Minka Kelly has made a name for herself in her own right in Hollywood.
But it was her 2011 psychological thriller movie The Roommate that led her to be constantly compared to – and mistaken – for her lookalike co-star, Leighton Meester.
The duo, 44 and 39 respectively, starred in the film that was a box office hit alongside the likes of Cam Gigandet and Billy Zane.
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Not only were Kelly and Gossip Girl star Meester around the same age, but they both were around the same height, had dark hair and strikingly similar features.
Some fans might also agree that they had very similar style.
Some fans – and media outlets – even asked if they were twins!
According to CBS News, the pair actually met years before doing the film together while shooting Clearasil commercials back in 2003.
Kelly, who is now back in the spotlight again thanks to the Netflix show Ransom Canyon, reportedly said it was a “no brainer” for the pair to team up together for The Roommate.
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In the film, Meester stars as the villainous Rebecca who becomes obsessed with her roommate Sara Matthews (Kelly) – and soon things take a turn for the worse.
During filming, the pair became best friends.
“It’s crazy that we were able to become such close friends during filming, considering Leighton’s character in the movie is mentally deranged and at times and scared the hell out of me,” Kelly said at an event for Nylon magazine back in 2011, according to US Today.
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Meester sung Kelly’s praises, reportedly calling her co-star “so beautiful, incredibly talented, giving, and kind”.
Around the time, Meester was forging a solo music career as well as pursuing acting projects.
Minka Kelly’s life on screen
Kelly, who has appeared in films including Just Go With it and shows including Parenthood and Euphoria, is best known the drama series Friday Night Lights.
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She starred as Lyla Garrity in the hit series from 2006 to 2009, which was her breakout role and around the height of her fame.
The show put Kelly on the map and made her a household name in the US.
She also dated co-star Taylor Kitsch after meeting on set.
In 2019, she said she was “forever grateful” for the show that “changed my life”.
“I was living out of a suitcase in my girlfriends apartment when I got the call that I’d be moving to Austin [for the role],” she said in part of her post.
“But it [the show] wasn’t about football. It was about relationships, family, humanity, love and loss.It was about longing to fit in and wanting to get out.
“Little did I know I hit the proverbial jackpot and the show would go on for 5 years. I’m forever grateful. Clear eyes. Full hearts. Can’t lose. Texas Forever.”
Now, she’s back on screen with a leading role in Ransom Canyon.
Kelly reportedly has a net worth estimated around $7.8million.
A rockstar connection
Kelly has a rockstar connection – her dad is guitarist Rick Dufay, 73, who famously performed with Aerosmith in the early 1980s.
But she was raised by her single mother, Maureen Kelly, who sadly died in 2008 following a battle with cancer.
She reconnected with her famous father later on.
According to People, Maureen was an exotic dancer in Los Angeles while Minka was growing up.
“My childhood was colorful and chaotic, unstable and inconsistent, unpredictable and hard a lot of the times,” the actress previously told People.
In 2022, Kelly penned a candid post about writing her memoir called Tell Me Everything, and how she wrote it following her mother’s death.
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“I knew I would write my story back when I was still in high school. I also knew I could only do so after my mother died if I were going to be truly honest,” she said.
“The beauty of writing at this time in my life is that I’ve had time to process and grieve so much.
“The rub is I’d give anything to share this book with my mother. I know she’s aware of it in her own way. But I’d love to see her face light up at the idea that I wrote a whole book – 288 pages! – about our relationship. She’d be so proud; of the good, the bad, and even the ugly,” she said.
Through her parents, the actress has Dutch-Indonesian and French roots.
Her high-profile relationships
Kelly is dating Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds, 37. But the pair mostly keep their romance quite private. They have reportedly been dating since 2022.
In the past, she’s dated the likes of Donald Faison, John Mayer and has been linked to Wilmer Valderrama.
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