Leighton Meester got her start as a model for Wilhelmina Models at the age of 11, and was featured in a Ralph Lauren ad campaign.

By age 13 she had made her acting debut, appearing on an episode of TV's Law and Order. In the following years, Leighton Meester made appearances on other hit TV shows including Boston Public, Crossing Jordan, 7th Heaven, Entourage, House M.D. and 24. Leighton Meester had regular roles on the series Tarzan and Surface.

She appeared in several movies, including The Beautiful Ordinary, Killer Movie and Drive Thru, which featured a song recorded by Meester.

Her biggest acting achievement came when she was cast as Blair Waldorf on the CW's hit show Gossip Girl, based on a series of books about teenagers attending an elite private school in New York City. The show premiered in 2007, bringing Meester instant success.

Leighton Meester made her magazine cover debut on an issue of Teen magazine. She has since appeared on the covers of several other magazines, including New York, Entertainment Weekly and Rolling Stone. The entire cast of Gossip Girl, including Meester, was featured on People's Most Beautiful List in 2008. Other movies Meester was in include The Roommate and Date Night.