Taylor Momsen Stuns Fans With Beauty, 26 Years After ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’
Taylor Momsen has moved far away from her Hollywood roots and is fully focused on her music career. The former child actress, known for her breakout role as Cindy Lou Who in How the Grinch Stole Christmas, recently spoke about whether she plans to return to acting. At Steven Tyler’s seventh annual Jam for Janie Grammy viewing party on February 1, Momsen told PEOPLE that while she’s learned not to say never, acting is no longer a priority in her life.
“I’m good where I am. I’ll be touring with AC/DC,” she joked when asked if she might reprise old roles. Music, she said, is where she feels truly in control. “I don’t like being someone’s pawn. I like being in charge. I like writing the script. I like writing songs. That’s everything,” Momsen explained. For her, acting was a chapter from childhood, while music is her personal choice and passion.
Momsen began acting at just three years old, appearing in commercials and small roles. Her big break came in 2000 when she played Cindy Lou Who alongside Jim Carrey in How the Grinch Stole Christmas. She later appeared in films like Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams and Underdog, as well as the TV series Gossip Girl, where she played Jenny Humphrey from 2007 to 2010, returning briefly for the 2012 finale. Despite her early success, Momsen described child acting as an isolating experience, saying she faced bullying after Grinch.
“My whole life, I was in and out of school. I didn’t have friends. I was working constantly and didn’t have a real life,” she recalled in past interviews. Modeling also became part of her early career. Signed with Ford Models at two and later IMG Models, she became the face of brands like New Look and John Galliano fragrances, appearing in fashion magazines including Seventeen, FHM, and Maxim.
By her teens, Momsen was already carving out a path in music. At seven, she recorded Where Are You Christmas? for the Grinch soundtrack. In 2009, she formed the rock band The Pretty Reckless, taking the lead as singer and rhythm guitarist. Their debut album, Light Me Up, came out in 2010 and included songs featured in films and TV shows like Kick-Ass and Gossip Girl. Over the years, the band released multiple albums, including Going to Hell in 2014, Who You Selling For in 2016, and Death by Rock and Roll in 2021.
Momsen has achieved numerous milestones with The Pretty Reckless. She became the first female-fronted artist to reach number one on rock radio charts with multiple singles. Despite setbacks, including a bat bite during a 2024 performance in Spain, she continues to tour and release music. In 2025, she even released a digital Christmas EP, revisiting Where Are You Christmas? from her childhood role.
Momsen credits music for helping her through difficult times, including the deaths of close collaborators and idols like Chris Cornell and Kato Khandwala. “Music is where I can be me,” she said, adding that songwriting allows her to express herself in a way acting never did.
Today, Momsen remains one of the few child stars who successfully transitioned into an adult career on her own terms. She rarely revisits acting, instead embracing her identity as a musician and performer, shaping her own story.
It’s clear Taylor Momsen has no plans to return to acting, and her dedication to music is unwavering. Her journey shows that child stars can evolve and find fulfillment beyond Hollywood. What do you think about her shift from acting to music? Share your thoughts in the comments.