Ernie Lively, Blake Lively’s father, dies at the age of 74.
Mother-of-three actress and mother-of-three Ernie Lively, Blake Lively’s father, died at the age of 74 due to heart complications, leaving behind five actor children.
Ernie Lively, Blake Lively’s father, died at the age of 74 due to heart complications.
Ernie Lively, an accomplished actor whose five children followed in his career footsteps, died on Thursday in Los Angeles surrounded by his wife and children.
Ernie’s 50-year acting career includes appearances in Passenger 57, The Dukes of Hazzard, Turner & Hooch, and as the on-screen father of daughter Blake in both Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants films.
Additionally, he made memorable guest appearances on television shows including The X-Files, Seinfeld, Murder, She Wrote, and The West Wing.
Along with the actress, Ernie leaves behind sons Eric, 39, and Jason, 53, as well as daughters Robyn, 49, and Lori, 54.
He is also survived by his wife, Elaine, and nine grandchildren, three of whom are Blake’s with her 44-year-old husband Ryan Reynolds.
Prior to his on-screen career, Lively worked as an English professor and served as a lieutenant in Vietnam. Throughout his years in the arts, he established a reputation as a respected mentor.
Interestingly, on the day of their wedding, Ernie chose to take his wife’s name. However, when Blake was born, she was legally registered as Blake Brown before changing her name when she began acting.
Blake has yet to publicly address her father’s death, but the two were close and frequently accompanied one another to red carpet events.
Ernie suffered a massive heart attack in 2003 and underwent heart surgery ten years later, according to People.
Blake Reynolds spoke to the publication shortly after his wedding to Ryan Reynolds about wanting to have the energy to chase after his grandkids.
“My youngest daughter is newlywed and desires a large family,” he explained of Blake, who was 26 at the time.
“She expresses a desire for thirty children. I suggested, ‘Why don’t you begin with one?'”
The actress is now the mother of three daughters: James, age 6, Inez, age 4, and Betty, who was born in October 2019.
