| LEIGHTON MEESTER - 'Monte Carlo' Q&A. |
| Written by SUPPLIED | ||||
| Monday, 10 October 2011 17:56 | ||||
LEIGHTON MEESTER, 24, is best known for her role as socialite Blair Waldorf in 'Gossip Girl'. She’s also appeared in a number of feature films including 'Date Night', and is also known for her musical and modeling work. Leighton is petite and chic in white shorts and a navy striped Breton top. During a break between scenes shooting 'MONTE CARLO' she told us about her character and the film. Q. You play Meg, Grace’s stepsister. What’s that character like? A. Meg starts off very differently from the way she ends up. She’s kind of a dork, and she’s a little bit uptight. She recently lost her mother, which is a really difficult thing to go through and Meg’s finding it hard. Meg only goes on trip because her father pretty much forces her to. He has a new wife and he wants her out of the house! She’s not happy that Grace, played by Selena, is her new stepsister - it feels like she’s not ready for her family to move on yet. When Meg goes off to Europe with Grace and Emma, she keeps running into this guy who changes her views about a lot of things. He tells her that she should be more adventurous and eventually brings that side out of her. Meg grows up, and grows closer to Grace and Emma - so her story is about friendship as well as romance. Q. Could you relate to her? A. Definitely! I hope I’m able to be a little more adventurous than she is at the start, but at least she’s willing and she has the potential inside her. Meg is a very practical character, and I’m totally impractical, but I admire that about her. Q. What was the hardest scene to film? A. Honestly, the only hard part has been the long days and the early starts. Everything else has been fun. When we were in Paris we had to start filming at 3AM so we could shoot on the Eiffel Tower when no one else was there. So although getting up that day was hard, having the whole of the Eiffel Tower to ourselves was an incredible experience! We also got to be in the Louvre by ourselves, which was amazing.
Q. Have you had any especially funny or embarassing moments during filming? A. There’s a scene where I’m driving a moped, and - this is going to sound so spoiled - but I found it really tough. It was not easy for me to wield that thing. I want to look graceful, but I’m crashing around, terrified I’m going to fall off! Sometimes it’s funny doing scenes when Selena is playing Cordelia. We bring in the special effects guy and do a Grace scene, then do exactly the same scene with Cordelia - it feels like spooky deja vu! Q. Had you visited France before? A. I’d never been to Monte Carlo before. It’s like paradise. It’s not like the real world - it’s incredibly beautiful. I love Paris but I’d never been up the Eiffel Tower, so it was an incredible privelage to work up there. It was like being a tourist but way better! Q. Have you had any time to go shopping? A. Walking down the street here is like walking through a fashion magazine! It’s tricky to make the time, but I have gone to Gucci. I bought a really cute little purse, and a sweater from Celine as well. I’ve got some great souvenirs from this trip! Q. Meg doesn’t get on with Grace and Emma straight away. How long did it take you to get to know Selena and Katie? A. Those two girls have been awesome. It’s been wonderful working with them. I knew Katie a little before, and she’s coming on Gossip Girl, which I’m so excited about. Because we’ve seen each other every day, we’ve become like a family. I think it says a lot if you can see the same people all the time and not get sick of them. I feel very protective of them both, and I think they feel the same about me.
Q. Is there any romantic gossip from the set? A. There are some very, very cute boys in this movie, but as far as I know there isn’t any gossip. I’m really pleased with how they got cast - cute and talented is a great combination. I like them all. Q. Are they cuter than the guys in Gossip Girl? A. Those boys are like my family! I’ve worked with them for years and they’re my best friends - I don’t think I could objectively comment on how cute they are. Q. Who will you stay in touch with when the film is finished? A. I hope I’ll stay in touch with everyone. I’ll be seeing Katie on the show, and I really bonded with Selena so I really want to see her again. Tom, the director has been great. He’s got a really cool perspective, and working with him has been a pleasure so I hope I get to do that again.
Q. How do Meg’s outfits compare to those of the other characters you’ve played? A. Honestly, I don’t think it matters if a character has high end or low end clothes as long as you feel like they’re definitely a part of that character’s wardrobe. In the film we’re all whisked away to Monte Carlo by accident, and we don’t get to bring many clothes with us. I’m in the same outfit for most of the film. There’s a fabulous gown I get to wear at the end. It’s beautiful, but it’s couture and really heavy. When we started filming the scene, I was so excited to wear it, but by the end my body was aching so much I would have been happy never to see it again! 'Monte Carlo' is released in New Zealand cinemas on October 13th! Click HERE to watch the trailer for 'Monte Carlo'. |
