Taylor Momsen

American actress Taylor Momsen has been in front of the camera since the age of three. During her years in show business, she made a name for herself with appearances in How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Spy Kids 2. Her most current role is on the popular series Gossip Girl.

Taylor Michel Momsen was born July 26, 1993 in St. Louis, Missouri. Her parents are Collette Momsen and Michael Momsen. Along with her younger sister, fellow actress Sloane Momsen, the family relocated to Potomac, Maryland.

Starting out like so many child actors, Momsen earned her first roles in commercials. Within this arena, she is most noted for her work on the nationally aired Shake ‘N’ Bake ad.

By 1999, she landed her first role on the big screen. Playing a small part in the thriller The Prophet’s Game, Momsen rubbed elbows with Hollywood great Dennis Hopper as well as Stephanie Zimbalist and Robert Yocum.

Not having to wait long for her breakout role, she was cast as the lovable and innocent Cindy Lou Who in Ron Howard’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000). Although she was only seven, Momsen held her own with costars Jim Carrey, Jeffrey Tambor, Christine Baranski, and Molly Shannon.

Among another all star cast, Momsen took a role in We Were Soldiers in 2002. The leads included Mel Gibson, Madeleine Stowe, Greg Kinnear, Sam Elliott, Chris Klein, and Keri Russell.

2002 shaped up to be a big year for Momsen as she also landed the role of Alexandra in Robert Rodriguez’s Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams with Antonio Banderas, Carla Gugino, Alexa Vega, Daryl Sabara, Steve Buscemi, Alan Cumming, and others.

She also played the lead in Hansel & Gretel with Jacob Smith and Dakota Fanning.

Others may recognize her for her work in Saving Shiloh as well as Gus Van Sant’s drama Paranoid Park.

Returning to her preteen demographic, Momsen also appeared in the universally panned film Underdog with Jason Lee providing the voice work and leads portrayed by Peter Dinklage, James Belushi, and Patrick Warburton.

Currently, she can be seen on the new acclaimed series Gossip Girl with Leighton Meester, Penn Badgley, Chace Crawford, and Kristen Bell.

She is currently filming Doubting Thomas. Starring Forrest Landis and Lea Thompson, the film is set for a 2008 release.

Projects that never reached the public include her work on the 2006 series Misconceptions. The series was filmed but never actually aired.