All it takes is a little friendship — and a pair of jeans

It all started with friendship and a good-fitting pair of jeans. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants stars a pre-Gossip Girl Blake Lively and America Ferrera before she was known for her iconic female-empowerment speech in Barbie. If you grew up in the early 2000s, it’s certain that you were obsessed over this movie.

Four best friends who grew up together are gearing up for their first summer apart as Lena (Alexis Bledel) travels to Greece and Bridget (Lively) goes to Mexico, while Carmen and Tibby stay close to home. But when the friends discover a pair of jeans that magically fit them all perfectly, they take turns sharing the pants and realize they will be connected no matter where they are.

And if the sweet friendship in the movie wasn’t enough, the four on-screen best friends are close in real life and reunited for a second film in 2008. Check in with Amber Tamblyn, Blake Lively and the rest of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants cast and see what they’ve been up to since the movie premiered nearly 20 years ago!

Amber Tamblyn

Character Played: Tibby

Born: May 14, 1983, in Santa Monica, California

Best Known For: The movies The Grudge 2 (2006) and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (2008). Also known for the TV series Joan of Arcadia (2003-2005) and Two and a Half Men (2013-2015)

Thoughts on Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants: “I feel very lucky, and it never ceases to amaze me that it turned out this way. And even David [Tamblyn’s husband] and Ryan [Blake Lively’s husband] are friends — like, our dudes are friends.”

Blake Lively

Character Played: Bridget

Born: August 25, 1987, in Los Angeles, California

Best Known For: The TV series Gossip Girl (2007-2012), as well as the movies The Age of Adaline (2015), A Simple Favor (2018) and It Ends with Us (2024)

Thoughts on Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants: “I got to that audition and they gave me the lines right there, and it was 10 pages…  I did it, and it went really well.”

America Ferrera

Character Played: Carmen

Born: April 18, 1984, in Los Angeles, California

Best Known For: The TV series Ugly Betty (2006-2010) and Superstore (2015-2021). Also the movies How to Train Your Dragon (2010) and Barbie (2023)

Thoughts on Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants: “Our friendship now has gone on and involved so much more than the films we did together, that I sometimes forget that they’re my Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants [co-stars].”

Alexis Bledel

Character Played: Lena

Born: September 16, 1981, in Houston, Texas

Best Known For: The TV series Gilmore Girls (2000-2007) and The Handmaid’s Tale (2017-2021), as well as the movies Tuck Everlasting (2002), Sin City (2005) and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (2008)

Thoughts on Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants: “The characters were so well crafted and they seemed like such real people that I think we all ended up giving it a second look because of that.”

Jenna Boyd

Character Played: Bailey

Born: March 4, 1993, in Bedford, Texas

Best Known For: The movies The Missing (2003), Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star (2003) and The Hunted (2003). Also known for the TV series, Atypical (2017-2021)

Michael Rady

Character Played: Kostas

Born: August 20, 1981, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Best Known For: The movies The Guardian (2006), The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (2008) and J. Edgar (2011)

Bradley Whitford

Character Played: Al

Born: October 10, 1959, in Madison, Wisconsin

Best Known For: The TV series The West Wing (1999-2006), as well as the movies The Cabin in the Woods (2011), Saving Mr. Banks (2013) and Get Out (2017)