Blake Lively, born August 25, 1987, is an American actress known for her role as Serena van der Woodsen in Gossip Girl.
She gained fame with The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and has starred in films like The Age of Adaline and It Ends with Us.
Recently, she has been in the news due to a legal dispute with co-star Justin Baldoni over allegations of harassment during filming, with a trial set for March 2026.
Lively is married to actor Ryan Reynolds, with whom she has four children.
Parents
Blake is the daughter of Ernie Lively and Elaine Lively.
Ernie, who passed away in 2021, was an actor with a career spanning over 50 years, appearing in films like Turner & Hooch and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, where he played Blake’s on-screen father.
Elaine is a talent manager and actress, known for her role in the video game Return to Zork. Blake has four siblings, all involved in the entertainment industry.
Career
Lively began her acting journey with her debut in the 1998 film Sandman, directed by her father, Ernie Lively.
However, it was her role in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005) that truly catapulted her to fame.
In this film, she portrayed Bridget, one of four friends who share a pair of jeans that mysteriously fits each of them perfectly.
The film was a commercial success and led to a sequel in 2008, further solidifying her status in Hollywood.
Lively gained widespread recognition for her role as Serena van der Woodsen in the CW television series Gossip Girl, which aired from 2007 to 2012.
The show, based on the book series by Cecily von Ziegesar, followed the lives of privileged teenagers on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.
Lively’s portrayal of Serena, a glamorous and complex character, earned her critical acclaim and a dedicated fanbase.
Following her success on Gossip Girl, Lively transitioned into film with several notable projects.
In The Town (2010), directed by Ben Affleck, she played Krista Coughlin, a single mother involved with a bank robber.
Her performance garnered a nomination for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.
She starred opposite Ryan Reynolds in Green Lantern (2011), a superhero film based on the DC Comics character.
Although the film received mixed reviews, it showcased her ability to lead a major blockbuster.
In The Age of Adaline (2015), Lively played Adaline Bowman, a woman who stops aging after an accident. The romantic fantasy film was well-received and highlighted her range as an actress.
She continued to impress audiences with her performance in The Shallows (2016), a survival thriller where she portrayed a surfer stranded on a rock while being hunted by a great white shark
More recently, Lively starred in A Simple Favor (2018), directed by Paul Feig, where she played opposite Anna Kendrick.
This mystery-comedy was both critically acclaimed and commercially successful, showcasing her versatility across different genres.
Looking ahead, Lively is set to star in the upcoming adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel It Ends with Us (2024).
In addition to her acting career, Lively is preparing to make her directorial debut with an adaptation of the graphic novel Seconds by Bryan Lee O’Malley.
On a personal note, Lively is married to actor Ryan Reynolds, and they have four children together.
