MY LIFE WITH 2 KIDS

Blake Lively talks sleepless nights, marriage to Ryan Reynolds and her intense new movie role

Blake Lively opens up about parenting, marriage (to feminist Ryan Reynolds) and her intense new movie role.

“Every moment you’re just trying to figure out what the heck you’re doing”

To get herself to leave the comforts of home life with husband Ryan Reynolds, 41, and their daughters, James, who turns 3 on Dec. 16, and Inez, 1, in Bedford, New York—a secluded suburban haven to many celebrities— Blake Lively, 30, concedes she needs a push. “I’m always ambitious about filmmaking,” she has said. “But I love my personal life so much—and my family so much—that it takes a lot to make me want to leave the house.”

In the movie All I See Is You, you play a character who loses her eyesight.

What was the biggest challenge? Being blind was really challenging, because I actually wore lenses that took away my sight. But I also had to sing, and the role required some nudity. It’s not explicit, but it’s about somebody who can’t see her body while others can.

You have two young daughters, James and Inez. Are you getting any sleep?

James slept through the night and then I had Inez and she was not sleeping through the night because she was a baby. She finally started sleeping through the night, and then James decided not to sleep through the night. So it’s been three years of not sleeping!

How do you and husband Ryan Reynolds balance your schedules?

My husband and I don’t work at the same time, we all go together as a family. If we’re away, it’s never more than a day.

What was it like filming when Inez was only 4 months old?

I’m not in an office where I can’t do that, so she’s either with me, or when I’m shooting a scene she’s one room away. If she really needs me, I can pop over there.

It’s been 10 years since Gossip Girl debuted. What advice would you give your 20-year-old self?

I fought for my crew a lot, but I didn’t feel like I could fight for myself in the same way. As a woman, you’re afraid of a label you may acquire by demanding fair treatment for yourself ... I was afraid of coming across as a “diva” or “difficult.” I’d encourage myself to love myself and fight for myself as hard as I fought for other people.

Mia Mcniece