How the Grinch Stole Christmas is an absolute holiday classic for the millennial generation. You might even consider it one of the best Christmas comedy must-sees. But Taylor Momsen looks back at her time in the Dr. Seuss adaption and recalls kids teasing her because of the role.
Momsen was only seven years old when her breakout in acting started with How the Grinch Stole Christmas. She played adorable Whoville resident Cindy Lou Who, who gave The Grinch a chance when no one else would. While Momsen managed to land on every silver screen in November 2000, she learned the harshness of child star fame. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the now 30-year-old spoke on the latest episode of the podcast Podcrushed of all of the teasing she endured playing Cindy Lou.
“The Grinch changed my life in a multitude of ways — one of them being I was made fun of relentlessly,” said Momsen. “Every time I would start a new school or go somewhere else, I don’t even think the kids knew my name. I was just Grinch Girl. Not even the character name [Cindy Lou Who], just Grinch Girl.”
While Taylor Momsen was starting to adjust to taunts by her classmates, the experience was still “alienating” to her. Fortunately, things got better for her once she started middle school when moving around for her career stopped. She made a whole new friend group getting firsthand musical experience doing jam sessions with a garage band.
What is Taylor Momsen Doing Now?
After Taylor Momsen starred as Jenny Humphrey in The CW’s Gossip Girl for four seasons, she retired from acting. Her heart went back to her music roots as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of The Pretty Reckless. This hard rock band has released four albums, including 2021’s Death by Rock and Roll.
While Taylor Momsen followed her new dream as a singer, it doesn’t mean she never thinks about The Grinch anymore. In a Today Show interview back in 2020, Momsen spoke of how she felt about The Grinch two decades later.
“I think that people love The Grinch just simply because the core of the story is so sweet and it’s so heartwarming and it has such a good message,” said the former child star. “Aside from how amazing Jim Carrey’s performance is and the theatrics that went into the shoot, just the way the film looks and moves and is edited is amazing in its own right.”
It’s a comfort to know Taylor Momsen has happy memories of her time in Whoville. The kids who made fun of her may have been jealous of starring in a big movie with Jim Carrey, but this singer-songwriter continues to shine as a rock star today. Now, I just need her to do an acoustic rock rendition of Where Are You, Christmas.
