Background
DeFer was born in Tucson, Arizona, where she attended school at Desert Christian School.
DeFer was born in Tucson, Arizona, where she attended school at Desert Christian School.
She is known for her portrayal of Ivy Dickens in The CW"s teen drama series Gossip Girl. In 2003, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting. DeFer made her acting debut in a March 2004 episode of the Nickelodeon sitcom Drake & Josh.
DeFer appears on the cover of Reeve Oliver"s second album, Touchtone Inferno (2007).
In May 2004, DeFer was cast as Scarlett on The World Bank"s drama series The Mountain. The series follows the personal lives of the staff and friends at a remote ski resort.
The series premiered on September 22, 2004, but was cancelled after four months. In April 2005, DeFer landed a role on the Fox sitcom The War at Home.
The series centers on the day-to-day life of Gold family whom reside in Long Island, New New York
DeFer portrayed teenager Hillary Gold, the eldest child who frequently misbehaves. The series premiered on September 11, 2005 to 7.2 million viewers, but received generally negative reviews from critics. The series ran for two seasons.
DeFer starred in her theatrical film debut Flicka, released in October 2006.
DeFer portrayed the film"s antagonist, Miranda Koop. In 2011, DeFer starred in the low-budget Western film Mattie, which was released on Digital Video Disc under the title Renegade.
In April 2011, The CW announced DeFer would have a major-recurring arc in both the fourth and fifth seasons of Gossip Girl. DeFer had previously auditioned for the role of Raina Thorpe, but she did not receive the part.
DeFer portrayed the role of Ivy Dickens, a con artist who pretends to be Charlotte "Charlie" Rhodes in order to get access to the latter"s trust fund.
DeFer was reunited with The Mountain castmate Penn Badgley. The critical reception of the character had been positive until her appearance in the fifth season received less than favorable reviews. DeFer reprised her role of Ivy in the series" sixth and final season and was listed as a main cast member.