Blake Lively Biography

Blake Lively was born Blake Ellender Brown on August 25, 1987, in Tarzana, Los Angeles. Her father, Ernie Lively, was an actor and director while her mother, Elaine Lively, worked as a talent scout.

She comes from a big family and is the youngest of five children, including three step-siblings from her mother's side. Apart from her parents, she and all of her siblings – Eric, Lori, Robyn, and Jason – are connected to the entertainment industry.

She got introduced to acting at a very early age as her parents used to take her to the acting classes they taught in, instead of leaving her with a babysitter back at home. As a result, she learned the tools of the trade when she was very young.

An alumnus of Burbank High School, Blake Lively was very active during her school days. She was appointed senior class president, was part of the cheerleaders' group, and performed in the championship choir.

Lively, who trained her whole life to attend Stanford University, went to auditions for roles in movies to appease her brother Eric, who had asked his agents to send her to auditions. She is very close to her brother, who, during a tour of Europe with her, had discussed the possible career choices for her and found acting to be fitting.

Blake Lively first acted in a movie when she was only ten years old. In 1998, she did a short role in the film 'Sandman', which was directed by her father.

In 2005, she was cast as Bridget, one of the four female leads of the movie 'The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants'. She was nominated for a Teen Choice Award for her performance in the movie.

She acted opposite Justin Long in the 2006 movie 'Accepted'. The movie failed to receive favorable reviews from critics, but Lively was able to win the 'Breakthrough Award' from Hollywood Life. The same year, she also played a minor role in the horror film 'Simon Says'.

She played the role of Anabelle, a girl with an eating disorder competing in a beauty pageant, in the 2007 movie 'Elvis and Anabelle'. Lively, who considers herself a foodie, had to work hard to lose a lot of weight to get into the character she was playing.

In 2007, she was cast to play the role of Serena van der Woodsen in the CW television series, 'Gossip Girl'. She played the role for six seasons till 2012, after which the series ended.

In 2008, she was recast as Bridget in the sequel to 'The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants'. Once again her performance earned her accolades from the critics.

She got a supporting role as the younger version of the main character in 'The Private Lives of Pippa Lee' (2009). Despite her small role, she charmed the critics with her "sensational" performance. In 2009, she also did a minor role in 'New York, I Love You', a collection of eleven romantic short films by different directors.

In 2010, she was cast opposite Ben Affleck in the crime drama 'The Town', an adaptation of Chuck Hogan's novel 'Prince of Thieves'. Her portrayal of a young mother in the film received critical acclaim.

In 2011, she played the female lead in the superhero movie 'Green Lantern'. The movie, unfortunately, was not a commercial success. In the film, she was cast opposite her future husband Ryan Reynolds.

In the 2012 movie 'Savages', Lively replaced Jennifer Lawrence to play the role of Ophelia "O" Sage. Her portrayal of a "broken, needy little soul" was praised by 'HitFix' film critic Drew McWeeny.

She acted alongside Michiel Huisman and Harrison Ford in the movie 'The Age of Adaline', which was released in 2015. Her most recent performance was in the horror film 'The Shallows', which has been received well by critics.

She played the role of ‘Gina’ in the 2016 psychological drama film ‘All I See Is You’ directed by Marc Forster. The film received a lukewarm response from critics, earning a 29% approval score on Rotten Tomatoes. In 2018, she starred as ‘Emily Nelson / Hope and Faith McLanden’ in the Paul Feig-directed American black comedy crime thriller film ‘A Simple Favor.’ The film was a critical and commercial success and grossed over $97.6 million at the box office.

She portrayed ‘Stephanie Patrick’ in the 2020 action thriller film ‘The Rhythm Section’ directed by Reed Morano. The film failed to impress the critics and ultimately tanked at the box office.

The role of Serena in the television series 'Gossip Girl' made Blake Lively a household name. Her character influenced the fashion choices of a generation of young girls and created a cult following.

In 2008, Blake Lively received two Teen Choice Awards for her role in the series, 'Gossip Girl'. She won another Teen Choice Award for the series in 2012.

Her 2010 movie 'The Town' brought her two more awards. She received awards from the National Board of Review and the Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association as part of the ensemble cast.

In 2011, she won the 'Breakthrough Performer of the Year Award' from CinemaCon. In the same year, she was named among the 100 most influential people by 'TIME' magazine and also topped the AskMen.com list of "most desirable" women.

Blake Lively's first crush was her 'Simon Says' co-star Kelly Blatz. The two have been childhood friends and dated from 2004 to 2007.

She has known Penn Badgley, her co-star from 'Gossip Girl', since the age of eleven as they were homeschooled together. The onscreen pair dated in real life between 2007 and 2010.

She has been linked to 'Titanic' star Leonardo DiCaprio with whom she spent a fun-filled summer in France. The two broke up in October 2011 after dating for five months.

In October 2011, Lively started dating Ryan Reynolds, whom she met on the sets of their film 'Green Lantern'. They bought a house in Bedford in June 2012 and got married on September 9, 2012. 

The couple welcomed their first child, a daughter named James Reynolds in December 2014. In September 2016, they welcomed their second daughter, Inez Reynolds. In October 2019, they welcomed their third daughter named Betty Reynolds. In September 2022, Blake and Ryan announced that they were expecting their fourth child together.

The couple announced the birth of their fourth child, a daughter, in February 2023.

Blake Lively's real name is actually Blake Ellender Brown, but she changed it to Lively because her mother's maiden name is Lively and she felt it suited her better for her acting career.

In addition to acting, Blake Lively is also a successful entrepreneur. She launched her own lifestyle website called Preserve in 2014, showcasing her love for fashion, food, and design.

Blake Lively is known for her love of baking and often shares photos of her homemade creations on social media. She has even mentioned that she finds baking to be therapeutic.

Despite her glamorous image, Blake Lively has a down-to-earth side and enjoys outdoor activities like hiking and camping. She has been spotted on several occasions exploring nature with her family.

In 2016, Blake Lively became a member of the Child Rescue Coalition, a nonprofit organization dedicated to combating child sexual exploitation. She actively supports the organization's mission and raises awareness about the issue.