Leighton Meester's Real Name: Leighton Meester

Quick answer: Leighton Meester is known professionally and in reference works as Leighton Meester. She is an actress and singer best known as Blair Waldorf on Gossip Girl. In 2014 she released her debut album, Heartstrings (Variety; Billboard).

Real name and early life

The Library of Congress heading is "Meester, Leighton, 1986-." A Billboard profile published on October 13, 2014, describes her as 28, which is consistent with a 1986 birth year. Longer given names and a disputed birthplace appear in IMDb- and Wikipedia-based Library of Congress citations; because those details are not independently confirmed in the news sources used here, this page uses the public name in the title and does not treat a precise date or hometown as settled.

Career highlights

A 2012 Variety article, published around the 100th episode of Gossip Girl, says Meester had played Blair Waldorf for those 100 episodes across five seasons and called the series a "dream project" that gave her constant practice. The article also discusses her on-screen partnership with Ed Westwick, who played Chuck Bass, a relationship Variety described as a constant of the series even as Blair moved from prep-school queen bee toward other storylines. She said she was "probably the least like" the dramatic, plotting character, while admiring Blair's confidence and the chance to play a well-rounded young woman on television. Film roles mentioned in the same piece include an aspiring country singer in Country Strong and a part in The Roommate. Variety also notes that she lent her voice to Cobra Starship's "Good Girls Go Bad," which was featured on an episode of Gossip Girl.

Billboard later reported that the 2009 guest spot on "Good Girls Go Bad" peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. After a recording contract with Republic that she said "just wasn't me," she released her debut album, Heartstrings, on October 28, 2014, on her own Hotly Wanting label. The Billboard interview came after her run in Of Mice and Men on Broadway, which wrapped in July 2014. She described the new record's dream-rock sound as a departure from earlier pop releases.

Name notes for searchers

Leighton Meester is the name used by Variety, Billboard, and the Library of Congress heading. Searchers looking for Blair Waldorf or the singer behind Heartstrings are usually aiming at the same person.