THE INSIDER: LEIGHTON MEESTER

Blair Waldorf has a new movie, a new hometown, and a new fashion dream...

You may know her as Blair Waldorf, but it turns out that Leighton Meester has moves you’ve never seen before – until now.  Her latest project, an indie film called Remember The Daze is finally hitting the big screen, showing the dark side of suburban high school kids coming of age in the ‘90s – which happens to be exactly when we left our lockers and letters behind. 

Directed by 24-year-old Jess Manafort, the movie also stars Alexa Vega and Amber Heard, and has hatched to rave reviews in Los Angeles (and also something of an identity crisis – in some theaters, its’ title is The Beautiful Ordinary).

Here’s what Leighton has to say about her big screen adventure – but don’t worry; this isn’t the last time you’ll be hearing from this Upper East Sider…

In Remember the Daze, you worked with a director who was your age.  How was that?  It was awesome!  I mean, I think it helps more than anything, because she is young, but very, very smart… Jess made the set a little more casual and fun; it was less like work.  Definitely the most fun work I’ve done, ever.

You were blonde in the movie…   I was blonde in general, not just for the movie.  I mean, for a while I just was blonde.  And I guess it’s hard for people to see me as a different character [than Blair] but the whole thing was a different experience and a different kind of movie.  It’s coming of age, it doesn’t talk down to the audience and it’s an experience more than anything. 

It’s about high school kids in 1999… you were in high school in 1999… any similarities?  Not really.  I went to Beverly Hills High – yeah, I really did… I guess I was kind of friends with everybody and NOT popular.  But in this movie, there are much higher stakes than in normal high school.

Were you a model in high school?  My friend swears you used to walk on the runways during New York and L.A. Fashion Week.  It definitely wasn’t me!  No way!   No way, no way, and I don’t think I would ever do something like that in the future.

What about designing?  Do you think you might want to try having your own clothing line?  Absolutely.  I would love to do my own thing, and see where that could take me.  I love fashion, and sometimes I just feel like if I could only do and make whatever I wanted, it would make so much of a statement and really express who I am.  So yes, in the future I would love to do a clothing label or work with a clothing label.

Any designers you’d want to work with?  I love Missoni and DVF, I’ve heard she’s an incredible woman and I’m dying to meet her.  And I like Miu Miu, Alberta Ferreti…  and you know, I really love Julie Haus.

Give us some advice:  How should someone start being an actor?  There’s no right way of getting into it.  I didn’t grow up in a Hollywood family, I mean, I’m from Florida, but I knew that it’s what I wanted to do.  I met a manager and he said, come to New York and try auditioning.  So that’s how I did it, but you could do anything – do it in college, be in plays. And just experience everything, don’t doubt yourself, and don’t lose sight of what you’re really trying to be an actor for, and hopefully it’s the right reasons – because you’re inspired, and you love it, and you have a good head on your shoulders.  Don’t try to be anything but yourself, and find success as yourself, you know?  Otherwise, you won’t be happy.

Give us some more advice:  If someone sees you on the street, what should they do?  Say hi?  Of course!  Go for it!  I mean, I’m not gonna like run away or anything! 
FARAN KRENTCIL



This story was published on April 9, 2008.