Blake Lively
Blake Ellender Lively (born Brown;[1] August 25, 1987[2]) is an American actress. Born in Los Angeles, Lively is the daughter of actor Ernie Lively, and made her professional debut in his directorial project Sandman (1998). She starred as Bridget Vreeland in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005) alongside its sequel The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (2008) to commercial success. Lively appeared opposite Justin Long in comedy Accepted (2006). She gained recognition for portraying Serena van der Woodsen in the CW drama television series Gossip Girl (2007–2012).
She appeared in romantic-comedies New York, I Love You (2008) and The Private Lives of Pippa Lee (2009). Lively starred opposite Ben Affleck in crime thriller The Town (2010) and appeared alongside Ryan Reynolds in Green Lantern (2011). She performed alongside an ensemble cast in Savages (2012) and garnered acclaim for portraying the titular character in romantic fantasy The Age of Adaline (2015). Lively appeared in survivor horror film The Shallows (2016) and psychological drama All I See Is You (2016). She starred opposite Anna Kendrick in A Simple Favor (2018), which became a box office success. Lively appeared in The Rhythm Section (2020), for which she received critical praise.
Lively is married to actor Ryan Reynolds, with whom she has three daughters.
Lively was born Blake Ellender Brown on August 25, 1987, in the Tarzana neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.[3] Her mother, Elaine (née McAlpin), worked as a talent scout, and her father, Ernie Lively (né Ernest Wilson Brown Jr.), was an actor.[4][5] Lively was named after her grandmother’s brother.[6][7] She has an older brother, Eric, and three half-siblings from her mother’s previous marriage, Lori, Robyn, and Jason. Her parents and siblings have all worked in the entertainment industry.[8][9]
During her childhood, Lively accompanied her parents to the acting classes they taught, as they did not want to leave her with a babysitter. Lively said that watching her parents teach helped her learn the “drills” and gain confidence as she got older and began working in the industry.[9][10] She made her professional debut at age 10, when she appeared in the 1998 film Sandman, directed by Lively’s father. Lively describes her role as a “bit part”.[11] She was initially not particularly interested in acting and wanted to attend Stanford University.[6]
She attended Burbank High School, where she was a cheerleader, a member of the championship choir, and class president,.[12] Her elder brother asked his talent agent to send her on a few auditions during the summer months.[5] She was subsequently cast as Bridget in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005) and filmed her scenes in between her junior and senior years of high school.[13]
