Beverly Hills High School alumnus Leighton Meester turned just 22 in 2008, but next year her acting career will enter its 10th year. The adorable brunette certainly has cause to celebrate: Her spin as the wealthy, fashionable and fabulously bitchy Blair Waldorf on the CW’s prime-time teen soap opera GosWe welcomed Leighton Meester’s return to Entourage in 2008 (however brief). Yet, as the second season of Gossip Girl unfolded in all its jealous glory, we were reminded of the scheming, backstabbing queen bee’s rich heritage on American TV: no drama is complete without her, and her snarl can be seen a mile away (Meester's predecessors in this regard include Joan Collins on Dynasty and Michelle Rodriguez on Lost).
However, as Blair Waldorf, Leighton Meester’s sun-kissed cuteness makes for an irresistibly cruel and clever twist on the original (even if she isn’t TV’s first stuck-up, prep-school bitch named Blair), and she' s the No. 1 reason to tune in every week. The role of Blair also garnered Leighton Meester two nods at the 2008 Teen Choice Awards: one for Choice TV Actress and a second for Choice TV Breakout Star Female. sip Girl has made her a star.