Taylor Momsen Biography

Actor

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Taylor Momsen began playing Jenny Humphrey, the crafty and social-climbing young blonde on the prime-time soap opera Gossip Girl, in 2007. Momsen got her start in the movies at age 7, when she landed the plum role of Cindy Lou Who in the live-action feature How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000, with Jim Carrey as the Grinch). That led to kid roles in films like Spy Kids 2 (2002), Saving Shiloh (2006) and Underdog (2007), and a darker role in the Gus Van Sant skateboard film Paranoid Park (2007). Her career really took off when she landed her Gossip Girl role as the not-as-rich, not-as-popular girl who wants desperately to rule the "in" crowd. Momsen also founded her own rock band, The Pretty Reckless, in 2009; she sings and plays guitar.

Extra credit: Gossip Girl was based on the book series by the same title, written by Cecily von Ziegesar... Momsen's younger sister, Sloane Momsen, appeared with her in the 2000 Vietnam War film We Were Soldiers; they played the daughters of Mel Gibson's character, Lt. Col. Moore... Another star of Gossip Girl is Leighton Meester.