Eric Lawrence Lively was born Eric Lawrence Brown on July 31, 1981 in Atlanta, Georgia and raised in Los Angeles, California. His mother, Elaine Lively (née McAlpin), is an acting coach and talent manager, and his father, Ernie Lively (born Ernest Wilson Brown Jr.), is an actor and teacher. His family works in the Entertainment Industry: his sister is actress Blake Lively; his half-siblings are thespians Robyn Lively, Jason Lively, and Lori Lively; and his brothers-in-law are actors Ryan Reynolds, and Bart Johnson.

Eric finished high school at 15 and immediately moved to New York, where he planned to get a degree in photography from The Parsons School of Design, but after being approached by The Ford Agency to model, he landed such campaigns as Abercrombie and Fitch, Levi's, and Tommy Hilfiger. This gave him the opportunity to learn from photographers he admired.

He returned to Los Angeles, where he resides, after booking a small role in "American Pie" (1999).