Hiatus Homework: Catch the Gossip Girl Stars on the Big Screen

Gossip Girl is gone (on a long, long hiatus) — but not forgotten, if you’re a good little fan. Catch up with the cast’s extracurricular activities so that when January 24 rolls around you’ll still be able to tell Blake from Leighton.

Blake Lively
Here’s a fun game to play with Blake Lively (Serena)’s film career: Which Co-star’s Marriage Did Blake Break Up? Rumors have swirled that Ben Affleck was more than just Blake’s director and on-screen love interest while filming The Town. Ben, who is married to Jennifer Garner, and Blake have both denied it. She also denies having anything to do with Green Lantern co-star Ryan Reynolds’s split from wife Scarlett Johanssen. We believe her, because a) she usually seems like a class act, and b) she’s supposedly dating non-co-star, non-married Ryan Gosling. No matter what, you should catch The Town, because it’s pretty awesome.

Leighton Meester
Of all the Gossip Girl cast, Leighton Meester (Blair) is the Upper East Side-iest. That’s probably why she decided to do a film that gets as far from the UES as possible: Country Strong, a flick set in the world of country music. Will people accept L as a twangy crooner? Hey, if her co-star Gwyneth Paltrow can pull it off, why not Leighton? Catch Country Strong in theaters on January 7. If you need a Leighton fix before then, watch the hilarious rom-com Going the Distance — Leighton makes the briefest of appearances in the first five minutes.

Chace Crawford
Poor Chace Crawford (Nate). The Gossip Girl cast have been in their share of stinky movies, but Chace’s last film, Twelve, became an instant classic of terrible cinema. Concentrate, Chace! Use the power of the diagonal bangs to ensure that your next film, Peace, Love, and Misunderstanding, is less notorious. If you want to ogle Crawford in Twelve, watch it on DVD today.

Penn Badgley
While everyone else scrambles for stardom, Penn Badgley (Dan) seems to be keeping his head down, carefully picking his new roles. His choosiness must be paying off: Easy A, which is now out on DVD, was awesome, and if he’s lucky, the financial crisis film Margin Call will be 2011’s zeitgeisty Social Network. Want more Penn? Rent The Stepfather and John Tucker Must Die.

Ed Westwick
Why isn’t Ed Westwick (Chuck) in any movies? We don’t know much about his one upcoming IMDb credit, Chalet Girl, except that the name is dumb and Sophia Bush is in it. We don’t have high hopes. While you’re waiting with baited breath for that gem of a film to premiere, catch Ed on DVD in Son of Rambow (2007) and Children of Men (2006).

Jessica Szohr
Jessica Szohr (Vanessa) has a string of little indies coming up: Hirokin, Wanted Dead, and Art Machine. But honestly, we’re more interested in whether she ends up getting eaten in the inevitable sequel to Piranha 3D.

Related Links:

Penn Badgley at the L.A. Premiere of ‘Easy A’
Blake Lively Premieres ‘The Town’ in Boston
GG Stars Attend the Premiere of ‘Twelve’ on July 28, 2010
Leighton Meester: Beverly Hills Premiere of ‘Country Strong’