Blake Lively
Blake Ellender Lively[a] (née Brown; born 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 had her breakthrough playing Bridget Vreeland in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005) and its 2008 sequel, to commercial success. After starring in the comedy Accepted (2006), Lively achieved international recognition for her portrayal of Serena van der Woodsen in the CW teen drama television series Gossip Girl (2007–2012). During this period, she also starred in the romantic comedies New York, I Love You (2008) and The Private Lives of Pippa Lee (2009), the thrillers The Town (2010) and Savages (2012), and the superhero film Green Lantern (2011).
Blake Lively
Actress
1998–present
4
- Ernie Lively (father)
- Eric Lively (brother)
- Lori Lively (half-sister)
- Robyn Lively (half-sister)
- Jason Lively (half-brother)
- Bart Johnson (brother-in-law)
Lively garnered acclaim for portraying the title character in the romantic fantasy The Age of Adaline (2015), a Hollywood secretary in the romantic comedy-drama Café Society, and the antagonist of the black comedy thriller A Simple Favor (2018). She also headlined the survival horror film The Shallows (2016), the psychological drama All I See Is You (2016) and the thriller The Rhythm Section (2020), and directed Taylor Swift's music video "I Bet You Think About Me" (2021).
Early life
Blake Ellender Brown was born on August 25, 1987, in the Tarzana neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.[3] Her mother, Elaine, worked as a talent scout, and her father, Ernie Lively, was an actor.[4] Lively was named after her grandmother's brother.[5][6] 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.[7][8]
During her childhood, Lively accompanied her parents to the acting classes they taught, as they did not want to leave her with a babysitter. She said that watching her parents teach helped her learn the "drills" and gain confidence as she got older and began working in the industry.[8][9] She made her professional debut at age 10, when she appeared in the 1998 film Sandman, directed by Lively's father. She describes her role as a "bit part".[10] She was initially not particularly interested in acting and wanted to attend Stanford University.[5]
She attended Burbank High School and graduated in 2005,[11] 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 to several auditions in the summer months.[4] She was subsequently cast as Bridget in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005) and filmed her scenes between her junior and senior years of high school.[13]
Career
2005–2006: Career beginnings
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants was released in 2005. Lively's performance earned her a nomination for a Teen Choice Award for "Choice Movie Breakout – Female".[14] In 2006, Lively co-starred with Justin Long in Accepted, and she had minor roles in the horror film, Simon Says. Accepted was not well received by critics, but Lively's performance was, earning her a 'Breakthrough Award' from Hollywood Life.[15] Lively starred in Elvis and Anabelle (2007) as Anabelle, a bulimic girl who hoped to win a beauty pageant. She said of getting into character for the role that she had "shed serious weight" for her height. She stated that that process was difficult for her because food is "the No. 1 love of my life."[16] MovieLine.com praised her performance in the film and credited it as having been her "breakthrough role".[17]
2007–2012: Gossip Girl
Lively was cast in The CW's series Gossip Girl, based on the novel series of the same name by Cecily von Ziegesar, which premiered in September 2007. Already having deferred college for a year, Lively intended to turn the role down and become a student, but was told that she could attend college part-time while filming the show (she later said "This is advice to anyone: when they say, 'We promise, but we can't put it in writing,' there's a reason they can't put it in writing").[18] She played the role of Serena van der Woodsen in the teen drama until 2012 when the show ended.[19][20] Her first magazine cover was the November 2007 issue of CosmoGirl, where she discussed her time in high school and her career prior to Gossip Girl.[21]
Other ventures
Lively describes herself as a "foodie and cook",[60] and has said Martha Stewart is her "idol". She is also a fan of Nigella Lawson's work.[61] In 2008, Lively baked a cake with Stewart during an episode of The Martha Stewart Show.[62] In 2009, Lively stated that she "hoped one day to have an interior decorating company", citing her love for antiques and fascination with "colors and textures and layering things".[9] In 2010, she attended a tailor-made workshop at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, and has spoken of her desire to return to the culinary school for further instruction.[63]
She has remarked that, when travelling, she always takes cookery classes to immerse herself in the local culture.[64][65] In 2010 and again in 2011, Lively spoke publicly of her desire to become a restaurateur.[66][67] In 2011, she created a s'mores cupcake to be sold at Sprinkles bakeries.[68] In 2012, Lively's wedding reception was featured in Martha Stewart Weddings; food photography was the focal point of the picture spread. In 2013, she appeared in Elle Decor to recount her experiences designing a custom La Cornue oven for her newly purchased Bedford home.[69] In 2013, she filmed a cooking segment for Vogue's website, demonstrating how to make a brie pastry.[70] In 2014, she launched Preserve, a digital magazine and e-commerce website with hand-made one-of-a-kind items all selected by Lively;[71] on October 9, 2015, Lively closed the site, stating that it had been launched before it was ready, and that she plans to rebuild and relaunch it properly.[72]
In 2021, Lively launched Betty Buzz,[73] a line of non-alcoholic drink mixers. In 2023, Lively launched Betty Booze, a line of alcoholic canned cocktails.[74]