Leighton Meester, arguably, rose to popularity after being cast as Blair Waldorf in the hit teen drama Gossip Girl. To be clear, the actress had booked several notable gigs prior to landing her Gossip Girl role.In fact, before that, Meester was probably known as Behrooz Araz’s (Jonathan Ahdout) girlfriend in 24 or Kristen Bell’s former schoolmate Carrie Bishop in Veronica Mars. In the end, however, her portrayal of Blair stood out a lot more.Since getting cast in Gossip Girl, Meester has also been booking all kinds of roles. And while she may have started out as a TV star, the actress soon made her way to the big screen, even sharing scenes with some of Hollywood’s biggest stars. It’s no wonder that she’s got quite an impressive net worth today.
Leighton Meester Ventured Into Films After ‘Gossip Girl’
It seems casting directors took more notice of Meester after she made her Gossip Girl debut. In fact, the film roles simply kept on coming. For instance, she joined Drew Barrymore, Justin Long, and Ron Livingston in the romantic comedy Going the Distance.
Not long after, Meester also starred in the family comedy Monte Carlo, which also stars Selena Gomez, Katie Cassidy, Andie MacDowell, and the late Cory Monteith. And as it turns out, director Thomas Bezucha considered casting Meester after hearing so much about the actress’ performance on Gossip Girl.
He needed someone who can play the opposite of Gomez’s character and Meester’s name kept coming up.
“I hadn't seen Gossip Girl but the people I was discussing the character with all said, 'You have to meet Leighton Meester,’” Bezucha told Girl AU. “I read some parts with her from a very rough and unfinished previous draft and was very impressed with her effortless range.”
In addition, Meester also famously starred in the music drama Country Strong, which also stars Gwyneth Paltrow, Tim McGraw, and Garrett Hedlund. Of working with Oscar winner Paltrow, the actress told Pop Sugar, “I think when you're working with her, she makes you want to be good.”
What Is Leighton Meester’s Net Worth Today?
âââââââSome estimates may indicate that Meester is worth as much as $20 million, but it is worth noting that the figure is more representative of the actress’ combined net worth with husband Adam Brody. On her own, Meester is reportedly worth anywhere between $5 and $8 million today.
And since she starred on Gossip Girl across six episodes, it’s safe to say that her reported $50,000 per episode salary significantly factored into this figure.
On the other hand, Meester has also had several lucrative endorsement deals over the years. This would have included a partnership with Target, but then the retailer scrapped its plans to launch Gossip Girl clothing line. For Meester, however, that didn’t matter. She scored other deals on her own, though she has maintained relationships with former castmates as her career has evolved.
For instance, she was announced as the global hair ambassador for Herbal Essences back in 2010.
“Leighton epitomizes the Herbal Essences Girl – a modern free spirit: daring, witty and who loves to explore her style opportunities and make the most of her look every day,” Julie Marchant-House, the company’s marketing director, said in a statement.
“We are extremely excited about sharing the luscious experience of the Herbal Essences collection through Leighton to women.”
As it turns out, Meester herself has had a personal connection with the brand long before she signed on.
“My hairstylist, Charles Baker Strahan, who is also the hairstylist for Herbal Essences, introduced me to the collection, and the products are truly incredible and make a real difference to the condition of my hair,” the actress explained. “I use it personally and I want to spread the word about it. Herbal Essences takes great care of my hair.”
A few years later, Meester also became the global spokesperson for L’Oréal’s skincare line Biotherm. And while this isn’t her first endorsement deal, the actress admitted that the work involved is very different from what she does in film and TV.
“It is so opposite of what I am used to. It is more technical, whereas I am very emotional and there is really not a lot of room for that,” Meester told WWD. “But it is fun. I get to travel, meet new people and be personal with people, and the fact that I actually like the brand is really wonderful.”
More recently, Meester also partnered with sustainable fashion brand Christy Dawn to design a jumpsuit appropriately called the Leighton Jumper.
“My original inspiration was from the character 'Miss Honey' in the film Matilda, a favorite from my own childhood that I’m rediscovering as a mother (the actress has two children with Brody),” she told Forbes. “Right away, I was intent on helping to design a jumper, because while I’m a huge fan of Christy’s dresses, I tend to reach for jumpers more often now as a mom.”
All sales proceeds from Meester’s jumpsuit were sent to Downtown Women’s Center in LA. “I am thrilled to get behind any opportunity to raise funds to support this important organization and cause,” the actress explained.
As for recent projects, Meester stars in the Netflix mystery drama The Weekend Away.
