Blake Lively

About Blake Lively

Blake Lively entered the world as Blake Ellender Brown on August 25, 1987, in Tarzana, California. Her mother Elaine worked as a talent scout while her father Ernie Lively pursued acting. Named after her grandmother's brother, she grew up alongside an older brother named Eric and three half-siblings from her mother's prior relationship. The entertainment industry was a family affair, with all members working within its sphere. Her childhood was spent observing her parents conduct acting instruction, a deliberate choice that exposed her to the craft from an early age and built her confidence. At age ten, she made her first film appearance in Sandman, helmed by her father, though she characterizes the role as minor. Initially reluctant about show business, she aspired toward Stanford University. She attended Burbank High School, graduating in 2005 as a cheerleader, championship choir member, and class president. Her brother's agent arranged auditions during summer, leading to her casting as Bridget in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, filmed between her junior and senior years.

Her 2005 breakthrough earned Teen Choice Award recognition. Subsequently she appeared alongside Justin Long in Accepted and in the horror film Simon Says. While critics dismissed Accepted, Lively received a Breakthrough Award from Hollywood Life. Her 2007 role in Elvis and Anabelle as a young woman battling bulimia while pursuing pageant glory demonstrated her commitment to transformation, with MovieLine.com designating it her true breakthrough.

The CW's Gossip Girl debuted in 2007 with Lively as Serena van der Woodsen, running until 2012. She secured her first magazine cover in November 2007's CosmoGirl. The Sisterhood sequel in 2008 brought similar critical praise and substantial box office returns. Her 2009 work included New York, I Love You and The Private Lives of Pippa Lee, the latter garnering critical acclaim. October 2009 marked her contribution to The Town, directed by and starring Ben Affleck, where Variety noted her transformative performance. She appeared in The Lonely Island's music video that December and portrayed Carol Ferris opposite Hal Jordan in Green Lantern. Time magazine recognized her among influential people in 2011, while AskMen.com named her most desirable woman that year. Oliver Stone's Savages featured her in 2012, replacing another actress, with praise for her nuanced portrayal.

Her film career accelerated throughout the 2010s with The Age of Adaline opposite Harrison Ford and Michiel Huisman, The Shallows, and Woody Allen's Café Society at Cannes. She appeared in All