Blake: “I’m very lucky Ryan’s such a devoted dad”
Hollywood actress Blake Lively opens up about her husband Ryan Reynolds and how they don’t let their film careers get in the way of enjoying family life
They’re regarded as one of Hollywood’s golden couples since marrying in 2012 and welcoming daughters James, three, and Ines, 23 months. And Blake Lively says that despite their hugely successful film careers, she and husband Ryan Reynolds make their marriage work by putting family first.
The 30 year old, who found worldwide fame in US teen drama Gossip Girl, says, “Wherever we go in the world on our adventure together, our family is our first priority. Work comes and goes, but we value our private time together more than anything.
“Enjoying our time as a couple and being good parents to our children makes us happier and more confident, which allows us to do our best work without worrying about spending long hours on a film set.”
SEPARATE LIVES
She adds, “I’m very lucky that Ryan is such a devoted father and shares all the domestic responsibilities with me. We never work at the same time, either. I was with him in Vancouver while he was shooting Deadpool 2 last year. I look after the kids when he’s working and then he takes care of them while I’m working. When we’re at home we’re like any other couple and enjoy everything that comes with playing with our kids, cooking and having family and friends over.”
Despite both being A-list celebs, Blake insists she and Ryan, 41, work hard to keep their relationship as low-key as they can – often attending red-carpet events alone to fly under the radar.
She explains, “We try to separate our lives when we’re out in public. Sometimes we’ll attend each other’s film premieres, but many times we won’t do that just to avoid attracting more attention.”
Blake struck up a friendship with Ryan when they starred together in the 2011 film The Green Lantern. But the pair only realised they had chemistry when they both set one another up on an awkward double date with other people, with Blake later revealing, “It didn’t click for a good year and half that ‘Oh, maybe we could date?’”
TRUST & RESPECT
She added, “But that’s what I appreciate about our relationship; that he’s my friend first and foremost. Not just in our history, but in everyday life he is my friend first.”
And Blake – who has dated Hollywood stars Leonardo Dicaprio and Penn Badgley in the past – says her marriage with Ryan helps her stay strong.
She says, “Ryan makes me feel very strong and independent. He’s someone who has a great spirit and we have a very healthy relationship, which is both very profound and also light-hearted. And we also have that kind of mutual trust and respect, which is the basis of every good partnership.”
The actress became a household name at just 19, starring as Serena van der Woodsen in the hit US series Gossip Girl. The show – which ran from 2007 to 2012 – saw her relocate from her family home
in LA to New York.
BIG BREAK
She explains, “It was a whole new world. It was the first time I had ever lived alone, away from my parents and very far away from our family home in Los Angeles. I was only 19 and, when you start
living in a city like New York, it forces you to grow up very fast.” But while she may have appeared destined for fame – with her father Ernie also an actor, her mother Elaine a talent scout and her four brothers and sisters all involved in the entertainment industry – Blake admits her shyness almost worked against her. She says, “When you grow up in a family where practically everyone is an actor, their lives centre around one kind of world and you either follow them or want to go your own way. I decided that I didn’t want to be defined by the family business and I wanted to find something else on my own. I was also quite shy, which is not the best quality to have if you want to pursue acting. But later in my teens I decided I would try it and, when Gossip Girl came along, that changed my life and I haven’t looked back since.” She adds, “Back then, at 19, I was learning how to be an adult, be very professional in my work, and know how to deal with the outside world in the right way. Now I feel like I’m taking a similar kind of crash course on what it means to be a parent, looking after your family, and managing your career all at the same time. But I feel very good about my life and I’m happy.”
‘Living alone at 19 forced me to grow up’