Meet Whitney Peak, the new Gossip Girl reboot starlet

This just in: the infamous Upper East Side teens are making a comeback. Meet Whitney Peak, the new Gossip Girl starlet who is taking on the role of Zoya Lott in the reboot of the classic CW show. (Think of Zoya as the 2021 equivalent to Dan Humphries.)

You've already met the cast of the Gossip Girl reboot 2021, but if you want more on Lott, we'll give you an update on where you've seen the rising star before, dig into her background, and show you what she has in store for fans with this highly-anticipated role. XOXO.

• 'This just in'—the new Gossip Girl trailer has dropped

Who is Whitney Peak?

According to Elle, the up-and-coming actress was born in Uganda and grew up in Canada. Her next stop? Hollywood!

Before heading for New York City's most elite fictional Upper East Side clique, Peak took on a witchy role in The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, where she played Judith Blackwood. The 18-year-old also starred in the Apple TV+ thriller Home Before Dark, where she played Alpha Jessica.

Additionally, you'll probably recognize Whitney from appearances in Aaron Sorkin's Molly's Game and Campfire Kiss on the Hallmark Channel. Though she clearly has a knack for playing suspenseful characters, we have a feeling Peak's Gossip Girl role will be her most adventurous one yet. 

Her foray into the entertainment industry actually started as a scam, according to her 2020 sit-down with Interview. Around 13 years old, she went to what she believed to be an audition for the Disney Channel, only to find out it was a fraud. But after a bit of background acting, she began to land more prominent roles.

As well as acting, Peak has even modeled for Chanel. Her photographs have appeared in V Magazine's The Chanel Book alongside Lily-Rose Depp, Selma Blair, Jennie Kim, and Margot Robbie, among others. 

• We gave the iconic Serena van Der Woodson and Blair Waldorf outfits a 2021 upgrade

Gossip Girl 2021: What's the reboot about?

Cecily von Ziegesar's YA sensation-turned CW hit is about to get a whole new look. A diversified cast, and seemingly more intense and promiscuous affairs, await fans in the HBO Max reboot, which will premiere on Thursday, July 8th. 

This is Gen Z's take on the 2000's hit, which will now be impacted by social media (but of course). Whitney Peak, who plays Zoya—a newcomer to the group—certainly seems as if she's about to get in over-her-head with this circle of friends. Joining Peak for the reboot are Jordan Alexander, Eli Brown, Emily Alyn Lind, Thomas Doherty, Tavi Gevinson, Zion Moreno, Evan Mock, and Savannah Lee Smith.

But the good news for those who are nostalgic for the original: Kristin Bell will do the honors of narrating the new series, as she did in the O.G. show. Expect the same concept, but with some modifications. 

"It’s definitely going to be interesting and I don’t think it’s going to take away at all from the original show in all its glory," Peak told Interview. "It’s just going to be the same sort of world, eight years later."