"Comparing the Ages of Gossip Girl Actors with their Characters in the Series"

Overview

The actors in Gossip Girl were close in age to their characters, avoiding the common age discrepancies in shows aimed at teenagers. Blake Lively, Penn Badgley and Leighton Meester were in their twenties when they played high school students. Iconic characters from Gossip Girl, such as Serena, Blair and Chuck, were 16 when the series began.

Gossip Girl revealed the talents of Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Penn Badgley and many other young actors who rose to fame thanks to the CW teen drama series. The popular show ran for six seasons, from 2007 to 2012, and was based on the book series of the same name by Cecily von Ziegesar. Gossip Girl, an anonymous blogger who revealed the secrets of wealthy teenagers living on Manhattan's Upper East Side, was at the center of the story, and her identity was the central mystery of the series that was only solved in the last episode.

TV shows for teenagers in the 2000s and early 2010s usually featured actors who were certainly not teenagers and were in their twenties or sometimes even thirties. However, the ages of the cast members of Gossip Girl compared to their characters didn't vary much. Most of the stars of the CW series were over 18, probably because the studio wanted to avoid adhering to child labor laws. But for the most part, the Gossip Girl actors were not significantly older than their colleagues in the series.

Blake Lively: 20 years old

Serena Van Der Woodsen: 16 years old

Blake Lively had just turned 20 when she started playing Serena van der Woodsen in Gossip Girl. She was cast when she was 19, which means that the actress wasn't much older than her character in the CW teen drama series. When Gossip Girl premiered, the main characters entered their first year at Constance Billard School for Girls and St. Jude's School for Boys, which would make Serena 16.

Penn Badgley: 21

Dan Humphrey: 16 years old

Penn Badgley, who played Dan Humphrey, was 21 during the filming of the first season. His character, Dan, began Gossip Girl as the lonely teenager in love with the popular girl he had never spoken to - a typical situation for a 16-year-old.

Chace Crawford: 21 years old

Nate Archibald: 16 years old

Chace Crawford, who played Nate Archibald during all six seasons of the series, was 21 when he filmed the first season. His character, Nate, like the other teenagers in the series, was 16.

Taylor Momsen: 14 years old

Jenny Humphrey: 14 years old

Jenny Humphrey, played by Taylor Momsen, was the youngest of the teenage characters in Gossip Girl. When the TV show began, Jenny was only 14 and a freshman at the Constance Billard School for Girls.

Kelly Rutherford: 39

Lily Van Der Woodsen: 41 years old

Kelly Rutherford, who played Lily van der Woodsen, Serena's mother, was 39 during the filming of the first season. Her character, Lily, was 41 when the pilot episode of Gossip Girl premiered in 2007.

Matthew Settle: 38

Rufus Humphrey: 42 years old

Matthew Settle, who played Rufus Humphrey, Dan and Jenny's father, was 38 when he started playing the character in Gossip Girl. His character, Rufus, was 42 in the first season.

Jessica Szohr: 22 years old

Vanessa Abrams: 16 years old

Jessica Szohr, who played Vanessa Abrams, was 22 when she accepted the role in Gossip Girl. Her character, Vanessa, was 16 at the start of the series.

Kaylee DeFer: 25 years old

Ivy Dickens: 21 years old

Kaylee DeFer, who played Ivy Dickens, was 25 when she started filming Gossip Girl. Her character, Ivy, was 21.

Ed Westwick: 20 years old

Chuck Bass: 16 years old

Ed Westwick, who played Chuck Bass, was 20 when he first appeared as Chuck in Gossip Girl. His character, Chuck, was the same age (16) as Serena, Blair, Dan and Nate in the first season.

Leighton Meester: 21 years old

Blair Waldorf: 16 years old

Leighton Meester, who played Blair Waldorf, was 21 while filming the pilot episode of Gossip Girl. Her character, Blair, was 16 at the start of the series.