Ed Westwick Leaving “Gossip Girl?”

Is the sun setting on Ed Westwick’s days on Manhattan’s Upper East Side? He’s best known for playing the suave Chuck Bass on the hit show Gossip Girl, but the British actor has hinted that he’s ready to leave the bad-boy millionaire behind.

“It’s all about the work, you know; the feeling you get when you connect to the work. And that’s what I had with Chuck Bass in the beginning – I was fascinated by him. But now, to be completely honest, I’m ready to do something else. Really ready to do something else,” he explained.

Say it isn’t so, Ed!

The actor, 23, has already branched out from his role as Big Apple baddie Chuck; he stars as a rich playboy who falls in love with a girl from the wrong side of the tracks in the new drama Chalet Girl. Talking about his new role, Ed revealed: “It was refreshing to go from playing an asshole to playing someone who’s a bit more like I am – a nice boy. He has a heart, he has a soul, and he’s still figuring out his place in the world.”

Perhaps the real reason Ed is looking to get away from the Gossip Girl group has something to do with his ex-girlfriend and co-star, Jessica Szohr, who allegedly cheated of Westwick during their two year union. Westwick says he’s taking heartbreak in stride: “Everyone’s dated each other, and then broken up, or whatever. It’s natural that romance would blossom. Blossom and then wilt. The wickedness of women! The heartbreakers, God damn them. I’ve learnt. And I feel stronger and wiser…”