Blake Lively

Blake Ellender Brown, known professionally as Blake Lively, is an American actress and entrepreneur born on August 25, 1987. She is widely recognized for her starring role as Serena van der Woodsen in the teen drama series Gossip Girl (2007–2012). Her film career includes prominent roles in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005), The Town (2010), The Age of Adaline (2015), A Simple Favor (2018), and It Ends with Us (2024).

Lively was born in the Tarzana neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, to Elaine Lively, a talent scout, and Ernie Lively, an actor and director. Raised in a family involved in the entertainment industry, including an older brother and three half-siblings, she regularly attended acting classes taught by her parents during her childhood. She attended Burbank High School, where she served as class president, cheerleader, and member of the championship choir, graduating in 2005.

She made her professional acting debut at age ten in a small role in the 1998 film Sandman, directed by her father. Although she initially intended to pursue higher education at Stanford University, her older brother arranged for his talent agent to submit her for auditions. This led to her breakthrough role as Bridget in the 2005 film adaptation The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, filmed between her high school junior and senior years. Her performance earned her a nomination for a Teen Choice Award. She subsequently appeared in Accepted (2006), Simon Says (2006), and Elvis and Anabelle (2007).

In 2007, Lively was cast in the leading role of Serena van der Woodsen on The CW's Gossip Girl, which ran until 2012. During the show's run, she reprised her role in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (2008), played a supporting role in the romantic comedy New York, I Love You (2009), and earned critical praise for her portrayal in The Private Lives of Pippa Lee (2009). She later starred in Ben Affleck's crime drama The Town (2010), portrayed Carol Ferris in Green Lantern (2011), and played Ophelia in Oliver Stone's Savages (2012).

Lively expanded her feature film portfolio with leading roles in the romantic fantasy The Age of Adaline (2015), the survival horror film The Shallows (2016), Woody Allen's Café Society (2016), and the psychological drama All I See Is You (2016). She received widespread praise for her role in Paul Feig's comedy thriller A Simple Favor (2018) and subsequently starred in The Rhythm Section (2020). In 2021, she made her directorial debut by co-writing and directing Taylor Swift's music video "I Bet You Think About Me". In 2024, she produced and starred in the romantic drama It Ends with Us.

Outside of acting, Lively has pursued various business ventures, including launching the digital magazine and site Preserve in 2014, the non-alcoholic mixer brand Betty Buzz in 2021, the canned cocktail line Betty Booze in 2023, and the haircare line Blake Brown in 2024. Over her career, she has received notable recognition, including being featured in Time magazine's Time 100 list in 2011, co-chairing the Met Gala in 2022, and narrating the 2025 National Geographic series Secrets of the Penguins, which received Emmy and BAFTA nominations.