Blake Lively is exhausting. Which is weird, because it’s not even like we talk about her that much these days. She barely works, she’s more model than actress nowadays and she doesn’t show up to the opening of an envelope. She’s been hunkered down (I guess) with Ryan Reynolds, taking modeling gigs and switching up her management team (because that was the problem, I suppose). But when I glanced through Blake’s new interview with The Cut, I just felt… exhaustion. It’s four pages of Blake taking endlessly about food and her special “lifestyle” project which she still hasn’t launched. No one but Benedict Cumberbatch should be THIS chatty. You can read the full piece here (grab a cup of coffee to stay awake) and here are some highlights:
Does she use scent to get into character? “Hm, I never thought about that. I think I do the other version. My scent is who I am, it’s very distinct. When I’m playing a character, I don’t wear perfume. I don’t want to feel like me, I want to disappear into it. I think that’s a big tell, so I don’t pick scents for characters. But I also play a lot of dark characters, so it would make me dislike a lot of scents. Maybe one day, when I play a lovely, enjoyable character who isn’t being tortured.”
What she smells like every day: “I think I smell like … cookies. [Laughs.] Chocolate chip, with a lot of pecans. No, but I really do wear Gucci Premiere every day. I love that it has feminine and masculine [notes]. I’m very particular with fragrance, and used to wear a different fragrance in the summer and winter, or for different events. But because Gucci Premiere is so nicely balanced, I don’t have to do that anymore.” [Editor’s note: ah, great infomercial.]
The scent of her first date: “Hmm. I don’t know if I have ever been on a date. Maybe the Cheesecake Factory? Yeah … that would work. [Laughs.] I guess? I don’t know. My first date must have been my first boyfriend, when I was a senior in high school. And you don’t really go on dates then. You know what I mean? I’ve always dated people I’ve been friends with for a long time. So maybe Cheesecake Factory. That’s where I would go now.”
Haircare: “Something my mom does that is kind of cool: She puts coconut oil on the ends of her hair. When you shampoo your hair, you’re trying to get the oil out of your roots, but you really want the rest of your hair to maintain its moisture. When you put coconut oil on the ends, the shampoo gets oil out of the roots, but also protects the ends.”
Whether she would ever do a pixie cut: “Hmm, I don’t know. For me, my hair is like a shield. I’m actually a pretty shy person by nature. With long hair, you can put your hair down and cover your face. I think a pixie cut is so cute. I just think that everyone that has one is the most courageous person. It’s so daring to do that! I get geeked out by people when they do that. They’re awesome. Would I do it? Maybe. But it’s totally ballsy. You see someone do that and you think, I want to be friends with them. They’re really brave.”
Her lifestyle site isn’t really about lifestyle: “I don’t know if it’s a lifestyle site. I was very vague about it. And because of that, everyone was filling in the blanks about what other sites it could be like. It’s not accurate. I’m creating a brand that I felt the need for. I was on my show [Gossip Girl] for so long that I really wanted to break from acting, because it lost its excitement for me in a way, because it was such a job. I never lost my appreciation for [acting], though. I just felt like I didn’t have as much to offer because I got used to it. I wanted to explore other passions. At first, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. The company came from something separate when I had that free time. It’s a space I wanted that I couldn’t find anywhere else. I’m still being very vague, intentionally. But I’m really, really excited. By the time it launches, we will have developed it for two years. So it’s a lot of time, energy, efforts, resources, working with amazing people. No [it will not be about lifestyle.] Yes, it will be a site. But not necessarily lifestyle.”
On Gwyneth’s GOOP: “Oh my gosh, I’m such a huge fan. I think Goop is amazing. Pinterest I’m obsessed with. Etsy is not a lifestyle site, but it’s pretty amazing what they’ve done. But I think it’s also neat, all the blogs. They don’t need a huge company behind them. You can just be a fan of fashion, art, or a fan of all things. There are so many Tumblrs I like to follow.”
She has a Pinterest: “I have a Pinterest account. I don’t have any friends on it. It’s not under my name. It’s not like, top secret. It’s just a way that I can store the boards. If I’m looking [at] hair things, I see, oh, that’s me! That’s so weird! But I do re-pin pictures of Ryan. [Laughs.]
Does use Gwyneth Paltrow’s cookbooks? “No, I haven’t. I don’t really cook from a cookbook. But I have her cookbooks. I have so many: Thomas Keller’s whole collection, Joel Rubochon, and Nigella Lawson. To me, they’re more like coffee-table books. I think her cookbook is beautiful. I geek out with Thomas Keller. He’s my number one. He’s like my superhero. Chefs are like my rock stars. I could meet the biggest movie star and feel so honored, but if I see a chef, I just want to hide under a table.
Blake does confirm that her site will be about food and “a little bit of everything” (which means that it IS lifestyle) and that she will launch it in 2014. I do enjoy how Blake is walking the fine line with Gwyneth Paltrow – Blake wants to acknowledge that Gwyneth’s GOOP is the standard-bearer of pretentious celebrity side-project lifestyle sites, but Blake also wants people to think that she’s going to do it differently.
Also – “I really wanted to break from acting, because it lost its excitement for me in a way, because it was such a job.” Yes, Blake. It was your choice, of course. I mean, I think she did want to take some time off and stuff, but if she had been offered some good scripts, she would have jumped at it. There’s a good dose of Jessica Biel-ism in here, I think.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Whoa.
She’s vapid.
Perfect description
yah. Gotta wonder what type of a person Ryan Reynolds is, based on the fact that he’s married to her.
He’s great fun in interviews. He’s generally not asked these kinds of questions, though.
Yeah, that’s all I could think. I mean Lauren Conrad gives better interviews than this and she’s pretty bland (and this is coming from an LC fan).
Exactly my thought!!! And why are the first three questions around scent? Help me, is there something more to this or is it because the interviewer didn’t know what else to ask her? I mean, ‘Does she use scents to get into character’. Seriously?!
Wow! Blake Lively looks so beautiful here! My only quibble is her dress should be tea length, not floor length.
I confess I didn’t get past “Blake Lively is exhausting.” because I’m already pretty exhausted (maybe a little stomach bug) and not up for more.
Sloane I totally agree. I loved it, but it NEEDS to be tea length.
I came here to say the same thing! I would love it if it were just a bit shorter! I’m also not wild about that necklace, but I can let it slide.
Hope you feel better soon, Sloane! Try to keep hydrated!
so true, the dress is fantastic. Blake looks great here! Fresh and pretty
She should consider changing she name to Blake Boring.
Thank you for making me laugh. All I can say is bless her little heart.
Oh Blake honey, you don’t know what a real job is. Come and sit in my office for a month and then whine about how acting is “such a job.” Ugh. I know it’s not all sunshine and lollipops but please don’t try to convince me that you stopped because you had it sooooo rough.
THIS. I’ve been fighting frustration tears at my cubicle since Monday morning. Thing just keep getting worse in here. Out of touch management, over worked, under appreciated, separate rules for different people, etc etc. Needless to say, I’m trying to transfer positions. None of the other people I talk to within the company can believe what a mess this department is. I’d LOVE to see Blake try to get through one week of my job.
My retail job is exactly like this too.
+1. After she’s spent the week at your office, Erinn, feel free to send Blake on over to my hospital!
We’ll see if after a 60 hour week, when she’s exhausted, stressed and overworked in an understaffed department, covered in blood/vomit/faeces and copping abuse from patients/families/superiors whilst trying her best to help save people’s lives if she still considers acting that bad of a job.
MisJes – two of my closest friends are nurses – I can’t even imagineeeee . One of them has been told to F-off so many times, and been grabbed at by patients, it’s just disgusting. I couldn’t handle it. As much as I hate my job at the moment (I loved it for a long time until things kept snowballing) I know I would not have the patience to work in a hospital setting. I completely admire the folks that do.
I build websites for a living; not exactly a life or death situation by any means, but my god, half the people in my department are on stress leave for how ridiculous it’s gotten – management says so many things that if HR heard, they’d be in so much shit. I’ve had panic attacks because of the environment they’ve cultivated in the last six months. I look at the department next to mine, and the staff are joking, and laughing, and their boss is encouraging them, and they’re HAPPY. It’s ridiculous how much of a different atmosphere it is just ten feet away. We’re on the end of the year push where nothing is good enough.
@Erinn, thank you for your kind words about Nurses – you’ve cheered me up!
God, I really feel for you and your situation – at least I can disappear in the chaos of the clinical setting when my colleagues/superiors get too much. I can’t imagine how hard it must be to be to have to plough on within the vincinty of those causing all your misery all. day. long. Especially with the happier department being rubbed in your face too! I couldn’t cope; I admire your strength and the fact you still go in every day. Hang in there! 🙂
I totally understand you! You just described my job,having a week from hell,lol
As an actor, I really disagree with what you’re saying. Acting IS a job it’s not just (or ever) fun and glamour. Having to do 20 takes on the same 2 min scene, 5 am calls, having to cope with unpredictable directors/ costars). People don’t realise how precise and choreographed film and tv acting is, you have to know your movements/lines with little to no rehearsal and on top of that deliver good acting consistently take after take, while juggling long days. It’s not just getting your hair and makeup done and prancing around in fancy clothes.
Moon – while acting IS a job, in a sense it’s more luxurious than sitting in a cubicle, working a 9-5, or working 12 hour shifts 3 days a week etc. For Blake, at the end of a film, she makes more than most people make in a year. I’d take that job over my desk job any day – including the crazy directors, 5 am calls and 20 scene retakes.
I sympathise with everyone stuck in a job they hate, or who feels overworked, uninspired, or stuck in a rut. Been there, done that. But nowhere does she say she had it rough. Maybe she wants to spend her time on things that are more interesting or fun to her. I can’t fault her for that.
That’s true. But I don’t know, the flippant manner in which she said it just rubbed me wrong. I hope she realizes how lucky she is to be able to walk away from her job simply to do something more “fun”. I wish I could afford to do the same.
@MisJes,
She has always talked about how fortunate she was for Gossip Girl. While some of the other actors tossed shade at the show, she talked about how it gave her everything. I’m sure they were all grateful to have steady jobs in their career of choice, but I doubt it was that satisfying creatively for any of them, especially the actors / characters given the shortest end of the stick by the writing staff.
Acting seems like a fun gig, but I’m sure there are aspects of it that can take their toll over time.
She is very very boring. Think about all off this without her looks and what stays? “I smell like cookies.” She has nothing interesting to say and is mostly known now for being married to Reynolds and her lack of acting ability/jobs. I have nothing against her, but even Jen Aniston is worth more to talk about, because she is in the movies.
She is not only boring, but pretty dumb too. I know there are people out there who are much more despicable, but she’s really getting on my nerves.
Everyone’s right; she’s pretty bland.
I still think she’s pretty and harmless but yeah, not someone I would want to have an extended conversation with.
I agree. Can’t find anything to hate on here either tbh.
O good God..
Yeah she had such a hard life acting. Whatevs Boring Blake
she would.
Good grief she’s boring. “I geek out” what does that mean?
I think she means she gets fangirly “squee” about those things. I don’t think she means “being abnormally skilled or a walking encyclopedia about a chosen subject to the point that you would join online forums or attend conventions with like-minded people.”
She could also try to be a student with a student loan and one or two jobs. I could ask her to switch lives for a day but being this vapid, boring and one-dimensional would kill me. Even if it is for a day… I try to respect people’s lives and opinions but with some people I just can’t. 😛
It’s a lighthearted interview. She seems kind and not out to cause controversy. Never understood the relentless snark such a “boring” person could generate.
I agree…she is only answering the questions that the interviewer has asked her. I’m so sick and tired of the Miley, Lindsey, etc. crowd…she is def less “interesting” than them, but I will cut her some slack for not becoming a “mess” while finding fame, while still rather young…
She is so far removed from reality, it’s ridiculous. Poster #1 is right — she is totally vapid and self-absorbed. I sense that she’s trying to be Goop for the slightly younger crowd, but honey listen, there is only room for one idiot lifestyle blogger. Find something else to do.
I dunno…I feel like this is one of those things, an option for people to do when they don’t want to do anything else? Or…make your thing your brand by blogging. Like ‘mommy bloggers’ and ‘hipster mommy bloggers’ and the like. You’re an actress, you’re famous, but you don’t want to act any more. Time to get a blog and tell people about cupcakes!!!
I bear no ill-will towards that kind of thing. The internet is kept alive partly by aspirational bullshit of all kinds!
If I were a famous actress bored by acting, I’d go hardcore blogging. Like, I’d go to a celeb party, then post about how to make preserves out of stolen leftover canapes. The best way to get c** stains out of expensive loan dresses. You know, ‘real’ stuff.
LOL. Yup, that would definitely get a much larger following than GOOP and a lot faster, too.
Lol I would read it!
Sweet Jesus she’s boring. Looks like someone’s running for valedictorian in The School of Jessica Biel.
At least she doesn’t complain that she doesn’t get parts because of how good looking she is. Between Blake and Biel, I’d take Blake. Blake seems to have her reality glasses on right. Mrs. Timberlake—not so much.
I only read the first 3 paragraphs and I couldn’t take it anymore. Soo dull.
Good God, if she’s this bland and fatuous in her 20s, what will she be like when she hits her, say, 40s?
NO talent + a great body = stardom. Unfortunately.
Her rise disappointed me because there are so many actors of color who have more talent in their pinkies than Blake has in her whole body, but they’ll never get the attention or roles Blake does because they aren’t an All-American white girl.
Her acting still sucks hardcore.
At least Goop got an Oscar first.
One basic white girl praises another. As the stomach churns…
LOL!!
Ha! Exactly!
Aww, I like her. I think she’s harmless.
She’s an idiot. Complaining about her job, when it’s basically been dressing up and acting dumb & vapid. Good thing she married well.
Hmm I don’t know. I think she seems boring.
I also love when people with middling careers declare they’re taking a break.
I’m a cookbook collector, too, and don’t cook from half of them. I fall in love with reading the recipes, looking at the pictures, and then never cook from half of them. I think I have an addiction to buying cookbooks.
This is me to a T. I have a thing for vintage cookbooks (with weird recipes I would never make) and books with beautiful pictures (too pretty to bring in the kitchen. ;))
Blake Not so Lively (copyright)-Michael K) is SUCH an appropriate nickname.
hahaha, i just commented about this
Why can’t this woman ever stand with her head straight? She looks like a dog with an ear infection. I get vertigo just looking at pictures of her.
Is it just me or is there something weird about the way the dress makes her body recede and her head bigger? She looks weirdly out of proportion in both photos. Is it the floral pattern. Just the weirdest visual trick. And if it is the floral pattern, I’ll have to remember that the next time I need someone’s head to look bigger than their body in photographs.
I chuckled on her saying she plays a lot of dark characters. I may be biased, because I’ve never seen her outside a Gossip Girl and that Jeans Society something.
“Yes, that character is pretty dark, so we need someone good to play her. Is Helena available? Cate Blanchett? No? Well, try with Blake Lively.”
She has, though. Even that Travelling Pants movie had her mother commit suicide.
Your job sucks? I just got fired – a week before Christmas – from a nonprofit called Dress for Success.
@Jacqueline,
I’m so sorry. 🙁 Dress for Success is a great organisation (and oddly enough, I heard Blake name check it before on some TV show.) Kudos to you for helping people in need. I hope you find another good job soon.
Today I’m off my job while waiting for biopsy results. I was so looking forward to the holidays, but things changed on a dime. Life can truly suck sometimes.
Wow, she’s deep, isn’t she? As deep as a puddle of water.
The only time I was ever interested in her was when she dated Leo. They should have stayed together. She’d have been way better for his image than these interchangeable VS gals.
That’s assuming he wouldn’t have had models on the side lol. Dating an actress would bring more scrutiny to his personal life. Maybe that’s why he sticks to models.
Wow!! She’s not very smart, is she? I wonder what kind conversations she and her pretty boy have. It must be fun to be around them
Lol at Michael K’s nickname for her: Blake NotSoLively.
Wow, that dress is a freaking tea party garden nightmare.