Ernie Lively, actor and Blake Lively’s father, dies aged 74

Lively died last Thursday.

Blake Lively's father Ernie has passed away suddenly at the age of 74. Starring in Turner and Hooch, The Dukes of Hazzard, and even playing Blake's on-screen dad in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Lively passed away on June 3 in Los Angeles. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Lively died suddenly on Thursday after suffering cardiac complications. He was surrounded by his wife and his children. Along with Blake, his other children Jason, Eric, Robyn, and Lori all followed in his footsteps and worked in the film and TV industry. [caption id="attachment_526288" align="alignnone" width="1704"] Blake and her father Ernie Lively[/caption] Lively, who was born Ernest Wilson Brown Jr., has over 100 acting credits to his name, including Passenger 57, Saving Grace, The West Wing, Mulholland Falls, Baywatch, Shocker, The Man in the Moon. He also starred in the 1993 film version of The Beverly Hillbillies. He also starred with Phil McHale in the well-known Hardee’s sdverts from 1979-81 as part of the duo Runner & Ernie. Before his acting career took off, Lively worked as an English professor and served time in the military. During his time in Vietnam, he went from lieutenant to captain in the U.S. Marine Corps. While the majority of his acting roles were guest starring, he also worked as an acting coach and mentored many children to reach their dreams, including his own five children. Lively is survived by his wife Elain, whom he married in 1979 and adopted her three children from a previous marriage. In 2003, Lively suffered a heart attack back in 2003 and in November 2013 he received stem-cell therapy as part of an experimental retrograde gene procedure.