‘Gossip Girl’: Olympic gold medalist Nastia Liukin makes a cameo

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We’ve seen Michael Phelps on ‘SNL’ and ‘Entourage,’ now it’s Olympic gold medalist Nastia Liukin’s turn for the small screen. The 19-year-old gymnast is dropping by for a cameo on tonight’s episode of ‘Gossip Girl,’ where she’ll share a scene with Chuck and Blair at the Snowflake ball. ‘It’s been my favorite show for a while, and I read all the books before it became a show,’ says Liukin by phone from Moscow. ‘My part is very short, but it was still really cool to meet everybody.’

And exactly how does one procure a coveted cameo on ‘Gossip Girl’?

‘I was out in L.A. with some friends right after the Olympics, and we were just eating dinner,’ Liukin recalls. ‘The producers of ‘Gossip Girl’ were sitting right next to us, so they sent over a note saying ‘Congratulations. Keep watching Gossip Girl.’ I thought that was pretty cool, but the next day they called my agent and scheduled a meeting.’

Of course, winning the gymnastics all-around gold medal could help your chances. ‘I’ve had some really neat experiences, and I’ve had a lot of fun,’ she says. ‘It’s amazing to see how much a gold medal can change your life.’

Could a spot on her other fave show, ‘The Hills,’ come soon? ‘I haven’t really thought about it,’ says Liukin. ‘ ‘Gossip Girl’ was definitely my favorite, so I’m glad to have that down.’

-- Enid Portuguez