Taylor Momsen was 'made fun of relentlessly' for starring in 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas'

Taylor Momsen went toe to toe with Christmas villain the Grinch, but she also had her own pint-sized Grinches to face in the schoolyard.

The actress and "Gossip Girl" alum, who starred in the 2000 live-action adaptation of the Dr. Seuss classic "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," reflected on the impact the role had on her social life as a child.

"Making friends was always challenging for me," said Momsen during an appearance on SiriusXM's Podcrushed podcast Wednesday, adding that she constantly changed schools due to her work schedule.

"First of all, 'The Grinch' changed my life in a multitude of ways — one of them being I was made fun of relentlessly," she said.

Momsen, who was 7 at the time of the film's release in November 2000, starred as Cindy Lou Who opposite Jim Carrey, who played the foul-tempered and green-skinned curmudgeon Grinch.

"Every time I would start a new school or go somewhere else, I don't even think the kids knew my name. I was just 'Grinch girl,' " Momsen said. "Not even the character name, just Grinch girl. I got used to it, but it was alienating."

But Momsen, who went on to launch a music career with the hard rock band The Pretty Reckless, said working on the film proved to be a formative experience for her budding music career. Momsen performed on the song "Christmas, Why Can’t I Find You?" (also titled "Where Are You Christmas?") for the film's soundtrack.

"That was my first time in a recording studio was during 'The Grinch' 'cause little Cindy Lou Who sings a song in the movie 'Where Are You Christmas?' " Momsen recalled. "It was the first time I ever put headphones on and heard myself through a microphone."

The "Death by Rock and Roll" singer said the studio session deepened her love of music and solidified her desire to pursue the art form professionally.

"That moment, even though I was so young, was really important to me," Momsen said. "I was already writing songs even though I was so young, and that’s where I went, 'Oh, I want to make music. I want to make records, and this experience is awesome.' "

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Taylor Momsen: 'Gossip Girl' star talks being teased for Grinch film