Portrait of Leighton Meester

Birthday profile

Leighton Meester

Leighton Meester, American actress

Born
April 9, 1986
Age in 2026
40
Zodiac sign
Aries
Birth year
1986

About Leighton Meester

Leighton Marissa Meester ( LAY-tən; born April 9, 1986) is an American actress, singer, and model. She is known for her starring role as Blair Waldorf on The CW television series Gossip Girl (2007–2012). She has also appeared in films such as Killer Movie (2008), Country Strong (2010), The Roommate (2011), Monte Carlo (2011), The Oranges (2011), The Judge (2014), The Weekend Away (2022), and EXmas (2023). She portrayed Angie D'Amato on the ABC sitcom Single Parents (2018–2020). Meester made her Broadway debut in Of Mice and Men (2014). For her leading role in The CW/Stan comedy drama series Good Cop/Bad Cop (2025), Meester was nominated for the Australian Logie Award for Best Actress. In addition to acting, Meester has ventured into music. In 2009, she was featured as a guest vocalist on the Cobra Starship single "Good Girls Go Bad", which charted in the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. She released solo singles "Somebody to Love" (2009) and "Your Love's a Drug" (2010) on the Universal Republic label. Meester has also recorded songs for various soundtracks. Her debut studio album, Heartstrings, was independently released in 2014. She has also modeled, having been the face of the Jimmy Choo, Herbal Essences, and Vera Wang brands. Meester's first official single, "Somebody to Love", featuring R&B singer Robin Thicke, was released for airplay on October 13, 2009, and became available for digital download the following day. For her leading role in the CW/Stan comedy drama series Good Cop/Bad Cop (2025–present), Meester was nominated for the Australian Logie Award for Best Actress.

Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.

Leighton Meester timeline

  1. Meester's first official single, "Somebody to Love", featuring R&B singer Robin Thicke, was released for airplay on October 13, 2009, and became available for digital download the following day.
  2. Meester made her Broadway debut in Of Mice and Men (2014).
  3. For her leading role in the CW/Stan comedy drama series Good Cop/Bad Cop (2025–present), Meester was nominated for the Australian Logie Award for Best Actress.

The world when Leighton Meester was born

Leighton Meester was born in 1986. The year snapshot below places that birthday in its cultural and historical setting: the music and films people were following, the headlines shaping public life, and the everyday prices families encountered.

Culture in 1986

  • #1 song"That's What Friends Are For" – Dionne Warwick & Friends
  • Top moviePlatoon
  • Top TV showThe Cosby Show
  • Best-selling bookIt – Stephen King

Headlines and milestones

  • Major sports momentMaradona's "Hand of God" goal at the World Cup
  • Top headlineSpace Shuttle Challenger disaster
  • Technology milestoneChernobyl nuclear disaster in Soviet Ukraine
  • Defining fadTop Gun aviator sunglasses
  • Notable inventionDisposable camera
  • World population4.94 billion

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderRonald Reagan
  • Sports championNew York Mets (World Series)
  • Also wonBoston Celtics (NBA)
  • U.S. population240.1M

1986 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in Leighton Meester's birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure19862026
Gas$0.93$3.45/gal
Average home$80,300$435,000
Average income$29,458$67,500
Minimum wage$3.35$7.25/hr (federal)
Movie ticket$3.71$11.95
Postage stamp$0.22$0.73
Population240.1M341 million

Sources and editorial standards

This profile combines a biographical source with structured birthday and historical context. Sources recorded for this profile: Wikipedia, IMDb. See our editorial policy for sourcing, corrections, and review standards.

Read the source biography on Wikipedia. Wikipedia text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.