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'Gossip Girl's' Taylor Momsen: 'Acting was very much a job for me'
While "Gossip Girl" finished out its fourth season without Little J, Taylor Momsen has been keeping busy working on her true passion -- music. The Pretty Reckless frontwoman recently released the band's debut album, "Light Me Up" to rave reviews in the U.S., while they already have a strong following overseas. Having just wrapped their first headlining tour, Zap2it spoke with Momsen about her exit from the hit CW show and whether or not she'd ever return to acting.
"I don't know," she says of a possible return to "GG." "I'm really happy to be on the road and to be able to tour and play. I mean, that's what I want to do with my life. So, I'm definitely in a good spot right now and I'm really happy about being able to do that... No plans for it at the moment, but who knows."
While she's undoubtedly talented in both fields, Momsen suggests -- as she has many other times -- that a career as a child actor wasn't her choice to make. Just shy of 18-years-old, the starlet isn't convinced that she'll ever return to acting.
"Music was this thing that I chose, and I chose that at a young age," she says. "Acting was very much a job for me and it became even more so as I got older and older. I enjoy it fine, but I don't really miss it right now. I don't know if I'll go back to it ever... I'm not gonna say that I'm not, but I don't know if I will.
"I know that I'll be making records for the rest of my life. Whether they'll be put out or not, who knows, but I won't stop writing," she adds. "I wouldn't know what to do with myself. It very much defines who I am to me and the people around me, but I'm sure it's still kind of new to the rest of the world."
While fans and pundits alike have been critical of Jenny Humphrey's exit from the show, Momsen has remained close with a few of her co-stars, and admits that she's found support in the "GG" fanbase, as well.
"I love Kelly," she says of on-screen step mother, Kelly Rutherford. "Kelly and Connor [Paolo, Eric van der Woodsen] have come to bunch of shows. I love both of them, they're very supportive."
Adding, "There definitely are [Pretty Reckless] fans who were fans of the show first... but now they're die hard fans of the band, not just because I was on 'Gossip Girl.' And then there's people that I'm sure looked it up and were like 'Yeah, f*** that.'"
As for her exit from the show, we asked Momsen if she was happy creatively with the way her character said goodbye.
"Yeah, I mean sure," she says. "I didn't have any say over storylines. I don't know if anyone else did, but I certainly didn't. You show up and you do what the script says. I don't have any creative say. So yeah, it's cool. And I'm happy to be off and able to tour."
The band is preparing to embark on a worldwide summer festival circuit, but Momsen promises a big announcement in the fall regarding what sounds like a potential stateside tour.
If you haven't heard The Pretty Reckless' music yet, check out one of our favorite tracks from the album, below.
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Photo/Video credit: The Pretty Reckless
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While I'm not happy that Taylor left Gossip Girl, I understand why. She's an extraordinarily talented musician and staying on the show would just waste that gift. I only checked The Pretty Reckless out because of her and now I'm a huge fan. Not because of Gossip Girl but because their music is just phenomenal. I was always a bigger Leighton Meester fan but you wont find me buying her album.
Taylor Momsen will soon realize people only recognize her because of her work on Gossip Girl. She should take some pointers from Aly Michalka who I am a total fan of. She acts and sings and manages to incorporate her music into acting. Taylor Momsen is still young and not to mention very confused. Her parents should have a more prominent role in her life considering how they allow her to live the house in lingerie.
Ur happy ur off...JOIN THE CLUB!!!
Ur glad 2 b off? JOIN THE CLUB!!!
I am very glad there will be no more Jenny on GG! I hated her character on the show! :)
The world and every actor in it is happy to see you go, Courtney Love.
Wow, she wasn't saying that a few years ago. What a fake.
God, this girl's parents should be in jail. Either that, or she should be getting her head shrunk.