These Are All Of Your Favorite ‘Gossip Girl’ Stars, Then And Now
Some are still acting; some went totally off the grid.
Gossip Girl is one of the most iconic TV shows, well, ever. Between the fabulous clothes and those gorgeous statement headbands, GG had a cast full of style icons that defined an entire generation’s closets. Upper East Side glamour never knew what hit it! Whether you’re a Blair or a Serena, the show had all the drama, mystery, and messy relationships that made it so fun to watch and re-watch.
It was heartbreaking when GG decided to call it quits after six unforgettable, binge-watchable seasons. It's been a while since the last blast, so you might be wondering what happened to the original cast?
Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, and all the rest of your faves are flourishing, in case you’re curious! Even though they aren’t filming for the series anymore, some GG celebs have been making major moves. They’re starring in new shows and movies, starting families, performing on Broadway, modeling, and recording music–just to name a few. (I spotted them all.)
Others have kept a lower profile and are enjoying some well-deserved relaxation after achieving stardom. You’ve seen many of them in your favorite new series, even if you haven’t realized it (hair dye can really change someone’s look!) and many of them have exciting new projects coming up so soon.
With the highly anticipated and equally stylish Gossip Girl reboot coming back for season 2 so soon, now is the perfect time to check in on your favorite actors and actresses from the original series. Keep reading for allll the details about the Gossip Girl celebs, then and now. XOXO.
Then: Blake Lively
We all know Blake Lively from her late 2000s roles as the beautiful, ~mysterious~, Serena van der Woodsen in Gossip Girl. (And, TBH, in the movie Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.) She pretty much became a fashion icon from her character on the show, acting as the manifestation of the well-dressed blonde bombshell we know and love.
Now: Blake Lively
Lively met her now-husband Ryan Reynolds on the set of Green Lantern in 2011. Since then, the couple have gotten married and had three daughters, all while both of them continue to kill it on the big screen. (Um, you know, like in The Age of Adaline, A Simple Favor, and The Rhythm Section?)
Next, Blake will star as Josie Schuller in Lady Killer, a film about a housewife who moonlights as a killer for hire. Sign me up!
Then: Leighton Meester
In Blair Waldorf we trust. After making a bunch of guest appearances on TV shows from a young age, Leighton Meester got her big break starring as culture, style, and romance icon Blair Waldorf. She also had a hit with the single "Good Girls Gone Bad" and movies such as Monte Carlo, The Roommate, Country Strong, and tons more.
Now: Leighton Meester
Don't worry, Leighton is still the woman you know and love. Since her GG days she's starred in a bunch of other TV shows like Making History and Single Parents, just to name a few. Oh, and she also starred in Of Mice and Men on Broadway and released her first solo album, Heartstrings. So she hasn't been busy, like, at all.
Bonus? She's also met and married the love of her life in fellow teen icon Adam Brody (hi Seth Cohen), and the couple have two children together.
Then: Ed Westwick
Do you ever really get tired of this man boldly stating: I'm Chuck Bass? Answer: No, never. Anyway, this guy got his start playing a role in the 2006 hit movie Children of Men, and then a year later starred as the conniving (and rich) mastermind Chuck Bass.
Now: Ed Westwick
Here's what's up with this leading man in 2021: He's focused on producing while still dabbling in the acting scene every now and then. He most recently starred in the movie Me, You, Madness.
He's also got a new GF, a model named Tamara Francesconi, and yeah, they're really freakin' cute.
Then: Penn Badgley
Penn got his start by making guest appearances on tons of TV shows, and then he landed a role in the iconic 2000s film John Tucker Must Die and the rest was history. Shortly after, he landed the role of smitten-with-Serena, wannabe-writer, and stereotypical Brooklynite Dan Humphrey on GG.
Now: Penn Badgley
ICYMI, Penn is still a major freakin' deal. Ever heard of the Netflix show You? Yeah, that main character and serial-killer guy? That's him. He's starred in tons of other hit movies, too, like Easy A and his most recent flick, Here Today. In other news, he also married singer Domino Kirke in 2017, and they now have one child together. Awww.
Then: Chace Crawford
Swoon. Chace Crawford, aka the much-underestimated Nate Archibald, had the key to all of our hearts. While he made a few appearances in his early acting days, Gossip Girl was preeetty much his first time in any kind of spotlight.
Now: Chace Crawford
Nowadays, Chace is still out there acting. He's starred in a bunch of different shows like Blood & Oil, Casual, and The Boys. (Yes, that was all of him on the infamous Boys poster.) He appeared in the 2020 thriller Inheritance alongside Lily Collins. You can spot him in the upcoming movie Riptide next.
Then: Taylor Momsen
Taylor Momsen started her acting career super young. Remember her in all your childhood faves? She appeared in Spy Kids 2, Underdog, Saving Shiloh, and, most notably, she was *the* Cindy Lou Who in How The Grinch Stole Christmas. Then, in 2007, the world came to know her as the unassuming drama-starter and aspiring designer Jenny Humphrey.
Now: Taylor Momsen
Taylor's been focusing on her music ever since leaving Gossip Girl. She's the lead singer of the band The Pretty Reckless, and has been filming tons of songs for her followers during the pandemic.
The singer is also looking a lot more like her early little Humphrey character once again with blonde hair and natural makeup.
Then: Jessica Szohr
Jessica was making all kinds of television appearances before landing the role of Dan's intellectual, grounded BFF Vanessa Abrams on Gossip Girl. Fans couldn't help but love the no-B.S. energy she brought to the show (and TBH, the chemistry between her and Dan was real).
Now: Jessica Szohr
Jessica is dabbling in all kinds of TV series now that her GG days are over. You can find her starring and making appearances in shows like Shameless, The Orville, Twin Peaks, and more. And in January, she had her first baby with her partner, professional ice hockey player Brad Richardson! Adorbs.
Then: Connor Paolo
Born in New York City, Connor trained to be an actor and performer all throughout high school. He landed tons of mini-gigs as guest stars on popular TV shows, but finally got the chance to be the troubled baby brother Eric van der Woodsen in 2007.
Now: Connor Paolo
After becoming ~kind of a big deal~ from his GG stint, Connor eventually left the show to focus on his role in another hit series, Revenge. Since then, he's still been working on his acting career, specifically when it comes to the TV biz.
Then: Michelle Trachtenberg
Michelle Trachtenberg was the epitome of a child actress—she'd been appearing in commercials and TV shows since the age of three. You'll find her in big-time hits like Ice Princess, Harriet The Spy, 17 Again, Buffy The Vampire Slayer and, yes, as mean girl Georgina Sparks in Gossip Girl.
Now: Michelle Trachtenberg
Michelle has certainly kept herself busy since her Gossip Girl days. She's still doing all kinds of acting, including voice acting on shows like Robot Chicken and Human Kind Of. She's also appeared in a few episodes of some of your favorite shows, like Criminal Minds and Weeds.
Then: Kristen Bell
You know the ominous-yet-soothing-AF voice of Gossip Girl that we never actually saw until the end of the series? Yep, Kristen Bell—an icon since her Veronica Mars days—was the Gossip Girl voiceover.
Now: Kristen Bell
Kristen's work as a voiceover legend didn't stop at Gossip Girl. ICYMI, she's also played insanely successful characters in animated movies like Frozen! Not to mention she just wrapped up the final season of The Good Place, her super-popular series on NBC.
Now, Kristen is set to star in the upcoming film Queenpins. She'll reprise her original GG role by narrating the new Gossip Girl–what an icon. Get ready to hear all the tea straight from her.
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