Ernie Lively, veteran character actor and father of Blake Lively, has died at 74.
Lively had struggled for decades with heart problems. After a 2003 heart attack, he reportedly had trouble walking even short distances without a rest. In 2013, he received experimental stem cell therapy. Via Deadline, he passed June 2nd, 2021 of cardiac complications.
Born January 29th, 1947, Lively had been a constant presence on screens big and small since the mid 1970’s. He had parts in such beloved series and films as The Dukes of Hazzard, Murder, She Wrote, Turner and Hooch, The Beverly Hillbillies, The X-Files, Seinfeld, thirtysomething, That ’70s Show, and The West Wing.
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In 2005, he acted alongside his daughter Blake, performing as her character’s father in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. He later reprised that role in 2008’s The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2.
Five of Lively’s eight children also became actors, including Blake Lively (Gossip Girl), Eric Lively (The L Word), Jason Lively (National Lampoon’s European Vacation), Lori Lively (ER, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), and Robyn Lively (Twin Peaks, Doogie Howser, M.D.).
