Leighton Meester, the former teen star, is set to make her debut appearance on Broadway next year. She will join a cast that already has a couple of stars attached to the project, in a revival of Steinbeck’s classic, Of Mice And Men.

Meester is the former star of the popular teen drama, Gossip Girl, and is looking to get more serious with her next role, hoping to make a name for herself as a more well-known actress. She will be starring in the Broadway production along with James Franco and Chris O’Dowd.

It is another big role for James Franco as well, who seems to be making headlines every time you turn around during the 2013 year. His most recent stunt occurred when he and his friend and fellow comedy actor Seth Rogen decided to spoof a recent music video of Kanye West’s.

In case anyone avoided reading the classic novel in high school, Of Mice and Men centers on George and Lenny, who is mentally challenged, and an unlikely friendship forms between the two characters who are bothmigrant workers. It takes place in California during the Great Depression.

In the production, Leighton Meester will play the wife of a rancher, who becomes a fascination for Lennie. As a result, she becomes something of a temptress, and becomes dangerous for the fates of George and Lenny during the plot.

In addition to her role in Gossip Girl, Meester has been seen in Country Strong, and is in production with the film God Only Knows, set to be released next year. She is also set to appear in the upcoming film Life Partners with her new fiancee Adam Brody, after their engagement was just announced less than a month ago.

A Broadway production of the novel has not been done in over 40 years, and the last time that it was seen on film was in 1992, with John Malkovich and Gary Sinise in the two main roles. Anna D. Shapiro, a Tony Award-winner, will be directing the production. Performances of the Broadway play will start in March at the Longacre Theater.

The upcoming role is a big step for Leighton Meester, as she is stepping up from her teen gossip role to a classic piece of literature that everyone is familiar with.

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