim magazine Hot 100 of 2008 list.
Has a younger brother named Lex Meester.
Attended Beverly Hills High School in Beverly Hills, California.
Is bringing out an electric pop album sometime in 2009.
She also speaks fluent French.
Enjoys creative writing.
Ranked #12 on Maxim Magazine's Hot 100 of 2009 list.
Ranked #1 on FHM Online's Fall 2008 TV's Hottest Stars.
Was ranked #17 on Maxim Magazine's Hot 100 of 2010 list.
Grew up in Marco Island, Florida.
Her mother is of Spanish descent.
Her mother served a federal prison sentence for her involvement in a drug ring that smuggled Марихуана from Jamaica to the United States. She was able to give birth to Leighton in a hospital and nursed her for three months in a halfway house, before returning to prison to complete her sentence. At this time Leighton's grandmother cared for her.
Moved to Los Angeles, California at 14. She attended Hollywood High School and Beverly Hills High School. She then transferred to a small private school and graduated a год early.
Was in a relationship with her former "Gossip Girl" (2007) co-star Sebastian Stan from 2008-2010.
Ranked as having one of the most beautiful famous faces by "The Annual Independent Critics Список of the 100 Most Beautiful Famous Faces From Around the World." She was ranked #4 in 2010, #14 in 2009, and #21 in 2008.
Her best friend is actress Emmy Rossum.
Personal Quotes
I don't want to do drugs. I don't want to have to start over a million times. I want to have an abundance of good things in my life, and I want it to spread out evenly - I don't want it to come and go.
I want to do so many things -- and maybe someday a lot of it will be impossible, but right now I don't see the impossible.
My mom lived through a lot before I was born, and I can't judge her on that. She and my dad are good people. Look, I could've turned out a lot worse.
I was picked on because I was a four-eyes and a dork. We didn't have a ton of money so I couldn't say, "Mom, I need to have these crazy expensive jeans." I had long Рапунцель - Запутанная история hair and wore hemp necklaces, baggy T-shirts and not-so-cute jeans. I mean, for crying out loud, we were just going to throw on gym clothes and run around the track! I've grown up as far as the fashion world goes, but I still identify with the high school me.
I really came to realize -- and it's the best Совет that will come out of the end of this Показать -- that high school is not the end, it is not the best, it is not the only. Ты will have a whole life afterward, if you're lucky. If you're unlucky, then the only thing you'll ever feel is how fun it is at your prom.
I Любовь New York. You're never alone, but you're always on your own.
I don't want to have a friend unless I can call them one of my best friends.
I think the most wonderful thing about her [Audrey Hepburn] is that she set a lot of trends and they were all about being modern yet having your own kind of look because Ты can be stylish and trendy all Ты want but, at the end of the day, it's about what Ты feel amazing in.
If you're just yourself, you'll never lose. I want to be myself. That's when Ты feel the most comfortable, that's when Ты have the most success, and that's when you're the most happy.
[on her parents' criminal past] It made me realize that Ты can't judge anyone-especially your parents-for what they've done in their past, because people change.
