Elizabeth Banks facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elizabeth Banks
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Banks during an interview in 2019 for the movie Charlie's Angels.
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| Born |
Elizabeth Irene Mitchell
February 10, 1974 |
| Education | University of Pennsylvania (BA) American Conservatory Theater (MFA) |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1998–present |
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Works
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Full list |
| Spouse(s) |
Max Handelman
(m. 2003) |
| Children | 2 |
Elizabeth Irene Banks (born Mitchell; February 10, 1974) is an American actress, director, and producer. She is famous for playing Effie Trinket in The Hunger Games film series and Gail Abernathy-McKadden in the Pitch Perfect film series.
Besides acting, Banks also directs and produces movies. A producer helps manage the making of a film, from getting the money to hiring the crew. In 2015, she directed her first movie, Pitch Perfect 2. Its opening weekend made $69 million, which was a record for a first-time director. She also directed the action movie Charlie's Angels (2019) and the horror-comedy ... Bear (2023).
Banks and her husband, Max Handelman, started their own production company called Brownstone Productions in 2002. They have produced many of her movies through this company.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Elizabeth Banks was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, where she grew up as the oldest of four children. Her father was a factory worker for General Electric and a Vietnam War veteran (a person who served in the military). Her mother worked at a bank.
As a child, Banks loved playing baseball. Her acting career started by chance. After she broke her leg sliding into third base in a Little League game, she decided to try out for the school play.
She graduated from Pittsfield High School in 1992. She then went to the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied communications and theater. She graduated with high honors in 1996. Later, she earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco in 1998.
Career
Early Career and First Big Roles
When Banks started acting professionally, she had to change her last name from Mitchell to Banks. This was because another actress named Elizabeth Mitchell was already registered with the Screen Actors Guild, the union for actors.
Her first movie role was in the independent film Surrender Dorothy in 1998. For several years, she appeared in various films. One of her most recognized early roles was playing Betty Brant in the Spider-Man trilogy (2002–2007).
In 2005, she became more widely known after starring in the comedy film The 40-Year-Old Virgin. She also began a recurring role on the TV show Scrubs as Dr. Kim Briggs.
Major Success and Famous Roles
Throughout the late 2000s, Banks starred in many popular movies. She appeared in the football drama Invincible and the comedy Role Models. She also played First Lady Laura Bush in the movie W., a film about President George W. Bush.
From 2010 to 2012, she had a recurring role on the hit comedy show 30 Rock. Her performance earned her two nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award, a major award for television shows.
Her career reached a new level of fame in 2012. She starred as the colorful Effie Trinket in The Hunger Games. She played this character in all four films in the series. That same year, she also starred as the funny a cappella commentator Gail in Pitch Perfect. The movie was a huge hit.
She also voiced the character Wyldstyle in the animated hit The Lego Movie in 2014.
Becoming a Director
After the success of the first Pitch Perfect movie, Banks directed the sequel, Pitch Perfect 2 (2015). This was her first time directing a major film. She also produced and acted in it. She returned to produce and star in Pitch Perfect 3 (2017).
In 2017, she played the villain Rita Repulsa in the Power Rangers movie. She also returned as the voice of Wyldstyle in The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (2019).
In 2019, Banks directed, wrote, produced, and starred in a new Charlie's Angels movie. Since 2019, she has been the host of the TV game show Press Your Luck.
In 2020, she played the feminist leader Jill Ruckelshaus in the TV miniseries Mrs. America. It was also announced that she will play Ms. Frizzle in a new live-action movie based on The Magic School Bus.
Personal Life
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Banks met her husband, Max Handelman, on her first day of college in 1992. They got married in 2003. They have two sons, who were both born using a surrogate. A surrogate is a woman who carries and gives birth to a baby for another person or couple.
Banks has studied Judaism, which is her husband's faith. She has said that she has practiced the religion for many years.
Political Views
Banks is a supporter of Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign. She joined other celebrities to sing "Fight Song" at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. She also considers herself a feminist, which means she believes in equal rights for men and women.
Awards and Nominations
Banks has won several awards for her work. She won an MTV Movie Award for "Best On-Screen Transformation" for her role as Effie Trinket in The Hunger Games. She has also been nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards for her acting on television.
Images for kids
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Banks speaking at the 2018 San Diego Comic-Con.
See also
In Spanish: Elizabeth Banks para niños
