"Gossip Girl" is premiering as I type, and last week I posted an interview with Blake Lively (Serena van der Woodsen), one of its stars. Today (which is later than I had anticipated), I am posting a second "Gossip Girl" interview, this one with the series' other star, Leighton Meester. Leighton plays Blair Waldorf, whose excruciatingly carefully perfected world is turned upside down with the return from boarding school of her former best friend, Serena.I sit down with Leighton, who is incredibly approachable, and straightaway am struck by how warm and friendly she is, how gracious. Then we begin to discuss the ideal co-star relationship, working on projects originating from literature or other sources and the cultural impact that the show might have.
You've worked on movie sets before. Which one do you prefer?
Leighton Meester: Um… It's all different, but whatever one I'm on at the moment.
Obviously you're going to develop friendships and relationships with your co-stars. How do your friendships with those who play love interests differ from friendships with those who play your friends or enemies?
LM: Um… I think you kind of have to step back and just make sure it doesn't really change things, because you never know where that can go anyway; plus you'd never want it to be weird, so the best thing—ever—is when you're actually friends with the person you have that kind of on-screen relationship with, and you really like them as a friend. Because when you hate them, it's not fun to do a scene with them, whether you kiss them or not. So—the best thing is just to be really close with them, good friends, and—be able to laugh at yourself.
People are saying that Gossip Girl might fill the entertainment void that the OC's going off the air has created. What do you think about this, and does it put more pressure on making the series?
LM: No, I think that would be—an honor. And I think that it'll definitely bring in people who loved the OC, and loved the vision that Josh Schwartz had, but we're also gonna bring in a whole other group of people that loves the Gossip Girl series and other people who've never even heard of it. So even if you didn't watch the OC and even if you didn't relate to it, there are some things in this show that you can, so—I think that there is a bit of pressure, because we're in the same sort of genre, there's a lot of drama, high drama, and this rich, exclusive world like the OC. But it's a completely different situation, and—so if we fill that void, that's cool, but if we don't that's okay, and I feel that we're probably going to go beyond that.
How does Blair differ from other characters that you've played, and what do you like or not like about that?
LM: It's completely different! It's—new, and fresh every day, and so challenging, and really fun. But when I compare it, I think I'd have to say it's just a lot more tiring and harder and I have to dig a little bit deeper and, you know, see… really… what kind of sets her apart; you know, I can find all the similarities in the world between me and her but the things that aren't similar are the things that make her really special, and… I think she's one of the most fun characters that I've played, because she's so diverse, and there are just so many different aspects of her personality.
You're reading the books now, right?
LM: Yup.
This series is probably really anticipated because it's bringing to life a very popular series of books, so how do you feel about the fact that you get to bring these characters that already exist, and that people already love, to life?
LM: It's… a little bit intimidating, because I know that people have their ideas, and what they think, and what they really want, and I hope with all my heart that we can actually fulfill that, but as I read them I obviously—since I started, I've known myself to be the character, and Blake to be Serena, and Penn to be Dan, and so on, and that itself is kind of awesome when you're reading a book and you're saying "this is just us", you know? And we're going to be able to play it out, so it's really fun! It's like reading a script, but much more in-depth.
So when you read the books now do you think about it in terms of "oh, well, I'm going to be doing that"?
LM: Um… we're not always going to be doing exactly that, but it gives you a feeling of back-story and you're feeling like, "well, this has happened at one point", so you take that as an experience. It's not like anything is something that Blair wouldn't do, because it's Blair!
Did you read the first book before or after you found out that you had the role?
LM: After. So it's always been like this!
So from the moment that you read the book you were thinking about how you were going to be portraying that character?
LM: Yeah. And it's really special because this is a character that's been able to be developed for so long, and in depth for however many years, in books, so it's written in literature as well as just on-screen and that's so much better because you really get to hear what she thinks, and what she's like in her thoughts, and what she was like when she was throwing up, and you don't really go into that ever in a movie or a show based on books.
With a character that's already created in literature it's a lot more fleshed out, so it might be easier to inhabit the character, but if a character is written for the screen, then you get to create more of the character yourself. Since you've experienced both, how do you like playing each sort of character?
LM: I feel like I can do both here, because I'm given such creative license by the writers and the directors and the producers to just kind of—free reign of what I do and I've read. I mean, I've met Cecily [von Ziegesar, the author of the series] so I know that she says—it's great to see that when she's writing the new books now, she says that she thinks of us, which is really cool! So it's not like I'm looking at somebody else's life or somebody else's personality; I'm looking at what I'm playing. And the truth is I guess I would say I prefer it this way, or at least even if it's not in a book, for it to be here for the director and writer, about what has happened before, or at least get some of their thoughts on the back story.
So I guess that's probably all!
After the interview ends, Leighton and I linger in holding for several minutes, discussing everything from little brothers to filming schedules. It's clear that Leighton is far friendlier, far more down-to-earth, than Blair Waldorf will ever be, but something tells me that Leighton is going to be brilliant.
You can watch Gossip Girl Wednesdays at 9 PM EST (check your local listings!). For more information check out the official website.
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