Leighton Meester Has Had A Jaw-Dropping Transformation Since Gossip Girl

Leighton Meester is best known as the upper east side socialite, Blair Waldorf, in the hit CW series, "Gossip Girl." But, her journey as an actor is so much more than being Blair. Though many assume her career began with "Gossip Girl," it actually started long before that. The actor's debut year dates all the way back to the '90s –– 1999, to be exact. She got her start in acting as the friend of a murder victim in a "Law & Order" episode. And since "Law & Order," the actor has built an impressive filmography, with a number of distinguished roles like Angie D'Amato in ABC's hit sitcom, "Single Parents" and Rebecca in the psychological thriller, "The Roommate."

It's been more than a decade since the final season of "Gossip Girl" aired, and since playing Constance's iconic Queen B, the Texas native has come a long way. She's accomplished so much like making her Broadway debut starring in the stage adaptation "Of Mice and Men," venturing into a music career, and recently joining the cast of her husband, Adam Brody's, popular Netflix series, "Nobody Wants This." Oh, and she also welcomed two children to her family with Brody. A lot has happened in the past decade for our girl. So, let's take a look at just how jaw-dropping Leighton Meester's transformation is since "Gossip Girl."

Within a year of dating, Leighton Meester walked down the aisle and said, "I do," to fellow actor, Adam Brody. The pair first met in 2007 and then reunited on the set of "The Oranges" in 2011. But the pair officially started dating in 2013 and got married in early 2014. That year, not only did the actor become a newlywed, but she also released her debut album, "Heartstrings." In addition, she still made time to star in the film, "Like Sunday, Like Rain." 2014 was a busy year for the actor.

Meester was glowing when she made her red carpet debut for the Tony awards with Brody by her side. She looked exquisite in an all white gown by Antonio Berardi. The naturally blonde actor kept her brunette hair from her role as Blair Waldorf and styled it in a very classic, Hollywood glam style with soft waves. Her minimal makeup with soft peach tone lips complemented the old Hollywood look so well.

Although the actor gained stardom as Blair Waldorf, Leighton Meester is known to be nothing like the character she played in real life. She is described as down to earth. Her off-duty style is all about comfort and likes to steer clear of the spotlight when she can –– which is probably why she has kept so many aspects of her life private all of these years.

With that said, the actor-turned-singer had a sold out but intimate show at Hotel Cafe in January of 2015. She strung a guitar as she serenaded those in attendance, forever keeping it real style-wise by showing up on stage in a seriously casual look. The versatile entertainer styled a denim jacket with a maroon, buttoned top and black jeans. It turns out the actor was also pregnant, carrying her first child, Arlo, at the time. 

Leighton Meester attended the 2018 American Music Awards as a presenter and she showed up on the red carpet in a stunning, custom black and white Sonia Rykiel dress, accessorized with a Jimmy Choo clutch and one of a kind bling from Messika. The custom piece accentuated her silhouette beautifully and her red lipstick makeup look perfected the overall ensemble. In 2018, her hit ABC series, "Single Parents," first aired and she made a guest appearance on an episode of "The Last Man on Earth." 

With Blair Waldorf being such a notable role for the actor, to this day, she is often asked about the meaning of the show to her quite often. And, in an exclusive 2018 interview with Porter, she shared that she "wouldn't trade" her time on the show for anything, but she "wouldn't want to go back." Leighton added, "I'm happy where I am now ... and I think that that's one of the many wonderful parts of not only having a child and meeting your soulmate, but also I feel really lucky career-wise — really in a place that I want to be." 

2022 was the year that most state-wide mask mandates were lifted. There was a feeling of normalcy in the air, and everyone started breaking out of their social hermit state. Stars began showing their faces again, and Leighton Meester returned looking better than ever. In late 2022, the actor showed up in a stunning floral, vintage velvet Prada dress to accompany her husband to the premiere of the new Hulu series, "Fleishman Is In Trouble," in New York City. Leighton sported see through micro bangs with a half-up hairstyle. She kept her look quite simple, but its effortless elegance is what made it so mesmerizing. 

Not only did she show up to support her husband, but she also starred in the Netflix film, "The Weekend Getaway," and was a regular on the series, "How I Met Your Father." She also did something she's never done, and voiced Sasha in the animated film, "My Father's Dragon." We'd like to think it was a sweet gesture for her kids to get to watch something she's a part of. Despite how busy the actor was, she also made time to do good and served her community as she volunteered at the LA Food Bank in honor of National Volunteer Month.

Not only does the actor pull off being a brunette so well, but she also looks amazing in earthy, brown tones. If we could choose, her personal color would definitely be a dark brown hue, almost mocha. She's obviously aware of this since she loves to stun on the red carpet in the color. Ever since her days as Blair Waldorf, some of the actor's most memorable looks, on-screen and off, are often those of brown hues. For instance, the iconic brown Vera Wang dress she wore as Queen B on the very first episode of the show is a piece people still seek a dupe for to this day. Well, to be fair, many of Blair's legendary preppy looks — from headbands to statement tights — continue to inspire style aficionados today. 

The actor shined on the red carpet of the 30th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards to show support for her husband in a custom St. John chocolate brown satin dress. She looked fabulous! It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she still looks the same as her days on "Gossip Girl." Perhaps her secret to remaining youthful is by being one of the most unproblematic stars of Hollywood. Over the years, she's consistently showed up for good causes, thrive at her job as an actor while juggling being a mom and a supportive wife, and most importantly, she doesn't make everything about her.