Chace Crawford was 21 years old living with costar Ed Westwick in New York City while filming Gossip Girl — and he’s fully aware that is blowing fans’ minds.
“We lived in this little apartment,” Crawford, 38, recalled during his “Call Her Daddy” podcast appearance on Wednesday, June 12. “They call it, like, a junior one [bedroom] where there was, like, a real bedroom and then there was, like, an office you could put in a closed wall, and I was like, ‘We’ll just switch, and I’ll pay a little bit more.’ Of course, we never switched.”
While filming Gossip Girl in NYC — Crawford played Nate Archibald on all six seasons from 2007 to 2012 — the actors hosted their fair share of wild parties, and some celebrities showed up. The Chainsmokers, Lindsay Lohan and Sam Ronson — a sign of the times — were all name-dropped as guests.
The duo had “a roof deck” on top of their apartment building and would always “invite a bunch of people” to party with “a Bose speaker” and “big bottle of vodka.” Crawford admitted there was “not much” of a difference between his real-life parties and the ones his character hosted on Gossip Girl.
‘Gossip Girl’ Cast: Where Are They Now?
“Except the money involved,” he continued. “We didn’t put much money behind ours.”
Keep scrolling to read the biggest revelations from Crawford’s “Call Her Daddy” interview:
Crawford Auditioned for ‘Friday Night Lights’
The actor grew up in Texas, so when the opportunity to play Jason Street came along, Crawford jumped at the chance.
“I auditioned for that show and didn’t get the quarterback. Was devastated at the time,” he said, later referring to Taylor Kitsch, who played Tim Riggins, “a buddy.”
Getting Cast as Nate Archibald
Crawford knew throughout the entire Gossip Girl audition process that he was up for the role of Nate. He read with a few different actresses stepping in for Blair Waldorf before coming face-to-face with Leighton Meester.
“I got to this big conference room and there was this one girl sitting with her back turned. I walked all around, I was like, ‘Hi, nice to meet you,’ and Leighton turned around. Before she even said [anything] I’m like, ‘She’s, like, so perfect,’” he said. “She had the headband on in the audition, she flipped around and I’m like, ‘I think I’m in love with you.’”
New York City in His 20s — With Ed Westwick
Living with Westwick seemed to be a lot for Crawford.
“Ed’s room was like, there was a lunch pail with overflowing cigarettes. I mean, you thought, like, The Joker lived there. It was insane,” Crawford recalled. “I’m not even kidding. I shouldn’t be calling him out like this, but I love him to death.”
‘Gossip Girl’ Cast’s Dating History: On Set Romances, Crossover Marriages
The Chainsmokers member Alex Pall was Crawford and Westwick’s neighbor at the time, and at 3:00 a.m., they’d be at his apartment.
“It got a little out of hand, but the doormen loved us, and they would kind of let us do anything,” he recalled. One night, the doorman called Crawford because there was “commotion” at the front of the building, which turned out to be Lohan and Ronson. “It’s very 2000s. … Of course, they came up and it was great.”
Yes, He’s Hooked Up With a Costar
Crawford admitted that hooking up with a costar is “inevitable,” except he wouldn’t reveal who his fling was with. “The danger is if you connect right away, with [a] sense of humor, at least for me,” he said.
Life After ‘Gossip Girl’
Once Gossip Girl came to an end, Crawford said he went into a “major depression” and experienced an “identity crisis.”
“It was a weird thing. It didn’t last very long, but it was a few months of a daunting thing of auditions now,” the actor explained. “You’re put in a box a little bit. You’re the guy that a CW show, who looks a certain way.”
While the Gossip Girl cast went their separate ways after the show, Crawford said they still keep in touch.
Updates on His Dating Life
Crawford compared his love life to “a dumpster fire,” revealing that he joined the Raya dating app but hasn’t engaged too much just yet.
“I had a few drinks one night and I’m like, ‘I’m doing it,’ and I just did it,” he said. “This is great.”
Lil Nas X: I Stopped Using Raya Because I Don’t Like Dating Famous People
Crawford admitted he has “no expectations” at the moment. “I don’t even know, really, what I want,” he added. “It’s just like another avenue to maybe meet somebody.”
As for what he’s looking for in a partner, Crawford said he’s “a closet reader and kind of a nerd” who’s into having an “in-depth conversation” on a date. “Sense of humor is kind of a big one for me,” he said, joking that having “a neck tat” is a dealbreaker.
Going Through a Partner’s Phone
While going through a partner’s phone is not something Crawford has done, it has happened to him.
“I’m almost, like, too trusting of people,” he admitted. “Somebody [did] go through my phone once. … I woke up in the middle of the night to them freaking out.”
Crawford made it clear he was not cheating but did “feel violated.” He stayed with that partner for “another year and a half” and went to couples therapy before their relationship ended.
The Penis Story From ‘The Boys’ Promo
In 2019, a promo photo for The Boys featured an NSFW image of Crawford as his character, The Deep, that left nothing to the imagination.
“This calendar came out of me and the character and there was this massive rocket in the suit. They made this calendar, and it was really funny and very in character too, but no one knew it’s the satire of a show,” he said, revealing that his character was initially supposed to have “a massive erection” for most of his scenes. It was eventually edited out of the show.
“It kind of looks real,” Crawford said. “I mean, it looks very real. You’d never think it would be, like, a fake boner calendar.”
