Blake Lively’s Best Performances, Ranked

Blake Lively is an American actress whose career took off in the early 2000s. She made her on-screen debut at the age of 10, appearing in the 1998 film Sandman, directed by her father, and has since continued acting. For her work, Lively has received awards from the Teen Choice Awards, National Board of Review, Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association, CinemaCon Award, People’s Choice Awards, and more.

Lively’s acting career took a strange turn in 2024 after her notable role in Justin Baldoni’s film It Ends with Us, based on the book by Colleen Hoover. The dispute between Lively and Baldoni has erupted into outright allegations, with Baldoni accused of a smear campaign against Lively, and both of them have accused each other of toxic behavior on-set. We’ll have to wait and see if Lively’s career is damaged by all this; in the meantime, here are Blake Lively’s best performances so far, ranked.

15

‘All I See Is You’ (2016)

Gina

An unconventional psychological thriller directed by Marc Forster, All I See Is You is centered around Gina, a woman who has been visually impaired since childhood. Her world is turned upside down when she undergoes a successful cornea transplant and regains her sight. She not only sees the world for the first time but also examines her relationship with her controlling husband, James. Their marriage is tested in unexpected ways by Gina’s newfound independence.

A Transformative Character Study

The movie was a modest hit because of its premise, which explores the profound impact that our senses have on our perception of reality, but for the most part, it was shallow, which is why critics and audiences failed to connect. Regardless, Blake Lively’s powerful performance as Gina captured the character’s strength and vulnerability, her initial wonder to her gradual awakening, as well as her eventual reckoning with the truth about her identity, making it a noteworthy addition to her career.

14

‘Accepted’ (2006)

Monica Moreland

A quirky and heartwarming comedy directed by Steve Pink, Accepted follows Bartleby Gaines, a high school graduate who is rejected by every college he applies to. As a result, he decides to create his own fictional university and names it South Harmon Institute of Technology (S.H.I.T.). With the help of his friends, Bartleby turns an abandoned psychiatric hospital into a makeshift campus and when more students start applying to S.H.I.T., things spiral out of control.

Ridiculous but Feel-Good Underdog Story

However bizarre it may seem, watching Bartleby and the gang turn his fake college into a fully functional institution is fascinating. Accepted is a touching and infectious movie about the bonds forged in college between those who don’t fit the mold, and Justin Long, Anthony Heald and Lewis Black, are brilliant in their roles. Blake Lively stars in one of her earliest turns as Monica, Bartleby’s love interest. Her charming and natural on-screen presence landed her Gossip Girl the very next year.

13

‘Savages’ (2012)

Ophelia “O” Sage

Savages is a stylish action thriller directed by Oliver Stone. It stars Blake Lively as Ophelia “O” Sage, a free-spirited young woman caught in a dangerous love triangle with two best friends, Chon and Ben, who are weed growers. Their peaceful life in Laguna Beach is shattered when a Mexican drug cartel abducts O, forcing the two love interests to try and rescue her from the violent members of the cartel.

Intense Love Triangle and High-Stakes Action

Savages is all about style and not about substance, which is to say that Stone’s fancy approach to the material is filled with action and suspense, but there’s little emotional depth in the narrative. Lively’s performance as O is a standout, as she seamlessly transitions from a carefree woman to a pawn in a high-stakes game of power and manipulation. She’s accompanied by Taylor Kitsch and Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Chon and Ben respectively.

12

‘It Ends With Us’ (2024)

Lily Bloom

In this highly anticipated adaptation of the bestselling novel by Colleen Hoover, Blake Lively plays Lily Bloom, a young woman who chases her dream of opening her own flower shop, when a chance encounter with a charming neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid changes the course of her life. Lily’s first love, Atlas Corrigan, also enters the picture, and she’s torn between two men and forced to make difficult choices about her future.

Heartfelt Exploration of a Sensitive Subject

Hoover’s melodramatic source material gets an ideal treatment under Baldoni’s direction, who produced the movie and also starred in it as Ryle, alongside Lively, Brandon Sklenar, Jenny Slate, and Hasan Minhaj. The film’s storytelling, combined with Lively’s empathetic and vulnerable performance, where she jumps from moments of jay, fear, and raw pain, is what earned it the praise. It Ends With Us grossed $351 million worldwide against a $25 million production budget.

11

‘Elvis and Anabelle’ (2007)

Anabelle Leigh

Underrated not only in Blake Lively’s filmography but also in the romance genre as a whole, Elvis and Annabelle follows a small-town girl named Anabelle Leigh who harbors an unconventional passion for beauty pageants. After qualifying for the finals, Anabelle suffers a tragic accident that leaves her in a coma, but when Elvis, a young mortician struggling to find his place in the world, kisses her, she gasps awake and the two fall in love.

A Poignant Love Story

Elvis and Anabelle sounds like a fairy tale and it very much is one. Written and directed by Will Geiger, it features a quirky Southern romance where the characters navigate societal expectations and personal demons but ultimately explore love and loss in all its glorious colors. Both Max Minghella and Blake Lively are stunning in their roles and share electric chemistry, but it’s Lively as Anabelle who genuinely moves all with her performance.

10

‘Green Lantern’ (2011)

Carol Ferris

Green Lantern is a 2011 superhero film about a test pilot named Hal Jordan, who is selected by a power ring as the worthy successor of Abin Sur, the former Green Lantern of Sector 2814. He is then sent to join the Green Lantern Corps as the first human member. The Guardians of the Universe created the intergalactic police force with the green essence of willpower and divided the universe into 3,600 sectors, designating one Green Lantern per sector.

Commanding Presence in Superhero Epic

Lively performs in Green Lantern as Carol Ferris, the vice president of Ferris Aircraft and long-time love interest of Hal. She’s intelligent, ambitious, and emotionally complex, adding layers of depth to the film. For her work, Lively received nominations at the 2011 Teen Choice Awards for Choice Movie Actress Sci Fi/Fantasy and won the Jupiter Award for Best International Actress in 2012.

9

‘The Age of Adaline’ (2015)

Adaline Marie Bowman

The Age of Adaline is a 2015 romantic fantasy film about a woman who experienced a fatal car accident and was revived back to life by being struck by lightning. The strange phenomena that occurred caused her to stop aging at the age of 29. Upon being discovered by two FBI agents attempting to abduct and study her, she escapes and spends the rest of her life on the run, until she finds a true love who makes her stay.

Explores Timeless Love

Lively stars in The Age of Adeline as Adaline Marie Bowman, aka Jennifer “Jenny” Larson, the main character possessing immortality. She effortlessly shifts between Adaline’s various incarnations, from a cautious loner to a woman finally brave and willing enough to take a chance on love. For her work in the film, Lively received widespread recognition, accolades, and was nominated at the Teen Choice Awards, People’s Choice Awards, and Saturn Awards.

8

‘The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2’ (2008)

Bridget Vreeland

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 is a 2008 comedy-drama film and second installment in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants film series. The film is based on the novel Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood, with storylines incorporated from The Second Summer of the Sisterhood and Girls in Pants. It is about childhood friends completing their first year of college and spending the summer apart. They search for but do not find the missing Pants, but end the summer together in Greece, strengthening their bonds.

Lively’s Captivating Character Arc

Lively stars in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 as Bridget Vreeland, the superstar and most daring one in the group of four friends. In 2009, the film received nominations at the Teen Choice Awards for Choice Movie: Romance. For navigating the challenges of college, relationships, and self-discovery, the movie remains a standout. Moreover, the ensemble cast also shares an incredible chemistry.

7

‘The Private Lives of Pippa Lee’ (2009)

Young Pippa

The Private Lives of Pippa Lee is a 2009 romantic comedy drama film about Pippa’s tumultuous past involving excessive drug and alcohol usage, erotic pictures, exotic dancing, and more. Pippa becomes involved in an affair with a married man who she marries and has children with, then finds love with someone else after her first husband betrays her.

Intricate Portrait of a Marriage

The film was written and directed by Rebecca Miller, and the screenplay is based on her 2007 novel of the same name. Lively stars in The Private Lives of Pippa Lee as the young version of Pippa. About her character, Lively said, “Rebecca [wrote] such a beautiful character… It was so easy to understand her and understand her core and her heart, and having her by our side the whole way made it very, very easy to play the same person consistently.”

6

‘Café Society’ (2016)

Veronica Hayes

Café Society is a 2016 romantic comedy drama film about Bobby Dorfman who is from a traditional jewish family and leaves to pursue a life in Hollywood during the 1930’s. Bobby begins working with his uncle, where he meets and falls for Vonnie, but since she is his uncle’s mistress, he must settle for only having a friendship with her. Bobby returns to the Bronx heartbroken and starts working in a nightclub. As everything begins falling into place and he finds a new romance, Vonnie returns and captures his heart.

Lively Showcases her Incredible Range

The movie is Woody Allen’s nostalgic and visually sumptuous period piece and it stars Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, and Steve Carell. Lively performs in the film as Veronica Hayes, a recent divorcee who Bobby meets at the nightclub and eventually dates, marries, and has children with. The film was written and directed by Woody Allen and received a nomination for Best Foreign Language Film at the Golden Eagle Award in 2017.

5

‘The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants’ (2005)

Bridget Vreeland

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is a 2005 comedy drama film about four best friends who buy mysterious pants that fit each of them despite their differences in sizes. After spending many summers together, the best friends spend their first summer apart and share the pants among each other, symbolizing their connection despite their locations.

Breakout Performance That Launched a Career

The film was directed by Ken Kwapis and written by Delia Ephron and Elizabeth Chandler, based on the 2001 same titled novel by Ann Brashares. Lively stars in the film as Bridget and later reprised her role in the following installments of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants film series. For her work in the film, Lively was nominated Choice Movie Breakout Female at the Teen Choice Awards in 2005.

4

‘The Shallows’ (2016)

Nancy Adams

The Shallows is a 2016 survival horror film about a medical student who gets stranded 200 yards from shore while surfing, where she must fight to survive a shark attack. She survives by swimming to a nearby buoy, and avoids the shark by swimming through a group of jellyfish that stung her and the shark.

A Pure, Gut-Wrenching Survival Thriller

The film was directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, written by Anthony Jaswinski, and stars Lively as Nancy Adams, the medical student who is surfing on vacation and ends up fighting for her life against a shark. For her work, Lively won the People’s Choice Awards for Favorite Dramatic Movie Actress, and received nominations for Best International Actress and Choice Summer Movie Star: Female at the Jupiter Awards and Teen Choice Awards.

3

‘A Simple Favor’ (2018)

Emily Nelson

A Simple Favor is a 2017 black comedy crime-thriller about a mommy blogger named Stephanie who is seeking to uncover the truth about the disappearance of her best friend Emily. The story is narrated by Emily’s best friend and husband, who must work together to uncover what happened to her. As Stephanie begins investigating Emily’s past, she discovers surprises that contradict Emily’s seemingly perfect life of having a successful career, loving family, and glamorous lifestyle.

Complex and Mesmerizing Portrayal

Blake Lively stars in A Simple Favor as Emily Nelson, a seductive, murderous con artist who lures her best friend and husband into faking her death and scamming the insurance company. She shares a beautiful chemistry with Anna Kendrick and her ability to infuse the character with an intoxicating blend of mystery, sophistication, and intrigue is a true highlight of the movie. A sequel to the film was announced in May 2022 with Kendrick and Lively set to reprise their roles.

2

‘The Town’ (2010)

Krista “Kris” Coughlin

The Town is a 2010 crime drama film about a Boston bank robber developing romantic feelings for a victim of his from a previous heist. Lively appears in the film as Krista “Kris” Coughlin, the ex-girlfriend of Doug, who crashed her car with her child while driving under the influence. Kris betrays Doug by cooperating with the FBI and relaying information about him and his criminal heists, after being threatened and intimidated by Agent Frawley.

Lively Stands Out Among a Powerful Ensemble

In 2010, The Town won Best Ensemble Cast and Best Ensemble from the National Board of Review and Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association. It also won Top Ten Films, Best Acting by an Ensemble Cast from the National Board of Review, and received nominations at several awards ceremonies. Lively’s performance in the movie is particularly memorable and raw, and she shares the screen with Rebecca Hall, Ben Afflect, and Jeremy Renner.

1

‘Gossip Girl’ (2007 – 2012)

Serena van der Woodsen

Gossip Girl is a teen drama television series about the privileged lives of adolescents living in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, and the betrayal they inflict upon each other; while being constantly observed and exposed by an anonymous blogger. The storyline begins with the return of a teenage “it girl” named Serena van der Woodsen, who was considered to be mysteriously absent before returning to the Upper East Side. She is reunited with her longtime friend and enemy Blair Waldorf; her mother Lily, and meets Dan Humphrey, an aspiring writer who becomes her main love interest throughout the show.

The Most Iconic Role In Lively’s Career

Lively starred in Gossip Girl as Serena from 2007 to 2012 and received several accolades for her work; including from the Teen Choice Awards, Newport Beach Film Festival, and nominations from other various awards ceremonies. Her character took viewers on a journey through the ever-changing world of Manhattan’s elite, with co-star Leighton Meester’s Blair Waldorf always by her side. The success of Gossip Girl resulted in many adaptations in other countries and the series won 18 Teen Choice Awards and received numerous award nominations.