Updated September 24, 2021 8.3k votes 1.4k voters 65.6k views
Voting Rules
Vote up the cast members whose looks changed the most between the first and last seasons.
Gossip Girl ran on the CW for six seasons from 2007 to 2012. It let all of us in on the scandals, romance, bitter rivalries, and family secrets of Manhattan's high-class socialites. During the show's 121 episodes, we watched frenemies BFFs Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester) and Serena Van Der Woodsen go through romances, schools, jobs, champagne, and some of the best fashion to hit the small screen.
From the steps of the Met, we also watched as this young cast of characters aged from (supposedly) high school students to young adults with careers as writers (Dan Humphrey), designers (Blair Waldrof), and potentially mayors (Nate Archibald).
So how did the cast of Gossip Girl age from the first season to last season? Take a look at these photos of the cast of Gossip Girl young and then old(er) and read on as we reveal everything right here! And after you've taken a look through the cast, make sure to check out these other shows like Gossip Girl! XOXO
Photo: Warner Bros. Television / Warner Bros. Television
Connor Paolo played Erik van der Woodsen for four seasons until he left in 2011 to join the cast of ABC's series Revenge. As he said of his character on Gossip Girl, "Eric's going to college and he's going to stay there. He doesn't come home for Christmas anymore."
When he returned for the final episode, it was with a lot more facial hair and a different hair color.
Photo: Warner Bros. Television / Warner Bros. Television
Ed Westwick was 20 when he first stole our hearts as drug-loving, promiscuous, bad boy Chuck Bass. From shaggy, just-out-of-bed-head to an emo comb over, and then to a slicked back, debonair man-about-town look, we loved every version of Chuck (even when he was disappointing us).
As Westwick has said of his time on the show, “I tried to enjoy that part of instant fame but there were aspects of it, like coming out of your apartment in the morning and being photographed, that were annoying. I know that it goes with the territory but I’d never had an experience like it. I geeked out a bit. It was a crazy time. And of course your life changes when stuff like that happens."
Photo: Warner Bros. Television / Warner Bros. Television
Penn Badgley was 21 when he first showed up on Gossip Girl as "Lonely Boy." While Dan retained that deer in headlights look throughout the seasons, his hair noticeably changed from season to season. From buzzed to sideburned, to long and unruly, to short and curly, we never knew just what version of Dan we were going to get.
As Badgley has said about his character, "You're known as somebody that you're just not, and this is somebody who I so am not. He's not real. He's a tool on a show with soap-operatic arcs and he needs to be a judgmental douchebag sometimes. I get that. I don't hate anybody for that. But it sucks when people call me 'Dan' and think that I'm him."
Photo: Warner Bros. Television / Warner Bros. Television
Taylor Momsen was 14 when she appeared in the first season of Gossip Girl. In 2010, the actress went on an "indefinite hiatus" from the CW series, and then six months later it was confirmed that she would no longer be playing Jenny Humphrey. It turns out that Momsen wanted to focus on her band, The Pretty Reckless, and had decided to quit acting altogether.
She did, however, return for the final episode of Gossip Girl, looking much more grown up and blonde than when she left the show.
Photo: Warner Bros. Television / Warner Bros. Television
Chace Crawford was 22 when Nate Archibald's long and semi-slicked-back hair first transfixed us on Gossip Girl. As the series evolved, we watched Nate's hair get shorter and shorter, just in time for him to take on the responsibility of leading a large news publishing company (and possible role as mayor).
"I'm gonna look for my dignity," Crawford has said of his time spent filming the show. "My dignity is somewhere on set. I think it happened around season two. Leading into season three, it was all out the window."
Photo: Warner Bros. Television / Warner Bros. Television
Leighton Meester was 21 when she first started her role as head-banded, school-uniform wearing, queen bee, Blair Waldorf on Gossip Girl. Throughout the series, Blair's style remains quintessential Upper East-sider with a little bit of quirk.
While we watch Blair go from scheming high-school student to making a pact with God to save Chuck’s life to the perfect bride, it seems that Meester barely ages. "Any fear of aging, I think, is simply vanity," Meester has said. "Because what comes with age is so many wonderful things: wisdom, understanding. . . Every year, I'm always happy to be done with the previous age."
