'Gossip Girl' Stars on the Big Screen: Who Does It Best?

It seems like just yesterday that Serena van der Woodsen was coming back from boarding school to find that her former BFF, Blair Waldorf, had become Queen Bee. Tonight, TV's "Gossip Girl" comes to an end, leaving with it a slew of absurdly attractive young stars unemployed.

Of course, we've seen a number of them on to the silver screen already — including Leighton Meester "That's My Boy" and "The Oranges" and Blake Lively in Oliver Stone's "Savages."

Since the world of these privileged few thrives on competition, it only made sense to see which GG star's movie career leaves the rest of the beautiful people in the dust. Read our (very scientific) rankings to find out, then weigh in yourself in our poll below.

5. Ed Westwick

He may have gotten his big break as Chuck Bass, the "bad boy" of the Upper East Side, but since then he has branched out, even playing (gasp!) a ski club stud in the 2011 hit romantic comedy "Chalet Girl" opposite Felicity Jones. Westwick also landed a solid part as Agent Smith in the Clint Eastwood-directed Leonardo DiCaprio starrer "J. Edgar," and recently tackled the role of Tybalt in the latest "Romeo and Juliet" reboot. Though it doesn't hit theaters until sometime in 2013, we're sure the girls will be lining up.

4. Chace Crawford

His sister Candice just had a baby with Tony Romo, but Chace Crawford is the one delivering the goods — on-screen, that is. The "Gossip Girl" golden boy recently proved to be a true scene-stealer with his turn in the ensemble romantic comedy "What to Expect When You're Expecting." Not only that, but he also held his own opposite Jane Fonda, Catherine Keener and Elizabeth Olsen in "Peace, Love and Misunderstanding." Fonda's kind of intimidating, so you've gotta give the guy props for that.

3. Leighton Meester

If there's one thing her recent movie career has proven, it's that there's more to Leighton Meester than Blair Waldorf. The brunette beauty first landed small roles in flicks like "Date Night" and "Going the Distance," but when she stepped onstage in "Country Strong," she took her game to a whole new level. That girl can sing! And she didn't stop there. After starring in the horror film "The Roommate" and the dramedy "The Oranges," she's showing off her comedy chops in Adam Sandler's latest, "That's My Boy."

2. Penn Badgley

We're not sure if it's his chiseled cheekbones or smoldering gaze, but to be honest, we don't care. Perhaps that's why Lonely Boy transitioned so easily to the big screen. Badgley blew it out of the water in the horror flick "The Stepfather," playing a military student who comes home and isn’t so sure about his mom's new man. He also captured our hearts as Woodchuck Todd (best name ever) in "Easy A" and even managed to make Wall Street suit likable in "Margin Call" — no small feat. Next up, Badgley will play Jeff Buckley in "Greetings from Tim Buckley," a part that promises to give him even more time to shine.

1. Blake Lively

So who's in our number one spot? Blake Lively, of course. (Was there ever any doubt?) Before she was Serena van der Woodsen, Lively had starred in "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants," and, while she wasn't necessarily a household name, she was definitely on the map. Since then, she's only gotten better and better, taking on a somewhat risky role as a rough-around-the-edges chick in Ben Affleck's "The Town" and nailing her parts in the quirky dramas "Hick" and Oliver Stone's "Savages." And then there's that part where she's married to Ryan Reynolds. Not that that has anything to do with her film career, but still.

 

 

 

(Originally published on July 3, 2012.)

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