Lively was born Ernest Wilson Brown Jr. in Baltimore, Maryland, the son of Beatrice Gray (Walton, 1927-1994) and Ernest W. Brown Sr (1919-2007).
Lively may be best known for his roles in Passenger 57, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2. In the latter two films, he played the father of a character played by his own real life daughter, Blake.
Lively's credits as a character actor date back to the 1970s, beginning with TV roles on shows including The Waltons and The Dukes of Hazzard. He appeared in movies including Turner & Hooch, Air America, Passenger 57 and The Beverly Hillbillies and on popular TV shows like The X-Files, That '70s Show and The West Wing. In 2005, he played the father of his daughter Blake’s character in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and he returned for its 2008 sequel. Lively was also a director, directing Blake in her film debut, “Sandman.” A father of five, he influenced all of his children as they pursued acting careers. Lively was also a U.S. Marine Corps veteran of the Vietnam War.

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