EW's Best Photo Outtakes of the Year

THE CAST OF GOSSIP GIRL
July 13, 2008 · New York City
Photograph by Frederike Helwig
The six-pack of stars (from left, Leighton Meester, Ed Westwick, Blake Lively, Penn Badgley, Chace Crawford, and Jessica Szohr) who headline The CW's stylish drama proved quite the opposite of their scheming counterparts during a cover shoot at the Soho Grand Hotel for EW's Fall TV Preview. They were low-maintenance (''It was Sunday morning, and they still showed up on time,'' recalls EW photography director Lisa Berman) and chummy (no catfights over the Hervé Léger dresses to report). Still, it wasn't hard to re-create the show's signature upscale flair. Says Berman, ''We wanted it to look like they were going out for a swanky night on the town, and thankfully it doesn’t take a lot to make this group look attractive.''