Leighton Meester: ‘I stepped into the hardest job in the world: being a mom’

leightonmeestershape
I enjoy seeing Leighton Meester because she lays so low most of the time. She’s had a music career along with her acting career but she doesn’t seem like much of a hustler. Leighton is covering Shape Magazine and they did something to her face or maybe it’s her makeup because she just doesn’t look like herself. She looks a little like Rose Byrne, right? Leighton discussed being a mom, she has a three-year-old daughter with Adam Brody named Arlo Day, her favorite workout, which is surfing, and the fact that she finds balance impossible as a working mom and she doesn’t even strive for it. Leighton is on the ABC sitcom Single Parents and since I get all my TV and movie advice from Pajiba, I’m skipping this one.

On being a mom
I feel that I am really lucky, and yet, still, I stepped into the hardest job in the world: being a mom. One thing I have come to learn as a parent is that you have to step back and let your child struggle a little—let them fall down at the playground. It’s the way they’re going to learn.

She loves surfing and does it for exercise
For the last six months, surfing has pretty much been my main form of exercise. I have found that when I don’t have a physical result in mind when I’m exercising—it’s not just about getting sore or getting abs or burning fat—I feel much more confident. I’m working on a skill, and that is so fulfilling to me. Plus, being in the ocean is such a spiritual experience that you forget you’re getting a real workout.

She doesn’t “believe in balance”
I just don’t believe in balance. I think that’s not possible if you’re a working mother—and with single mothers, I can­not even imagine that. I love playing Angie because we discuss how hard the struggle is to feel like you are enough. Some days my husband makes dinner, and some days I do. Other days, I’m too tired, and I eat a bowl of cereal for dinner. It’s just the thing we do to make it work.

[From Shape via Just Jared]

She also talked about her diet, she eats a lot of salads and has green smoothies for breakfast, and said that she follows the 60/40 or 70/30 rule where she tries to eat right most of the time but lets herself have treats. She eats healthy up until around dinner time and she loves mint fudge cookies.

I don’t know if being a mom is the hardest job in the world, I hope she was using hyperbole, but I can relate to having to step back and let your child learn life lessons. When they’re three it’s not the easiest or most ideal time to do that though. If they’re about to fall down and scrape their knee you may as well catch them at that age, you know?

What did she do to her hair here?
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Embed from Getty Images

Photos credit: WENN, Backgrid, Getty and Shape

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27 Responses to “Leighton Meester: ‘I stepped into the hardest job in the world: being a mom’”

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  1. Erinn says:

    I really really like this woman. She had such a nightmare of a childhood and mother… and she’s climbed so far and done so well for herself while still taking it upon herself to make sure her brother was being cared for. I wish her all the best.

    • Lee says:

      I like her a lot too! I think she is sadly underrated!
      Also, I don’t think she did anything to her face, she doesn’t need it, it is a bad case of photoshop imho.

    • Kitten says:

      So much love for her. She also has the most incredible skin! Beautiful woman and surprisingly grounded.

      • SM says:

        I also find her very beautiful. And she was the best thing to come out of Gossip Girl, not the tranquilized horse Blake Lively. But I guess being so extra like Lively gets you a more visible career that just showing up for work.

  2. OriginalLala says:

    I also generally follow the 70/30 idea – breakfast is a big smoothie (always with a veggie base of either greens, beets or carrots), lunch is some kind of salad or soup and then dinner is more loose, but always meat and dairy free. Eating this way has really helped my energy, digestion, and my skin

  3. msn says:

    I’m in the midst of a Gossip Girls rewatch and honestly, her Blair is still a great character, I’m on S4 and it’s clear the writers on that show had by then figured out her strengths as an actor and she’s such a delight…also clear that the writers ranked Blake Lively and Chace Crawford as lightweights -and rightly so, also the actor who played Rufus lol so terrible all the time.
    In the episode I just watched, Blair quit W magazine after exposing Serena and her convict boyfriend, and I am currently living for Lily Van Der Woodsen’s jewellery xoxo

    • Miles says:

      The writers of gossip girl had no idea what they were doing with any of the characters or stories, which is why after season 2, that show is all down hill and all the characters have become awful people 🤷🏻‍♀️

    • jensays says:

      I recently rewatched the show as well and i came away hating Serena, Dan, Jenny, Lilly … additionally, the actors who portrayed them aren’t that strong. I think there is a reason why Blair makes the top spot in fan favorite lists consistently – and its because the actor who portrayed her was really good in that role. I realize that at the end of the day, it’s a CW show and supposed to be scandalous, have multiple love triangles going on at once…etc., but I really feel that Leighton is the only one who brought any real depth or range to her role. It could have to do a lot with the writing as well (I agree that after season 2 it really got sooooo bad!) – but with that said, I hope to see Leighton act in more things.

      • Janey says:

        agreed, she was seriously the best thing about that show. apart from Lily Van der Woodsen’s wardrobe and jewelry

  4. Ai says:

    I also love Leighton and hopes she gets interesting film and TV roles in the future too because she was the only reason I watched GG and managed to the end was only for Blair’s storyline.

  5. manda says:

    I think she looks very different from the gossip girl era, and I can’t put my finger on what it is. Different eyebrow style? Maybe lost some weight? Maybe it’s just because she’s about ten years older? She looks different in this new show

  6. Bryn says:

    I get what she’s saying, being a mom is hard…I don’t find it physically hard, but preparing a human for the world is very tough, trying to make sure they turn out kind and to be decent people.

    • Lee says:

      I found her words refreshing, she admits she struggles to balance, which is relatable and humble of her. I’m tired of most of her colleagues acting like they are some kind of wonder women who do it all, pretending not to have a team of nannies around.

  7. Lucy says:

    Love her and love the fact that she’s married to Adam. They’re lovely together. Blair + Seth Forever!!

  8. mtam says:

    Being a parent is a 24/7 job for most of your life, even if you are not always physically there for your kids. And specially if you are a mom, given the impossible expectations we subject them to. I don’t have kids, and don’t ever plan to become a parent, but in my opinion it is the hardest, most high-stakes “job” you can do.

  9. Originaltessa says:

    If you had a gun to my head and asked me to identify the actress on that cover, Leighton would have been my fifth or sixth guess… She looks different…

    Btw, I would have said Rose Byrne

    • Kitten says:

      She does look very different but honestly, I think it’s just her makeup. If you watched GG then you might be used to her seeing her in that very distinct styling which included a lot of dramatic makeup. Outside of that show, she looks REALLY different–she tends to favor minimalist makeup and simple, sometimes-messy hair. She’s a gorgeous women either way. And so is Rose Byrne, for that matter.

  10. Kate says:

    Re letting your kid struggle – my daughter’s school encouraged this a little in terms of like, let them struggle with their zipper for a bit or to pull on their pants instead of swooping in to do it for them. And I let my littlest one (~ 2 years) go down the slide without assistance and he almost always tips over at the bottom and I stand right there in case he gets upset or needs to wipe his hands off but I consciously refrain from rushing to pick him up or always catching him at the bottom. Just so he can safely start to learn his own bodily boundaries and that I’m here but also he can handle it too. I think this type of thing is what she’s getting at.

  11. Caroline says:

    Single Parents is pretty funny and she’s great on it. Don’t watch if you want Blair 2.0, because she’s not remotely like that character.

    It was created by JJ Philbin (married to my tv show runner hero/fantasy boyfriend Mike Schur of The Good Place, Brooklyn 99, Parks n Rec, The Office) and Liz Merriweather (New Girl).

    It takes a few episodes for them to find their groove but I swear it’s cute.

    • osito says:

      Yep, I will co-sign this! My husband and I have been watching it, and it’s starting to get really funny. The first episodes are…cute…but you could tell everyone was still figuring out what the balance would be, but as the season progressed it gets a lot stronger, humor-wise.

    • Pix says:

      I love this show! It’s such an unlikely charmer. The cast is so offbeat and the storylines are pretty hilarious. It’s a keeper – i hope! Plus, LOVE her.

  12. Keaton says:

    I love Leighton. Such a talented, underrated actress. But damn Holy Photoshop. That doesn’t even look like her!

  13. Franklymydear... says:

    I never watched GG but I love Single Parents. She’s funny and the cast is solid.

  14. Betsy says:

    I love Leighton. She’s on my list with Celine Dion and Dolly Parton as hard working, entertaining and talented people.