Birthday:
10 February 1974, Pittsfield, Massachusetts, USA
Height:
5' 5" (1.65 m)
Biography
Actress Elizabeth Banks was born Elizabeth Mitchell in
Pittsfield, a small city in the Berkshires in Western Massachusetts
near the New York border, on February 10, 1974. She describes herself as
having been seen as a "goody two-shoes" in her youth who was nominated
for the local Harvest Queen.
Banks left home to attend college at
the University of Pennsylvania, from which she graduated Magna cum
Laude, and went on to attend the Advanced Training Program at the
prestigious American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, from which
she graduated in 1996. She then moved to New York and worked in the
theater as well as obtaining her first roles on-screen, small parts in
movies and guest-star roles on television series. Seeking more screen
work, Banks moved to Los Angeles and the supporting roles soon came, and
required that she change her name to avoid confusion with another
actress named Elizabeth Mitchell.
Her first breakthrough role
was as Betty Brant, the secretary of the cantankerous newspaper tycoon
in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man (2002). Banks followed up this performance
with small roles in other movies: Swept Away (2002), Steven Spielberg's
Catch Me If You Can (2002), Seabiscuit (2003), and The 40 Year Old
Virgin (2005). In 2003, she won the Exciting New Face Award at the Young
Hollywood Awards.
Although the winsome, beautiful Banks
projected an exceptionally-charming screen presence that drew
comparisons to Audrey Hepburn, she primarily remained in supporting
roles. Audiences began to take notice when Banks took the lead in such
films as Kevin Smith's Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008) and as Laura
Bush in Oliver Stone's biopic of George W. Bush, W. (2008/I).
In
television, Banks was a recurring guest star on "Scrubs" (2001) as Dr.
Kim Briggs, the love interest of Zach Braff's J.D. In 2010, she was cast
as Alec Baldwin's love interest in season four of "30 Rock" (2006).
Originally her character was only scheduled to appear in four episodes,
but she was brought back as a recurring character for two more seasons,
and earned Emmy nominations for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy
Series for two consecutive years.
Now in the spotlight, Banks
appeared in back to back films, co-starring in Our Idiot Brother (2011),
Man on a Ledge (2012), What to Expect When You're Expecting (2012), and
People Like Us (2012). She also won the highly coveted role as Effie
Trinket in The Hunger Games (2012). In 2012-2013, she will also star in
such films as Pitch Perfect (2012), Frank or Francis (????), and The
Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013).
Banks married her husband,
Max Handelman, a sports writer and producer, in 2003. They welcomed a
son, Felix Handleman, who was born via a surrogate in March 2011
Banks changed her name to avoid confusion with actress Elizabeth Mitchell.[8] She debuted in the 1998 independent film Surrender Dorothy,
as Elizabeth Casey, appeared in various films over the next seven years
before gaining more prominent widespread exposure through the 2005
comedy film The 40-Year-Old Virgin.
In August 2005, at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, Banks starred in William Inge's Bus Stop as Cherie, the sexy, blonde, aspiring nightclub singer.[9] Jeffrey Borak wrote that Banks' portrayal was acted "with poise, clarity and a shrewd feel for Cherie's complexities. Her performance is all of a piece and in harmony, stylistically, with the performances around her...."[10] In 2005, she appeared on the series Stella, and in May 2006, she had a role in the season five finale of the NBC sitcom Scrubs as Dr. Kim Briggs, the love interest of J.D. (Zach Braff). The character appeared throughout seasons six, seven and eight as a recurring guest star.
Banks at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival
In 2006, Banks appeared in the American football drama film Invincible, in which she played Mark Wahlberg's love interest. Later, she and co-star Wahlberg were nominated for the "Best Kiss" award at the MTV Movie Award. Also that year, she landed the starring role in the comedy-horror film Slither.
In 2007, she played the female lead in the comedy film Meet Bill, alongside Aaron Eckhart and Jessica Alba. Also that year, Banks had a small role in the Christmas comedy film Fred Claus, co-starring Vince Vaughn and Paul Giamatti. In 2008, she played a love interest in the comedy film Definitely, Maybe, alongside Isla Fisher and Ryan Reynolds, starred with Seth Rogen as the eponymous female lead in the Kevin Smith comedy Zack and Miri Make a Porno, and played United States First Lady Laura Bush in W., Oliver Stone's biopic of George W. Bush.[11]
In 2009, Banks appeared in the thriller The Uninvited, a remake of the Korean horror film A Tale of Two Sisters.[12] The film was about an intrusive stepmother who makes life miserable for the teen daughters of her new husband. Banks based her character, Rachel, on Rebecca De Mornay's character in The Hand That Rocks the Cradle".[13] "It was very important to me that every line reading I gave could be interpreted two ways," says Banks of her role, "So that when you go back through the movie you can see that".[13]
Banks is a frequent co-star of actor Paul Rudd, the two having appeared in five films together to date (Wet Hot American Summer, The Baxter, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Role Models and Our Idiot Brother).[14]
Banks was cast as a love interest for Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) in the fourth season of the Emmy Award-winning sitcom 30 Rock.[15] Intended to appear in four episodes in 2010, Banks went on to become a recurring character with thirteen appearances by the end of the fifth season, including her marriage in the episode Mrs. Donaghy. Her performance in season five earned her a nomination for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards.
Banks appeared in the movie The Hunger Games, playing Effie Trinket, a woman from "The Capitol" who escorts the District 12 tributes to the Hunger Games. In a February 2013 episode, Banks reprised her role as Sal on Modern Family.[16]
Banks was raised in a family of both Irish Catholic and Anglo-Saxon Protestant background.[22] She went through parts of the process of conversion to Judaism, her husband's faith, and studied with rabbis. In 2013, speaking of her religion, she stated that she practices Judaism, though "I did not have my mikveh, so technically I’m not converted", and added, "Frankly, because I’m already doing everything [practicing religious rituals], I feel like I’m as Jewish as I’m ever going to be".[23][24]
In August 2005, at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, Banks starred in William Inge's Bus Stop as Cherie, the sexy, blonde, aspiring nightclub singer.[9] Jeffrey Borak wrote that Banks' portrayal was acted "with poise, clarity and a shrewd feel for Cherie's complexities. Her performance is all of a piece and in harmony, stylistically, with the performances around her...."[10] In 2005, she appeared on the series Stella, and in May 2006, she had a role in the season five finale of the NBC sitcom Scrubs as Dr. Kim Briggs, the love interest of J.D. (Zach Braff). The character appeared throughout seasons six, seven and eight as a recurring guest star.
In 2007, she played the female lead in the comedy film Meet Bill, alongside Aaron Eckhart and Jessica Alba. Also that year, Banks had a small role in the Christmas comedy film Fred Claus, co-starring Vince Vaughn and Paul Giamatti. In 2008, she played a love interest in the comedy film Definitely, Maybe, alongside Isla Fisher and Ryan Reynolds, starred with Seth Rogen as the eponymous female lead in the Kevin Smith comedy Zack and Miri Make a Porno, and played United States First Lady Laura Bush in W., Oliver Stone's biopic of George W. Bush.[11]
In 2009, Banks appeared in the thriller The Uninvited, a remake of the Korean horror film A Tale of Two Sisters.[12] The film was about an intrusive stepmother who makes life miserable for the teen daughters of her new husband. Banks based her character, Rachel, on Rebecca De Mornay's character in The Hand That Rocks the Cradle".[13] "It was very important to me that every line reading I gave could be interpreted two ways," says Banks of her role, "So that when you go back through the movie you can see that".[13]
Banks is a frequent co-star of actor Paul Rudd, the two having appeared in five films together to date (Wet Hot American Summer, The Baxter, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Role Models and Our Idiot Brother).[14]
Banks was cast as a love interest for Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) in the fourth season of the Emmy Award-winning sitcom 30 Rock.[15] Intended to appear in four episodes in 2010, Banks went on to become a recurring character with thirteen appearances by the end of the fifth season, including her marriage in the episode Mrs. Donaghy. Her performance in season five earned her a nomination for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards.
Banks appeared in the movie The Hunger Games, playing Effie Trinket, a woman from "The Capitol" who escorts the District 12 tributes to the Hunger Games. In a February 2013 episode, Banks reprised her role as Sal on Modern Family.[16]
Personal life
Banks met her husband, sportswriter and producer Max Handelman,[17] on her first day at college on September 6, 1992. They were married in 2003.[18] She and her husband had their first child, Felix, who was born via a surrogate in March 2011.[19][20] In November 2012, Banks announced that her family had welcomed another son, Magnus Mitchell, also born via a surrogate.[21]Banks was raised in a family of both Irish Catholic and Anglo-Saxon Protestant background.[22] She went through parts of the process of conversion to Judaism, her husband's faith, and studied with rabbis. In 2013, speaking of her religion, she stated that she practices Judaism, though "I did not have my mikveh, so technically I’m not converted", and added, "Frankly, because I’m already doing everything [practicing religious rituals], I feel like I’m as Jewish as I’m ever going to be".[23][24]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Surrender Dorothy | Vicki | Credited as Elizabeth Casey |
| 2000 | Shaft | Trey's friend | Credited as Elizabeth Maresal Mitchell |
| 2001 | Wet Hot American Summer | Lindsay | |
| 2001 | Ordinary Sinner | Rachel | |
| 2002 | Spider-Man | Betty Brant | |
| 2002 | Swept Away | Debi | |
| 2002 | Catch Me If You Can | Lucy Forrest | |
| 2002 | Stella Shorts 1998-2002 | Woman at yoga class | Short films; direct-to-DVD release |
| 2003 | The Trade | Sioux Sever | |
| 2003 | Seabiscuit | Marcela Howard | Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture |
| 2004 | Spider-Man 2 | Betty Brant | |
| 2005 | Heights | Isabel | |
| 2005 | Sexual Life | Sarah | |
| 2005 | The Sisters | Nancy Pecket | |
| 2005 | The Baxter | Caroline Swann | |
| 2005 | The 40-Year-Old Virgin | Beth | |
| 2005 | Daltry Calhoun | May | |
| 2006 | Slither | Starla Grant | |
| 2006 | Invincible | Janet Cantrell | Nominated—MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss (Shared with Mark Wahlberg) |
| 2007 | Spider-Man 3 | Betty Brant | |
| 2007 | Meet Bill | Jess | |
| 2007 | Fred Claus | Charlene | |
| 2008 | Definitely, Maybe | Emily Jones | |
| 2008 | Meet Dave | Gina Morrison | |
| 2008 | Lovely, Still | Alex | |
| 2008 | Zack and Miri Make a Porno | Miriam "Miri" Linky | |
| 2008 | W. | Laura Bush | Nominated—Detroit Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress |
| 2008 | Role Models | Beth Jones | |
| 2009 | Big Breaks | Starlet | Short film |
| 2009 | The Uninvited | Rachel Summers | |
| 2009 | Surrogates | Executive producer | |
| 2010 | The Next Three Days | Lara Brennan | |
| 2011 | The Details | Nealy Lang | |
| 2011 | Just a Little Heart Attack[25] | Director and star | PSA for the American Heart Association Go Red For Women campaign |
| 2011 | Our Idiot Brother | Miranda | |
| 2012 | Man on a Ledge | Lydia Mercer | |
| 2012 | The Hunger Games | Effie Trinket | Won—MTV Movie Award for Best Transformation Nominated—Teen Choice Awards Scene Stealer: Female |
| 2012 | What to Expect When You're Expecting | Wendy | |
| 2012 | People like Us | Frankie | |
| 2012 | Pitch Perfect | Gail Abernathy-McKadden | Also producer |
| 2013 | Movie 43 | Amy | Also director |
| 2013 | The Hunger Games: Catching Fire | Effie Trinket | |
| 2014 | Walk of Shame | Meghan Miles | |
| 2014 | The Lego Movie | Lucy | Filming |
| TBA | Love and Mercy | Melinda Ledbetter | |
| TBA | Frank or Francis | ||
| TBA | What's the Matter with Margie | ||
| TBA | Every Secret Thing | Detective Nancy Porter | |
| TBA | The Big Shoe | Mary Kay |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | All My Children | Waitress | Cameo role |
| 1999 | Third Watch | Elaine Elchisak | 1 episode: "Patterns" Credited as Elizabeth Maresal Mitchell |
| 2000 | Sex and the City | Catherine | 1 episode: "Politically Erect" |
| 2001 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Jaina Tobias Jansen | 1 episode: "Sacrifice" |
| 2002 | Without a Trace | Clarissa | 1 episode: "Snatch Back" |
| 2005 | Stella | Tamara | 1 episode: "Meeting Girls" |
| 2006–2007, 2009 | Scrubs | Dr. Kim Briggs | Recurring role |
| 2007–2008 | Wainy Days | Shelly | 3 episodes: "Shelly", "The Date", "Shelly 2" |
| 2007–2008 | American Dad! | Becky Arangino Lisa Silver |
3 episodes: "The Vacation Goo", "1600 Candles", "Escape from Pearl Bailey" |
| 2008 | Comanche Moon | Maggie Tilton | TV mini-series |
| 2009 - Present | Modern Family | Sal | 2 episodes: "Great Expectations", "Best Man" |
| 2010–2012 | 30 Rock | Avery Jessup | Recurring role Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series (2011-2012) |
| 2012 | Family Guy | Pam Fishman | 1 episode: "Into Fat Air" Voice only |
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