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Here's the link: http://ellegirl.elle.com/entertainment/tv_movies/content/leighton_meester_interview.htmlLeighton Meester Exclusive
The Gossip Girl star gets Dazed
by Holly Siegel
“High school is the worst experience ever,” says Leighton Meester. A funny comment coming from an actress who attended the famed Beverly Hills High (alums include Angelina Jolie, Monica Lewinsky, Lil Romeo, and – natch - Alicia Silverstone and Tori Spelling), went on to star as Blair Waldorf on “Gossip Girl” and appears in the new high school movie Remember the Daze, out this weekend. “I’ve been playing 16 or 17 [year-olds] for quite a few years - everyone does that. Hopefully I’ll be playing that age for a few years. This is way more fun than high school.”
Of course, Blair Waldorf’s idea of fun – testing Jenny Humphrey, toying with Chuck Bass – is quite different from that of Meester’s latest character, valedictorian Tori, who lets loose on her last night of high school. So how much trouble did Meester get in during her teen years? “I’ve had a couple fender benders. And I’d always be out for one reason or another, sometimes working, sometimes ditching.”
Fashion-wise, Meester has more in common with Tori as well. Set in 1999, Remember the Daze has Meester (who in real life loves Alexander Wang, Missoni, Zac Posen, and Chloe Sevigny’s line for Opening Ceremony) in that very late ‘90s combo of a sundress over a baby-tee. “I went through so many phases in high school that I can’t say exactly what my style was. A combination of just rolling out of bed and going to class and kind of defying my femininity by wearing sweatshirts with holes in them, never wearing heels or skirts. Also, all black almost all the time.” Meester, who is blonde in her new movie, also admits to experimenting with her hair color. “I dyed it every color. I dyed it fire engine red and that didn’t work out. It also had it black and red streaks.” (When we later asked Meester about her musical tastes, she kind of had us expecting her to say Ozzy - but alas, her favorite song is “Out on the Weekend” by Neil Young).
Seeing as her actual high school style sounds like the opposite of Blair Waldorf’s, we had to ask – What does Meester think about all the headbands? “I love them! I love all of it! Whenever I’m getting ready to go on set and I’m in the full outfit, that’s when I feel like I’m truly the character. [Blair]’s kind of conservative but still has a little edge and wild streak - but very expensive and high maintenance and coiffed. I love the school uniform, and of course headbands are always in style when it comes to the show.” Meester adds, “I have some say. It’s funny because every single time that I go into wardrobe room everything they have I love. So I never get to say no to anything, but I could.”
Having survived essentially nine years of high school, Meester leaves us with some sage advice. “I think the biggest thing to know is things aren’t as bad as they seem. Your boyfriend seems like the last one you’ll ever have and the love of your life, your friends and their drama seems so important - but it’s not.” Unless, of course, your friends are Nate Archibald and Serena van der Woodsen.