Leighton Meester

Biography of Leighton Meester

Leighton Marissa Meester was born on April 9, 1986 in Fort Worth, Texas. She is an American actress, singer and songwriter.

Leighton Meester was born to Constance (née Haas) and Douglas Meester. She has Dutch, German, British and Irish ancestry.

Meester grew up in Marco Island, Florida, where she was involved in productions at a local theater. Meester made her television debut as the girlfriend of a murder victim on an episode of Law & Order. At 14, she moved to Los Angeles, California, wanting steady work and attended Hollywood High School and Beverly Hills High School. Then she transferred to a small private school and graduated a year early.

After making her television debut in 1999 playing Alyssa Turner in Law & Order, Meester guest-starred on two more series before landing a major role in the film Hangman's Curse, based on the best-selling book by Frank E Peretti. She appeared in the series Tarzan, which only ran for eight episodes. After that, Meester got guest roles on other shows like Crossing Jordan, 7th Heaven, Veronica Mars, 24 and Entourage.

In 2005, Meester got a starring role on the series Surface as Savannah Bennet. In 2006, Meester appeared in two more films, Flourish and Inside. She had guest appearances on Numbers and two episodes of Dr. House, where she plays Ali, a young girl who has a crush on Dr. House threw. She also had guest roles on CSI: Miami and Shark. She also played the female lead in the horror film Drive-Thru.

In 2007, Meester was cast in the teenage drama series Gossip Girl as Blair Waldorf.

Meester appeared in the TV movie The Haunting of Sorority Row and had a role in the comedy-drama Remember the Daze. She also appeared in the 2008 horror thriller Killer Movie. In 2010, Meester had minor roles in the comedies Date Night and Mad About You. In 2010, she starred in Screen Gems' country drama Country Strong and in 2011 in the thriller The Roommate. In 2011, she starred opposite Selena Gomez and Katie Cassidy in the young girl comedy Monte Carlo and in The Oranges with Hugh Laurie.

Until April 2010, Meester wasdatingactorSebastian Stan, whom she met on the set ofGossip Girl. She has beenmarriedto O.C., California starAdam Brodysince February 14, 2014. Their daughter was born on August 4, 2015. In September 2020 their second child, a son, was born.