Summary

  • Blake Lively, known for her roles in 'Gossip Girl' and 'Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants', has a stage name and changed her last name to reflect her mother's maiden name.
  • Before marrying Ryan Reynolds, Lively dated several celebrities, including Leonardo DiCaprio and Ryan Gosling.
  • Lively has four children with Reynolds, but their youngest child's name has not been publicly revealed. She also has a mocktail and cocktail line and does not relate to any of her acting characters.

Out of all the famous actresses out there today, Blake Lively is still one of the most popular and beloved. She has been around for quite some time starring in movie and TV show roles that other female actresses only wish that they could snag for themselves.

Fans came to know Lively on Gossip Girl where she felt compromised as Serena van der Woodsen but she has done so much more outside that show.

Lively has starred in A Simple Favor alongside Anna Kendrick, The Shallows, and The Age of Adaline. Lively even met her husband, Ryan Reynolds, when they co-starred in Green Lantern.

There is a lot to know about Blake Lively. Here are some interesting facts about her.

Updated November 2023: Blake Lively has been busy as of late being a mom to her children. However, that is all about to change with the four films that she has in development and pre-production. As such, Lively is geared to be making a comeback of sorts in 2024 and beyond with how in-demand she is. A fact that is not surprising, given just how many interesting things there are to know about the blonde beauty who can hold her own against her husband, Ryan Reynolds.

12 Blake Lively Is A Stage Name

Lively Is A Family Name

Blake Lively at the Met Gala
Blake Lively at the Met Gala
via Instar
  • Blake Lively's siblings took the last names as well

Blake Lively has a nice ring to it for an actor. However, that is not Lively's real name.

Lively was born Blake Brown. But, Lively made the decision to change her last name to reflect her mother's maiden name. A move that Lively's siblings followed suit with, removing Brown from their names permanently.

11 Blake Lively's First Major Role Was Not Gossip Girl

Blake Lively's Big Break Was Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

Blake Lively in Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
Blake Lively in Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
via Warner Bros Pictures
  • Film launched the careers of Blake Lively, American Ferrera, Amber Tamblin, and Alexis Bledel

Back in 2005, Blake Lively landed her first major role as an actress in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. The movie ended up getting a sequel because it was just so good. It also starred America Ferrera and Alexis Bledel in leading roles.

The movie focused on a group of teenage female friends of different shapes and sizes. Somehow, one magical pair of jeans fit all four of them perfectly.

10 Blake Lively Dated A Few Celebrities Before Ryan Reynolds

Blake Lively dated Leonardo DiCaprio, Ryan Gosling, and Penn Badgely

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds on the red carpet
Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds at The Adam Project premiere
Via: Instar 
  • Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively were friends before they dated

From 2004 to 2007, Blake Lively was in a relationship with Kelly Blatz. This was her most low-key and least talked-about relationship compared to the rest. She also dated Penn Badgley, her Gossip Girl co-star, from 2008 to 2010. They broke up but didn't tell anyone they were filming with to avoid any awkward vibes.

Lively was briefly linked to Ryan Gosling in October of 2010 but that didn't last long, nor was it ever confirmed. From May 2011 to September 2011, she dated Leonardo DiCaprio.

She has been married to Ryan Reynolds since September 2012.

9 Blake Lively Has Four Children

Blake Lively's Children: James, Inez, Betty, and Unknown Name

Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, and kids
Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, and kids 
via Instar
  • Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds like to keep their kids out of the spotlight

Lively shares four children with Reynolds. While the public knows that the first three are girls, the couple has yet to reveal the name or gender of their youngest, who was born in February 2023.

The first daughter was born on December 16, 2014, and she is named James. They welcomed their second daughter Inez on September 30, 2016. Their third daughter, Betty, was born on October 16, 2019.

8 Blake Lively's Earthly Zodiac Sign

Zodiac Sign: Virgo

Blake Lively on the red carpet
Blake Lively on the red carpet
via Instar
  • Virgos are humble, self-effacing, and kind, all things that Blake Lively appears to be

Lively was born on August 25, 1987, making her a Virgo. One must be born between August 23 and September 22 to be a Virgo so she barely made the cut.

Virgo individuals are known for being hardworking and focused. She has proven as an actress that she is very hardworking and focused.

7 Blake Lively Has Nostalgia About Gossip Girl

Character On Gossip Girl: Serena van der Woodsen

Blake Lively on Gossip Girl
Blake Lively on Gossip Girl
via Warner Bros. Television Alloy Entertainment College Hill Pictures, CBS Television Studios, Fake Empire Productions
  • Blake Lively was on the CW show from 2007 to 2012

In May 2020, Lively posted a throwback picture to Instagram of her time on Gossip Girl. While it does not appear that Lively keeps in touch with any regularity with any of the cast, it is clear that she has a fondness of that time by sharing the picture of herself with the cast with her fans.

6 Blake Lively's Favorite Foods

Favorite Foods: Chocolate Souffle And Cheese

Blake Lively on the red carpet
Blake Lively on the red carpet
via Instar
  • Blake Lively believes in moderation

Lively has a taste for rich sweet and savory foods. And while she does not eat them all the time, in moderation, things like a chocolate souffle and cheese are enjoyed.

These guilty pleasures are part of what makes Lively so relatable to her fans and why they love her so.

5 Blake Lively Does Not Drink Alcohol

Blake Lively Does Not Drink Because Of The Effect Alcohol Has On Her

Blake Lively at Couture Costume Institute Gala
Blake Lively at Couture Costume Institute Gala 
via Instar
  • Blake Lively owns a mocktail and cocktail line

Lively has never had a taste for alcohol and as such, does not drink. However, she does enjoy making a mean cocktail for her friends.

The love for making mixed drinks led Lively to start her own mocktail and cocktail lines, Betty Buzz and Betty Booze, respectively. While there was some backlash for Lively promoting an alcohol line when she does not drink, the noise eventually died down and both lines became successful in the liquor and liquor-adjacent departments.

4 Blake Lively Does Not Relate With Any Of Her Characters

There Is Nothing Blake Lively Sees Of Herself In Her Characters

Blake Lively on the red carpet
Blake Lively on the red carpet
via Instar
  • Blake Lively pushes herself when she acts

Sometimes, actors take on roles because they can identify with a character. For Lively, the opposite is true. None of the characters she has portrayed are people that she can identify with. But that inability to identify with a character makes the craft of acting just that much more challenging and is testament to the talent Lively has.

"I don’t think I relate to any of my characters!" Lively explained to Buzzfeed.

"I played a crack addict from Boston, I’ve played an Upper East Side princess, I’ve played a blind woman, I’ve played a woman that was an incredible surfer being eaten by a shark, I’ve played a woman who’s 108 years old who’s never aged, I’ve played a great soccer player who magically fits into pants — what else have I done?"

3 Blake Lively's Delicious Hobby

Blake Lively Loves To Cook

Blake Lively smiling
Blake Lively on the red carpet.
Via: Instar
  • Everything Blake Lively learned was from her mom

Lively loves to cook. And everything that she has learned to make in the kitchen is all thanks to her mom.

"My love of cooking came from my love of eating," Lively said. "And my mom is an amazing cook, and what I love about cooking is I noticed as I was growing up — there’s five of us, I have four siblings — but that was the thing that always brought us together."