Elizabeth Banks is an American actress and director who was born Elizabeth Irene Mitchell on February 10, 1974. She is best recognized for her roles as Gail Abernathy-McKadden in the Pitch Perfect movie series (2012–2017) and Effie Trinket in The Hunger Games movie series (2012–2015). Pitch Perfect 2 (2015), whose $69 million opening-weekend gross established a record for a first-time filmmaker, marked her feature film directing debut. She then went on to star, direct, write, and produce in the 2019 action comedy Charlie's Angels. Additionally, she produced and directed the 2023 horror comedy film Cocaine Bear. Together with her husband Max Handelman, Banks established the film and television production company Brownstone Productions in October 2002.
In the independent, low-budget movie Surrender Dorothy from 1998, Banks made her acting debut. She has acted in a number of movies, including Wet Hot American Summer (2001), Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy (2002-2007), Seabiscuit (2003), The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005), Slither (2006), Invincible (2006), Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008), Role Models (2008), The Next Three Days (2010), Man on a Ledge (2012), What to Expect When You're Expecting (2012), Movie 43 (2013), The
Banks received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for her recurring role as Avery Jessup on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock. Additionally, she had recurring parts on the comedies Scrubs and Modern Family, the latter of which led to a third Primetime Emmy nomination for her. Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp (2015) and Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later (2017) both featured her as the lead. Press Your Luck, an ABC reboot of the 1980s game show, has been hosted by Banks since 2019.
Early Years
Banks was the oldest of Ann (née Wallace) and Mark P. Mitchell's four children and was born and raised in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Her mother worked in a bank, and her father, a veteran of the Vietnam War, worked in a General Electric factory. She characterized her family as "very old-school Irish Catholic, meat-and-potatoes." She rode horses and participated in baseball as a child. She shattered her leg while playing Little League while sliding into third base. Her acting career began when she tried out for the school play.
She attended Pittsfield High School and the Massachusetts Junior Classical League before graduating in 1992. She was a student at the University of Pennsylvania and a member of the sorority Delta DeltaDelta. She was also chosen for the Friars Senior Society. She earned a communications major and a theatrical art minor when she received her magna cum laude diploma in 1996. She obtained an MFA in 1998 after completing her studies at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, California.
Career
1998–2005: young professional and breakthrough
As actress Elizabeth Mitchell was already listed under that name when Banks joined the Screen Actors Guild, she changed her name.
She was given the opportunity to play a part in the soap opera Santa Barbara after performing in New York. She turned down the job since accepting it would have meant giving up her studies at the American Conservatory Theater, where she had borrowed money to finish her degree. She starred as Elizabeth Casey in the indie 1998 film Surrender Dorothy. Over the next seven years, she made appearances in a number of movies, including Wet Hot American Summer (2001), Swept Away (2002), and Seabiscuit (2003). Up until that point, her most notable performance had been as Betty Brant in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy (2002–2007).
Together with her future husband, Max Handelman, Banks founded her own production company, Brownstone Productions, in 2002.
With her part in the comedy movie The 40-Year-Old Virgin from 2005, Banks earned more significant and broad notice. She played Cherie, the seductive blonde wannabe nightclub singer, in William Inge's Bus Stop in August 2005 at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. Banks' depiction was performed "with poise, clarity, and a shrewd feel for Cherie's complexities," according to Jeffrey Borak. Her performance fits in perfectly and is stylistically in sync with those around her. She made an appearance on the show Stella in 2005, and in May 2006, she played Dr. Kim Briggs, the love interest of J.D. (Zach Braff), in the Scrubs season five finale on NBC. Banks was a recurring guest star in seasons six, seven, and eight.
2006 to 2014: Additional achievement and acclaim
Banks portrayed Mark Wahlberg's love interest in the 2006 American football drama film Invincible. Later, she and co-star Mark Wahlberg were considered for the MTV Movie Awards' "Best Kiss" honor. She was given the lead part in the comedy-horror movie Slither the same year.
Alongside Aaron Eckhart and Jessica Alba, Banks played the female lead in the comedy movie Meet Bill in 2007. She appeared in a minor capacity as Charlyne, Santa's little helper, in the Vince Vaughn and Paul Giamatti-starrer Fred Claus, a holiday comedy. She co-starred with Seth Rogen as the titular female lead in the Kevin Smith comedy Zack and Miri Make a Porno in 2008, played the role of United States First Lady Laura Bush in Oliver Stone's George W. Bush biopic W., and played the ex-wife and mother of Ryan Reynolds' daughter in the comedy film Definitely, Maybe.
A Tale of Two Sisters, a South Korean horror movie, was remade, and Banks starred in it in 2009. The main character of the movie is an intrusive stepmother who ruins life for her new husband's teenage daughters. The Hand That Rocks the Cradle's Rebecca De Mornay character served as the inspiration for Banks' character, Rachel. For my part, it was crucial that every line reading I gave could be taken in two different directions, says Banks, "so that when you go back through the movie you can see that."
In five movies (Wet Hot American Summer, The Baxter, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Role Models, and Our Idiot Brother), Banks has frequently starred alongside actor Paul Rudd. She frequently appears alongside actor Tobey Maguire in movies, and the two of them have shared the screen in five movies (Spider-Man, Seabiscuit, Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man 3, and The Details).
In the fourth season of the Emmy Award-winning sitcom 30 Rock, Banks was portrayed as Jack Donaghy's (Alec Baldwin) potential love interest. By the end of the fifth season, Banks, who was originally only going to appear in four episodes in 2010, had made a total of 13 appearances, including her marriage in the episode "Mrs. Donaghy." She was nominated for a 63rd Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her role in season five.
In 2012, Banks appeared in the action movie Man on a Ledge as well as the romance comedy What to Expect When You're Expecting. She also played Gail Abernathy-McKadden in the critically acclaimed and financially successful musical comedy Pitch Perfect. The next year, she co-starred and directed separate episodes of the critically panned comedy anthology Movie 43.
Banks played Effie Trinket, a representative of "The Capitol" who accompanies the District 12 tributes to the annual Hunger Games, in the science fiction action movie The Hunger Games (2012). In the follow-up movies The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013), The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 (2014), and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 (2015), she later played the character again. In the 2014 film Every Secret Thing, Banks co-starred as Detective Nancy Porter, who was looking into a case of a young child going missing that was similar to one she had previously been connected with. She gave the Master Builder Wyldstyle voice in the Warner Bros. animated movie The Lego Movie that same year.
In 2014, Banks received recognition from Elle Magazine at The Women in Hollywood Awards, which celebrated women for their great accomplishments in the film industry across all disciplines, including acting, directing, and producing.
Beginning in 2015, a directorial debut
Pitch Perfect 2 (2015), which Banks helmed in her feature directorial debut, was the follow-up to the movie she produced and starred in, Pitch Perfect. Additionally, she co-produced and acted in Pitch Perfect 2, as well as the subsequent sequel, Pitch Perfect 3 (2017).
In the 2015 biopic Love & Mercy, which is based on the life of the singer and founding member of The Beach Boys, Brian Wilson, as portrayed by John Cusack, Banks played Melinda Ledbetter Wilson, Brian's wife.
She was selected to serve on the Venice Film Festival's Main Competition Jury in 2015. Alfonso Cuarón served as the festival's chairman. Banks joined Realtor.com as a spokesperson in 2015 and appeared in a number of their television advertisements. Banks took on the role of Old Navy's brand ambassador in the middle of February 2016. In the 2017 Power Rangers reboot movie, she also portrayed the space creature Rita Repulsa.
Alongside Melissa McCarthy and Maya Rudolph, Banks co-starred as Jenny in the comedy movie The Happytime Murders in 2018. In the animated comedy movie The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, she played Lucy/Wyldstyle once more. In the superhero horror movie Brightburn, she later played Tori Breyer.
The summer 2019 reincarnation of the game show Press Your Luck, which Banks also executive produces, would be hosted by her, ABC revealed on May 2nd. Charlie's Angels is an action comedy movie that Banks directed, produced, wrote, and starred in as Bosley. It was released in November 2019. In the 2020 FX miniseries Mrs. America, she played the feminist Jill Ruckelshaus.
Based on her own unique story proposal, it was revealed in November 2019 that Banks would star in, produce, and direct a new version of The Invisible Woman (1940). The female monster will be rebooted, and Erin Cressida Wilson will pen the story. Max Handelman and Alison Small will serve as producer and executive producer, respectively.
Banks was given the option to select a project from the list of Universal Monsters in February 2020, and she ultimately decided on The Invisible Woman. In a live-action/animated hybrid version of The Magic School Bus, which she will also produce through her firm Brownstone Productions, it was revealed in June 2020 that Banks would feature as Ms. Frizzle.
The upcoming thriller film Cocaine Bear, which Banks will also produce with Max Handelman for Brownstone Productions, Phil Lord, and Christopher Miller, was given Banks' direction as of March 2021. Banks will both direct and feature in the new television series Red Queen, which is based on the dystopian novel of the same name, according to a May 2021 announcement from Peacock.
Banks was chosen to star in the upcoming movie The Beanie Bubble, which Kristin Gore and Damian Kulash are co-directing.
The planned Fox animated prime-time series Bedrock, which is a revival of the original series The Flintstones and would take place two decades after that series, will have Banks as executive producer and as Pebbles Flintstone's voice actor, it was announced in March 2023.
Personal life On September 7, 1992, Banks' first day of college, she met her husband Max Handelman, a sportswriter and producer from Portland, Oregon. They got married in 2003 and have two surrogate sons.
Banks underwent several stages of conversion to her husband's religion and studied with rabbis. Speaking about her religion in 2013, she said that she practices Judaism and that she has "been essentially a Jew for like 15 years," adding, "Frankly, because I'm already doing everything [practicing religious rituals], I feel like I'm as Jewish as I'm ever going to be." She added that although "I did not have my mikveh, so, technically, I'm not converted," she is nonetheless "practicing Judaism."
Politics
Banks is in favor of both abortion rights and gun control.
Banks participated in a performance of Rachel Platten's song "Fight Song" at the 2016 Democratic National Convention with other famous people. She was a vocal supporter of Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign. She has acknowledged being a feminist. Banks invited her Instagram fans to get in touch with VoteRiders in September 2020 to learn more and receive help with voter ID. She participated in the VoteRiders #IDCheck Challenge that same month on social media to increase awareness of the need for voter identification ahead of the 2018 presidential election.
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Director | Producer |
2009 | Surrogates | No | Executive |
2012 | Pitch Perfect | No | Yes |
2015 | Pitch Perfect 2 | Yes | Yes |
2017 | The Most Hated Woman in America | No | Yes |
Pitch Perfect 3 | No | Yes | |
2019 | Charlie's Angels | Yes | Yes |
2023 | Cat Person | No | Executive |
Cocaine Bear | Yes | Yes | |
Cocaine Bear: The True Story | No | Executive | |
Bottoms | No | Yes |
Acting roles
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
1998 | Surrender Dorothy | Vicki | Credited as Elizabeth Casey |
1999 | Uninvited | Lady Reporter | Credited as Elizabeth Maresal Mitchell |
2000 | Shaft | Trey's Friend | Credited as Elizabeth Maresal Mitchell |
2001 | Wet Hot American Summer | Lindsay | |
Ordinary Sinner | Rachel | ||
2002 | Spider-Man | Betty Brant | |
Swept Away | Debi | ||
Catch Me If You Can | Lucy Forrest | ||
2003 | The Trade | Sioux Sever | |
Seabiscuit | Marcela Howard | ||
2004 | Spider-Man 2 | Betty Brant | |
2005 | Heights | Isabel Lee | |
Sexual Life | Sarah | ||
The Sisters | Nancy Pecket | ||
The Baxter | Caroline Swann | ||
The 40-Year-Old Virgin | Beth | ||
Daltry Calhoun | May | ||
2006 | Slither | Starla Grant | |
Invincible | Janet Cantrell | ||
2007 | Spider-Man 3 | Betty Brant | |
Meet Bill | Jess | ||
Fred Claus | Charlene | ||
2008 | Definitely, Maybe | Emily Jones | |
Meet Dave | Gina Morrison | ||
Lovely, Still | Alex | ||
W. | Laura Bush | ||
Zack and Miri Make a Porno | Miriam "Miri" Linky | ||
Role Models | Beth Jones | ||
2009 | The Uninvited | Rachel Summers | |
2010 | The Next Three Days | Lara Brennan | |
2011 | The Details | Nealy Lang | |
Our Idiot Brother | Miranda Rochlin | ||
2012 | Man on a Ledge | Lydia Mercer | |
The Hunger Games | Effie Trinket | ||
What to Expect When You're Expecting | Wendy Cooper | ||
People Like Us | Frankie Davis | ||
Pitch Perfect | Gail Abernathy-McKadden | ||
2013 | The Hunger Games: Catching Fire | Effie Trinket | |
2014 | Little Accidents | Diane Doyle | |
The Lego Movie | Lucy / Wyldstyle (voice) | ||
Walk of Shame | Meghan Miles | ||
Every Secret Thing | Detective Nancy Porter | ||
Love & Mercy | Melinda Ledbetter | ||
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 | Effie Trinket | ||
2015 | Pitch Perfect 2 | Gail Abernathy-McKadden-Feinberg | |
Magic Mike XXL | Paris | ||
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 | Effie Trinket | ||
2017 | Power Rangers | Rita Repulsa | |
Pitch Perfect 3 | Gail Abernathy-McKadden-Feinberg | ||
2018 | The Happytime Murders | Jenny Peterson | |
2019 | The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part | Lucy / Wyldstyle (voice) | |
Brightburn | Tori Breyer | ||
Charlie's Angels | Rebekah Bosley | ||
2022 | Call Jane | Joy | |
2023 | Migration | Pam (voice) | |
TBA | The Beanie Bubble | Filming |
Short film
Director
Year | Title | Notes |
2011 | Just a Little Heart Attack | |
2013 | Middleschool Date | Segment of Movie 43 |
Executive producer
Acting credits
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
2009 | Big Breaks | Starlet | |
2011 | Just a Little Heart Attack | Woman | |
2013 | Beezel | Amy | Segment of Movie 43 |
Face in the Crowd | Face | ||
2015 | Uber for Jen | Jen | |
2017 | Asteroids! | Cheez (voice) | |
2019 | Ru's Angels | Rebekah Bosley |
Television
Acting credits
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
1999 | All My Children | Rosalie | Episode: "22 November 1999" |
1999 | Third Watch | Elaine Elchisak | Episode: "Patterns" (credited as Elizabeth Maresal Mitchell) |
2000 | Sex and the City | Catherine | Episode: "Politically Erect" (credited as Elizabeth Maresal Mitchell) |
2001 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Jaina Tobias Jansen | Episode: "Sacrifice" |
2002 | Without a Trace | Clarissa | Episode: "Snatch Back" |
2005 | Stella | Tamara | Episode: "Meeting Girls" |
2006–2009 | Scrubs | Dr. Kim Briggs | 17 episodes |
2007–2008 | Wainy Days | Shelly | 3 episodes |
2007–2008 | American Dad! | Becky Arangino / Lisa Silver (voice) | 3 episodes |
2008 | Comanche Moon | Maggie Tilton | 3 episodes |
2009–2020 | Modern Family | Sal | 7 episodes |
2010–2012 | 30 Rock | Avery Jessup | 15 episodes |
2012 | Family Guy | Pam Fishman (voice) | Episode: "Into Fat Air" |
2012 | Robot Chicken | Mrs. Claus / Shana "Scarlett" O'Hara (voice) | Episode: "Robot Chicken's ATM Christmas Special" |
2012 | Comedy Bang! Bang! | Herself | Episode: "Elizabeth Banks Wears a Red Dress" |
2013 | Timms Valley | Beth Billings-Timms (voice) | Pilot |
2014 | Phineas and Ferb | Grulinda (voice) | Episode: "Imperfect Storm" |
2015 | Resident Advisors | Doctor | Episode: "Motivational Speaker" |
2015 | Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp | Lindsay | 6 episodes |
2015 | Moonbeam City | Chief Pizzaz Miller (voice) | 10 episodes |
2015 | The Muppets | Herself | 2 episodes |
2015 | Saturday Night Live | Herself / Host | Episode: "Elizabeth Banks / Disclosure" |
2017 | Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later | Lindsay | 5 episodes |
2017 | Curb Your Enthusiasm | Herself | Episode: "A Disturbance in the Kitchen" |
2019 | Random Acts | Vex (voice) | Episode: "The Phantom Thief" |
2019–present | Press Your Luck | Herself / Host | Game show |
2020 | Mrs. America | Jill Ruckelshaus | 9 episodes |
2020 | The Red Nose Day Special | Herself | Television special |
2020 | COVID Is No Joke | Herself | Television special |
2022 | The Boys | Herself | Episode: "Herogasm"; cameo |
TBA | Bedrock | Pebbles Flintstone (voice) |
Executive producer
Year | Title | Notes |
2015 | Resident Advisors | 7 episodes |
2017 | The Trustee | Pilot |
2018 | Project 13 | Pilot |
2019–2021 | Shrill | 22 episodes |
2019–present | Press Your Luck | Game show |
2022 | Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin | Also co-creator |
TBA | DC Super Hero High | Upcoming series |
TBA | Bedrock | Upcoming animated series |
Video games
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
2004 | Spider-Man 2 | Betty Brant | Likeness only |
2007 | Spider-Man 3 | Betty Brant | Likeness only |
2014 | The Lego Movie Videogame | Lucy / Wyldstyle (voice) | Archive footage |
2015 | Lego Dimensions | Lucy / Wyldstyle (voice) |
Music videos
Year | Title | Artist(s) | Role |
2016 | "Our Fight Song" | Various Artists | Herself / Singer |
2018 | "Girls Like You" (Original, Volume 2 and Vertical Video versions) | Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B | Herself |
2018 | "Crushin' It" | The Slay Team | Mogul Mama |
2019 | "Don't Call Me Angel" (Original and Lyric Video versions) | Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus and Lana Del Rey | Rebekah Bosley |
2020 | "What's Your Name" | The Harvard Krokodiloes | Herself |
2020 | "Love On Top" | Cast of Pitch Perfect | Gail Abernathy-McKadden-Feinberger |
Theme park attractions
Year | Title | Role |
2016 | The Lego Movie: 4D - A New Adventure | Lucy / Wyldstyle (voice) |
Awards and nominations
Year | Work | Association | Category | Result |
2003 | Seabiscuit | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | Nominated |
2006 | Invincible | MTV Movie Awards | Best Kiss | Nominated |
Slither | Fangoria Chainsaw Awards | Relationship from Hell | Nominated | |
2008 | W. | Detroit Film Critics Society | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated |
2009 | — | Women in Film Crystal + Lucy Awards | Face of the Future Award | Won |
The Uninvited | Fright Meter Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | |
2011 | 30 Rock | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated |
Gold Derby Awards | Best Comedy Guest actress | Nominated | ||
2012 | The Hunger Games | MTV Movie Awards | Best On-Screen Transformation | Won |
Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie: Female Scene Stealer | Nominated | ||
30 Rock | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | |
2013 | Movie 43 | Golden Raspberry Awards | Worst Director | Won |
— | CinemaCon | Excellence in Acting | Won | |
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire | MTV Movie Awards | Best On-Screen Transformation | Nominated | |
San Diego Film Critics Society Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | ||
Modern Family | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | |
Gold Derby Awards | Best Comedy Guest Actress | Nominated | ||
2014 | The Lego Movie | BTVA Awards | Best Female Lead Vocal Performance | Nominated |
Best Vocal Ensemble | Nominated | |||
BTVA People's Choice Awards | Best Female Lead Vocal Performance | Won | ||
Best Vocal Ensemble | Won | |||
Love & Mercy | Florida Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | |
Austin Film Critics Association | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | ||
Indiana Film Journalists Association | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | ||
Denver Film Critics Society | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | ||
Las Vegas Film Critics Society | Best Supporting Actress | Won | ||
San Francisco Film Critics Circle | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | ||
Georgia Film Critics Association | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | ||
Santa Barbara International Film Festival | Virtuoso Award | Won | ||
Satellite Awards | Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture | Nominated | ||
2015 | — | CinemaCon | Breakthrough Filmmaker of the Year | Won |
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 | MTV Movie Awards | Best On-Screen Transformation | Won | |
Modern Family | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | |
Gold Derby Awards | Best Comedy Guest Actress | Nominated | ||
Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | ||
Pitch Perfect 2 | Golden Raspberry Awards | Razzie Redeemer Award | Nominated | |
2016 | Lego Dimensions | BTVA Awards | Best Vocal Ensemble in a Video Game | Won |
BTVA People's Choice Awards | Best Vocal Ensemble in a Video Game | Won | ||
2017 | Power Rangers | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie Villain | Nominated |
Quick Bio
Nickname | Liz Banks |
Gender | Female |
Age | 49 years old (in 2023) |
Date of Birth | February 10, 1974 |
Real Name | Elizabeth Irene Mitchell |
Profession | Actress |
Nationality | American |
Birthplace | Pittsfield, Massachusetts, United States |
Religion | Judaism |
Zodiac Sign | Aquarius |
Qualification | Master of Fine Arts |
College | University of Pennsylvania and American Conservatory Theater |
Profession | Actress |
Net Worth | $30 million |
Height, Weight & Physical Stats
Body Measurements | 34-26-35 |
Height | 5 foot 4 inches (1.65 m) |
Weight | 55 kg (121 lbs) |
Waist | 24 inches |
Hair Color | Blonde |
Eye Color | Blue |
Shoe Size | 7 (US) |
Dress Size | 6 (US) |
Father | Mark Mitchell |
Mother | Ann Mitchel |
Brother | Geoff Mitchell |
Sister | Sarah Mitchell |
Marital Status | Married |
Husband | Max Handelman |
No. of Children | 2 |
Son | Magnus Mitchell Handelman, Felix Handelman |
Facts
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