Blake Lively is a household name in the entertainment industry. But she's far from the first Lively to make a name for herself on the big screen. Her older sister, Robyn Lively, was acting alongside the likes of David Hasselhoff, Robin Williams and Kurt Russell well before Blake was even born.
Seeing as how the sisters come from a family of Hollywood insiders, their on-screen destiny was almost inevitable.
According to People, their mother, Elaine Lively, is a talent agent who married actor and acting coach Ernie Lively in 1979. Prior to those nuptials, she had her first three children — Lori, Jason and Robyn — with her first husband, Ronnie Lively. Ernie adopted Elaine's three children from her previous marriage, and they later welcomed two kids of their own: Eric and Blake.
Despite being raised in a family of actors and actor-adjacent professionals, Blake told Ben Affleck in a 2010 profile for Interview Magazine that her childhood felt normal.
"I have a big, close, loving family, and they're all from the South, but because so many of them are actors, everyone was very normal about it," the "Gossip Girl" actress said. "It was just like any job to them. They always came home and talked about it around the dinner table the way any family talks about work, but it wasn't anything special."
As ordinary as it may have felt to the Livelys, not every family can say that they have two child actors who've gone on to enjoy successful and notable careers in the spotlight. So, let's take a look at Robyn Lively's career and her relationship with her A-list sister, Blake Lively.
A Child Star
Corey Nickols/Getty Images for IMDb
Born in Powder Springs, Georgia, on Feb. 7, 1972, Robyn's childhood was mostly spent in front of the camera. Her first role was at age 6 in the TV movie "Summer of My German Soldier," which aired in 1978 and won a Primetime Emmy Award.
She continued to appear in many popular TV shows throughout the '80s, such as "Knight Rider," "Punky Brewster," "Silver Spoons" and "The New Leave It to Beaver." In 1986, she landed her first movie gig in the comedy-drama "The Best of Times," in which she played Robin Williams' daughter. But one of her biggest film roles to date came in 1989, when she starred in "Teen Witch" as Louise Miller, a teenage girl who discovers she has magical powers except the ability to conjure up true love.
The 'Karate Kid' Era
Getty/Taylor Hill/WireImage
Robyn's heyday continued into the '90s with roles in major films such as "21 Jump Street" and shows including "Twin Peaks" and "Doogie Howser, M/D." But perhaps her most iconic role came in 1989, when she played Jessica Andrews in "The Karate Kid Part III."
In 2022, she revived the character for Netflix's series sequel to the "Karate Kid" films, "Cobra Kai," and appeared in an episode during Season 5. She told People she was "super excited" to play Jessica again.
"It's beyond anything I could have imagined," she said. "I just think they absolutely hit this one out of the park, and they could not have come up with a better story for her, in my opinion ... To be a part of 'The Karate Kid' franchise in 'Part III' was an absolute career highlight."
'High School Musical' Hubby
Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage
While Robyn is still very active in Hollywood, she does have other notable roles outside of the spotlight: wife and mother. In 1999, the actress married Bart Johnson, who is best known for playing Coach Jack Bolton (Zac Efron's fictional dad) in Disney's famous TV movie "High School Musical."
The couple appeared onscreen together in the 2022 film "Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters." They also have three kids together: Baylen, Wyatt and Kate.
Sisterly Love
Getty/Gotham/GC Images
Robyn is 16 years older than Blake, but that age gap didn't stop them from forming a close bond — especially now that they're both moms. Blake has four kids with her A-lister hubby, Ryan Reynolds.
"There's a significant age gap which feels almost nonexistent because she's now a mom," Robyn told Fox News Digital in 2022. "We have so many similarities. Our relationship is on a deeper level. We used to help each other with our projects and lines, things like that. Now we're doing the mom thing together.
"I genuinely feel like her children are mine as if I gave birth to them, and vice versa. We're like, 'Your children are mine, too.'"
While Blake and Robyn currently share a passion for motherhood, they have also shared their passion for acting. In 2006, they both appeared in the horror film "Simon Says." Their older sister, Lori Lively, and Robyn's husband also made cameos.
"From my perspective, they're like the same person," Johnson told Fox News Digital. "They've got the same energy and the same sense of humor. ... It's really gone a long way since Robyn was on 'Savannah' and Blake would come to hang out on set as a little girl. Now it feels like that age gap has closed ... They're best friends."
