Leighton Meester American actress Date of Birth: 09.04.1986 Country: USA

1. Biography of Leighton Meester
2. Early Acting Career
3. Rise to Fame
4. Personal Life and Music Career

Biography of Leighton Meester

Leighton Meester, an American actress, was born on April 9, 1986, on Marco Island, Florida. Her parents, Connie and Doug, were involved in marijuana smuggling from Jamaica to the United States. They were arrested and convicted while Connie Meester was pregnant. She spent her entire sentence in a state prison and lived with Leighton for three months in what was called the "Compromise House." Sixteen months later, Connie was released and began living with her daughter.

At the age of 11, Leighton decided she wanted to become an actress after performing in a school production of "The Wizard of Oz." In 1997, Leighton and her family moved to New York, where she was noticed and invited to participate in a Ralph Lauren advertising campaign photographed by Sofia Coppola.

Early Acting Career

Leighton Meester made her film debut in the TV series "Law & Order" and later had guest roles in shows such as "7th Heaven," "CSI: Miami," "24," and "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter." Her breakthrough in the big screen came in 2003 with the film "Hangman's Curse," based on the book by Frank Peretti.

Over the next three years, Leighton appeared in various popular TV series, including "Veronica Mars" as Carrie Bishop, "House" in two episodes of the third season, "Numbers" as Karen Camden, "Surface" as Savannah Barnett, and "Entourage" as Justine Chapman, among others.

Rise to Fame

In 2006, Leighton Meester was cast in the comedy thriller "Drive-Thru." The following year, she starred in two horror films, "Dead of Winter" and "Killer Movie." She also recorded a song for the soundtrack of "Killer Movie." Additionally, she played the lead role in the comedy-drama "The Beautiful Ordinary."

From 2007 onwards, Leighton Meester gained widespread recognition for her role as Blair Waldorf in the TV series "Gossip Girl," which aired on CW. The show portrayed the lives of Upper East Side students. She also appeared in other TV series such as "Shark" and "Secrets of a Small Town." In addition, she starred in the comedy "Date Night" directed by Shawn Levy, set to premiere in spring 2010, and the horror-thriller "The Roommate," slated for release in 2010.

Personal Life and Music Career

Leighton Meester currently resides in West Village, New York. She is in a romantic relationship with fellow actor Sebastian Stan, who also appeared in "Gossip Girl." In addition to her acting career, Leighton is working on her debut electro-pop album, scheduled for release in 2009.