Image via Complex Original
Five years ago, Gossip Girl premiered on The CW, and so began the rise of Blake Lively. Today, Lively is a fixture on newsstands; we are pretty sure she is on at least one magazine cover every month. She makes all the big lists: Maxim's Hot 100, AskMen's Top 99, People's Most Beautiful, Vogue's Best Dressed, and Mel Kiper Jr.'s Big Board.
Just how much juice does Blake have? Consider this: Once she finally outgrew her TV boyfriend Penn Badgley, she ran around with Leonardo DiCaprio—who'd called it quits with Bar Refaeli—for six months, then took up with Ryan Reynolds, the former Mr. Scarlett Johansson. A month ago, she and Reynolds tied the knot.
Was Blake destined to be so damn ubiquitous? If not for Gossip Girl, would she be known today as whats-her-name from the Traveling Pants movies? Who knows. But we do know that tomorrow night, Gossip Girl begins its sixth and final season, and Lively is back as Serena van der Woodsen. To get in the mood for the first of the last 10 episodes, click through these 30 instantly classic Blake Lively shots.
Blake Lively Marc Hom Esquire 3
Marc Hom photo shoot, Esquire, February 2010
Blake Lively Unknown 1
Unknown photo shoot
Blake Lively Mark Abrahams Marie Claire 2
Mark Abrahams photo shoot, Marie Claire, December 2009
Blake Lively Marc Hom Esquire 1
Marc Hom photo shoot, Esquire, February 2010
Blake Lively Matthew Frost Nylon 2
Matthew Frost photo shoot, Nylon, November 2009
Blake Lively Mario Testino Vogue 5
Mario Testino photo shoot, Vogue, June 2010
Blake Lively David Sjliper Bullett 1
David Sjliper photo shoot, Bullett, summer 2010
Blake Lively Txema Yeste Marie Claire 2
Txema Yeste photo shoot, Marie Claire, July 2012
Blake Lively Tom Munro Elle 2
Tom Munro photo shoot, Elle, March 2012
Blake Lively Mario Testino Vogue 2
Mario Testino photo shoot, Vogue, 2009
Blake Lively Tom Munro Elle 1
Tom Munro photo shoot, Elle, March 2012
Blake Lively Txema Yeste Marie Claire 3
Txema Yeste photo shoot, Marie Claire, July 2012
Blake Lively Matthew Frost Nylon 3
Matthew Frost photo shoot, Nylon, November 2009
Blake Lively Mark Abrahams Marie Claire 3
Mark Abrahams photo shoot, Marie Claire, December 2009
Blake Lively Mario Testino Vogue 4
Mario Testino photo shoot, Vogue, June 2010
Blake Lively Matthew Frost Nylon 1
Matthew Frost photo shoot, Nylon, November 2009
Blake Lively Mark Abrahams Marie Claire 1
Mark Abrahams photo shoot, Marie Claire, December 2009
Blake Lively Carter Smith Allure 2
Carter Smith photo shoot, Allure, October 2012
Blake Lively Mario Testino Vogue 3
Mario Testino photo shoot, Vogue, June 2010
Blake Lively Txema Yeste Marie Claire 1
Txema Yeste photo shoot, Marie Claire, July 2012
Blake Lively Marc Hom Esquire 2
Marc Hom photo shoot, Esquire, February 2010
Blake Lively Mario Testino Vogue 1
Mario Testino photo shoot, Vogue, 2009
Blake Lively Unknown 2
Unknown photo shoot
Blake Lively Fabrice Dell'Anese Vanity Fair 2
Fabrice Dell'Anese photo shoot, Vanity Fair Italy, September 2012
Blake Lively David Sjliper Bullett 2
David Sjliper photo shoot, Bullett, summer 2010
Blake Lively Elle Japan
Elle Japan, February 2011
Blake Lively Fabrice Dell'Anese Vanity Fair 1
Fabrice Dell'Anese photo shoot, Vanity Fair Italy, September 2012
Blake Lively Carter Smith Allure 1
Carter Smith photo shoot, Allure, October 2012
Blake Lively Glamour 2011
Glamour, 2011
Blake Lively Craig McDean AnOther
Craig McDean photo shoot, AnOther Magazine, Autumn/Winter 2009
