Blake Ellender Lively ("née" Brown; born August 25, 1987) 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 starred as Bridget Vreeland in "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" (2005) alongside its sequel "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2" (2008) to commercial success. Lively appeared opposite Justin Long in comedy "Accepted" (2006). She gained recognition for portraying Serena van der Woodsen in the CW drama television series "Gossip Girl" (2007–2012).