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Serena van der Woodsen is a fictional character from the young adult novel series Gossip Girl written by Cecily von Ziegesar. Described as a rich and popular girl, Serena is featured on the blog of the novel series' mysterious "Gossip Girl" narrator. Originally intended as the book series' protagonist, she was given the supporting role in favor of Blair Waldorf, her friend and occasional competitor.

In the Gossip Girl television adaptation, the character is portrayed by Blake Lively.

Character outline

Serena is described as 5'10" tall, with blue eyes, blonde hair. Many of the girls at Constance Billard accuse her of using her wealth as a means to secure that everything goes her way. She is not incredibly academic, but is often told that she is not meeting her full potential. Her father runs the same Dutch shipping firm his great-great-grandfather created in the 1700s, and her mother, Lillian van der Woodsen, is a socialite. Her parents are on the boards of all major charities and art organizations in the city and live at luxurious 994 Fifth Avenue, a ritzy, white-gloved-doorman building directly across the street from the Met and Central Park. The van der Woodsens own half the top floor, and live in a fourteen room penthouse, with five bedrooms, three bathrooms, a ballroom-sized living room and staff quarters.

Plot overview

In the first novel of the series, Serena returns to Manhattan where she used to live and was the "It Girl" at the exclusive Constance Billard School for Girls. Before leaving she was best friends with Blair Waldorf and close to Nate Archibald. Upon returning, she interrupts a passionate moment between Blair and Nate, and becomes the target of Blair's hatred. During the series, Serena becomes briefly involved with Dan Humphrey and Blair's stepbrother Aaron Rose, but she also still wants Nate. At the end of the series, however, he is unable to choose between her and Blair, so he leaves and Serena stays in the city to continue her acting career.

Appearances in other media

In the television adaptation, Serena's background is changed to be the daughter of divorced parents, and she has a younger brother named Eric. She returns to Manhattan after Eric attempts suicide. The reason for Blair's hatred is changed to her having learned that a drunk Serena slept with Nate while he was Blair's boyfriend, and being angry at Serena for leaving without saying goodbye. Her relationship with Blair remains volatile, due to the later insecurities about her mother's seeming preference for Serena. During the television series, they alternate between cautious friendship and bitter rivals, making several attempts to humiliate one another during their off times. Serena's romance with Dan is expanded some, though they still end up broken up in the end. She is given a variety of other love interests, including an artist named Aaron Rose, Carter Baizen who found her father in Fiji and with whom she partied with in Europe for a spell, and Nate's married cousin congressman Tripp Vanderbilt. Her choices of college is changed to Brown University, but as in the book, she decides not to attend so that she can "figure out who she is." Instead of acting, she begins working as an assistant to a actress' publicist, then later as a member of Vanderbilt's staff.

Reception

Blake Lively has won two Teen Choice Awards for her performance as Serena van der Woodsen.

References

1. McAdam, C. "Chatter In Classes", Cecily von Ziegesar interview. SundayHeraldSalon.com. March 15, 2008. Retrieved on August 28, 2008

• Articles with topics of unclear notability from October 2009
• Gossip Girl characters
• Fictional socialites
• Fictional models
• Fictional Dutch-Americans
• Fictional actors
• Fictional characters from New York City