Blake Ellender Lively [ a ] born August 25, [ 2 ] is an American actress. A daughter of actor Ernie Lively , she made her professional debut in his directorial project Sandman She had her breakthrough role in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and its sequel. Lively achieved recognition for her portrayal of Serena van der Woodsen in the CW teen drama television series Gossip Girl β She subsequently starred in the romantic fantasy The Age of Adaline , the survival film The Shallows , the black comedy thriller A Simple Favor , and the romantic drama It Ends with Us She played Carol Ferris in the superhero movie Green Lantern , during which she met her future husband Ryan Reynolds.
They married in and together they have four children. She starred opposite Justin Baldoni in It Ends with Us , which garnered significant media attention due to legal disputes. Lively accused Baldoni of widespread sexual harassment and retaliation, allegations reported by The New York Times.
Baldoni, in turn, filed a libel lawsuit against the publication in response to their reporting. Her parents and siblings have all worked in the entertainment industry. During Lively's childhood, her parents took her along to the acting classes they taught, rather than leave her with babysitters.
She later said that watching her parents teach helped her learn the "drills" and gain confidence as she got older and began working in the industry herself. Lively describes her role as a "bit part. She is a graduate of Burbank High School , [ 14 ] where she was a cheerleader, a member of the championship choir, and class president.
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants was released in Accepted was not well received by critics, but Lively's performance was, earning her a 'Breakthrough Award' from Hollywood Life. She stated that that process was difficult for her because food was "the No. Similarly to the first film, Lively's performance was positively received by critics.
