Taylor Momsen is widely recognized for her roles as Cindy Lou Who in How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Jenny Humphrey in Gossip Girl, but did you know she grew up in Potomac? She attended Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School in Bethesda for her elementary education and later moved on to Hoover Middle School.
Momsen’s career began at the age of four when she was cast in her first national commercial, followed by her debut in a major film, The Prophet’s Game, alongside Dennis Hopper. In 2002, she portrayed Gretel in Hansel and Gretel and played Alexandra, the President’s daughter, in Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams. After a brief hiatus from major roles, she was cast as the lead in a WB series called Misconceptions, which unfortunately never aired.
She was one of the final contenders for the title role in Hannah Montana, a part that ultimately went to Miley Cyrus. During this time, she also appeared in the Disney film Underdog and the movie Paranoid Park, all while attending Hoover Middle School.
Momsen’s journey as a child star wasn’t without its challenges. In a recent interview with Variety, she reflected, “’The Grinch’ changed my life in many ways — one of which was that I faced relentless teasing. Whenever I started at a new school or moved to a different place, the kids hardly knew my name. I was simply referred to as Grinch Girl. Not even by my character’s name, Cindy Lou Who, but just Grinch Girl.”
She spent four seasons on Gossip Girl before stepping away from acting to concentrate on her music career. She founded the band The Pretty Reckless, where she serves as the lead singer. The band has seen success on the Billboard charts and remains the primary focus of Momsen’s career today.
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