Leighton Meester Explains What Drew Her To Her Character On 'The Weekend Away'

Leighton Meester was drawn to her character on Netflix's new thriller film "The Weekend Away" because they have one thing in common.

"When I got the script and the breakdown, originally, it was like a 35-year-old with a 10-month-old and I was like, 'That is exactly me,'" she said in an interview with the Cosmopolitan UK. "I really was excited about playing a new mother who's having a weekend away for the first time which is both the most exciting prospect and really the most terrifying when you have a new baby. I felt like that it was something that I could really dig into and enjoy."

Meester plays Beth on "The Weekend Away," which premiered Thursday on Netflix. The movie follows the story of two best friends – Beth and Kate – who went on a vacation in Croatia. Kate later dies and Beth is accused of killing her best friend. In her search for truth and to prove her innocence, Beth uncovers painful secrets that are close to home.

Meester also reflected on how she misses her children when she is away for work.

"The element of being away from your child is very different from when you're with your child. At least for me. When anything happens, if your kid gets hurt or something happens, that's the number one concern," she explained in the interview. "She's not with her kid, so that would drive me mad. I would be devastated to be in a situation like that and be thousands of miles away from my kid."

The 35-year-old former "Gossip Girl" star shares two children with husband Adam Brody — Arlo, 6, and a 2-year-old son whose name she is yet to reveal.

Meester earlier told Refinery29 that she purposely keeps her family out of the spotlight and prefers talking about only her work.

"I don't talk about Arlo very much," Meester said. "I am very proud of that area of my life. But I'm also really proud of the show and the work I do. I think the perception is 'You're an ingenue or you're an icon or you're a mum.' There's no in-between."