Chace Crawford

After his start performing in television movies and feature films, actor Chace Crawford landed his breakthrough role as one of the trend-setting stars of the popular teen series, "Gossip Girl" (The CW, 2007-13). As the Golden Boy of the show, Crawford was a popular topic of entertainment magazines and gossip blogs, while also becoming a fan favorite on the popular New York-based show.

Prior to his success on "Gossip Girl," the actor made his television debut in the Lifetime movie, "Long Lost Son" (2006), which he followed with an appearance in the supernatural thriller "The Covenant" (2006). From there, it was a quick jump to stardom thanks to "Gossip Girl," which opened doors to bigger projects, including appearing in the teen-centric crime drama, "Twelve" (2010). Though only on the public radar briefly before achieving fame, Crawford managed to become a big star in that short span and opened himself up to a wider array of film and television projects.

Christopher Chace Crawford was born on July 18, 1985 in Lubbock, TX to father Chris, a dermatologist, and mother Dana, a teacher. He had a younger sister named Candice, who studied broadcast journalism at University of Missouri-Columbia and competed in the 2008 Miss USA pageant as Miss Missouri. Not to be outdone in sibling rivalry, Crawford, himself, became a talented artist and top athlete, playing football and golf at Trinity Christian Academy, where he graduated in 2003.

To make ends meet, Crawford modeled on the side in Dallas, but while attending Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA, he bounced between advertising, business, and communications majors. His mother encouraged him to try acting during his sophomore year of college, and it was then that he finally found his true calling in performing arts. Crawford was signed by the first talent agent who interviewed him, turning what just became a new venture into a new chapter in his life. "A friend of a friend put me through to a commercial agent and they agreed to work with me," he said. "That got the ball rolling for me, and it all started to click for me in acting class."

In 2006, the blue-eyed actor made his television debut in the movie "Long Lost Son" (Lifetime), where he played a young man who was thought to be dead by his mother, but was actually kidnapped by his father. That same year, he appeared in "The Covenant," a supernatural thriller directed by Renny Harlin about four teens who battle dark magical forces. The cast included a group of up-and-coming young actors, including "Stop Loss" (2008) star Steven Strait, "Friday Night Lights" (NBC, 2006- ) hunk Taylor Kitsch and Crawford. The film made a surprising debut at the top of the box office list, turning its lead actors into overnight stars.

Crawford's star shone even brighter in 2007 when he got cast as Nate Archibald on "Gossip Girl," based on a best-selling book series by Cecily von Ziegesar about New York's Upper East Side teens and their exploits. The show, shot entirely on location in the Big Apple, enjoyed huge ratings success due to its seductive plotlines, high fashion costumes, and good looking cast. Some described "Gossip Girl" as a hybrid of the teen drama "The O.C." (Fox, 2003-07) mixed with the style and bravado of "Sex and the City" (HBO, 1998-2004). Playing Nate put Crawford in the center of the show's love triangle, torn between his longtime girlfriend Blair (Leighton Meester), and her best friend Serena (Blake Lively). The success of "Gossip Girl" put Crawford on the map, and also in the hearts of millions of teenage girls. At the peak of his fame, he rivaled actors Zac Efron and Shia LaBeouf - both of whom were 2007's other top heartthrobs - with his million dollar smile, chiseled body and perfectly coiffed hair.

Being in the spotlight, however, also made Crawford a favorite subject amongst tabloids and gossip bloggers, most notably when he dated 2005's "American Idol" (Fox, 2002- ) winner and country music darling Carrie Underwood in 2008. Fueled by rumors that he was in a gay relationship with 'N Sync singer J.C. Chasez because they spent so much time together, Crawford and Underwood reportedly broke up in April 2008 via text message, though they remained friends.

The extremely busy actor split his time between Los Angeles and New York City, where he shared an apartment with his "Gossip Girl" costar Ed Westwick. He also hoped to prove he was more than just a pretty boy by starring in the teen drama, "Loaded," a 2008 film where he played the younger brother of actor Jesse Metcalfe. "Loaded" never hit theaters, and Crawford's teen horror follow-up "The Haunting of Molly Hartley" (2009), was likewise released only on home DVD.