Burgeoning star Whitney Peak talks Gossip Girl reboot and becoming a Chanel brand ambassador

Whitney Peak, star of HBO Max’s Gossip Girl reboot, looked dazzling as she graced the front of a special digital cover of ELLE’s July 2021 issue.

The up-and-coming actress, who has recently become an ambassador for Chanel, was glowing in a close-up shot wearing the brand’s earrings and black fur jacket.

The stunner, 18, spoke in the issue about the wild nature of her life as she described her current lifestyle as ‘absurd’ having moved from Canada to New York in 2020, and lived by herself for the first time in her life. 

In the shoot, Whitney kept her raven hair slicked back and her subtle eye-shadow, contour and baby pink lipstick contributed to her standout look.

She spoke in the chat about how life is going for her at the moment and how her big move from Canada to the Big Apple is working out. 

She said: ‘Living in New York as an 18-year-old is definitely crazy, especially at this time. I’m meeting people I’ve watched on TV for years, and getting to be a fly on the wall in rooms where important conversations are happening’.

When asked about becoming an ambassador for Chanel, Whitney admitted: ‘It hits me pretty much daily that this is an absurd life that I’m living.’

Whitney plays Zoya, the ‘new kid in town’ in the reboot of Gossip Girl, but growing up she was convinced she would become a doctor. 

The Ugandan-born star, who was an avid watcher of Disney Channel shows like That’s So Raven, said: ‘I didn’t think acting was a thing that people could just do…

‘I always thought I was very far away from that world. And that watching was the closest I could get to being a part of it.’

She also proved she had a wise head on her shoulders when broaching the topic of gossip and social media.

‘What I’m learning now is you can’t really share everything you think. Being a child in the industry doesn’t really allow for changing your mind or making mistakes. 

So if I said something, and then later felt like I had outgrown what I said, social media makes it very hard,’ she admitted.

Whitney may have embraced a classic ‘feminine’ look for her shoot, but she revealed that she has experimented with fashion from a young age. 

‘Growing up, I would borrow my brother’s clothes, and my mom—being the religious woman she is—would be like, ‘Oh no. Wear more feminine stuff.’ And now I do love to dress up and go out with my friends and play into my feminine side.’

She added: ‘If I want to put on a pair of Calvin Klein boxers, I’m going to put on a pair of Calvin Klein boxers, and sag my pants. Men’s clothes are cool; women’s clothes are cool. They’re just clothes.’

Working on one of the most famous shows in recent history, the Chanel ambassador, who is still in school, shared a funny anecdote relating to the original Gossip Girl.

‘I have an amazing virtual set teacher whose name, funny enough, is Nathaniel Archibald [the name of an original character]. When I was interviewing teachers, I was like, ‘I can’t not have a teacher named Nathaniel Archibald; that’s hilarious”, she recalled.

Whitney admitted that she initially felt nervous about the new iteration of the series but is now ready to showcase to viewers what she has been working hard on. 

She said: ‘[The original] Gossip Girl was how life was seen then. And this version is very much true to this time.

‘I’m excited for the show to air, and to see what this next chapter in my life is going to look like.’