Elizabeth Banks

Elizabeth Banks is an American actress, director, writer, and producer. She is known for playing Effie Trinket in The Hunger Games film series and Gail Abernathy-McKadden in the Pitch Perfect film series. Banks made her directorial film debut with Pitch Perfect 2, whose USD 69 million opening-weekend gross set a record for a first-time director. She also directed, wrote, produced, and starred in the action comedy film Charlie’s Angels. On television, Banks had a recurring role as Avery Jessup on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock.

About Elizabeth Banks in brief

Summary Elizabeth BanksElizabeth Banks (born February 10, 1974) is an American actress, director, writer, and producer. She is known for playing Effie Trinket in The Hunger Games film series and Gail Abernathy-McKadden in the Pitch Perfect film series. Banks made her directorial film debut with Pitch Perfect 2, whose USD 69 million opening-weekend gross set a record for a first-time director. She also directed, wrote, produced, and starred in the action comedy film Charlie’s Angels. On television, Banks had a recurring role as Avery Jessup on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock. She had recurring roles on the comedy series Scrubs and Modern Family, the latter of which earned her a third Primetime Emmy Award nomination. As of 2019, she hosts a revival of the 1980s game show Press Your Luck on ABC. Banks was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and grew up on Brown Street, the eldest of four children of Ann and Mark P. Mitchell. Her father, a Vietnam War veteran, was a factory worker for General Electric and her mother worked in a bank. Banks changed her name upon joining the Screen Actors Guild, as actress Elizabeth Mitchell was already registered in the union under that name.

She graduated magna cum laude in 1996 with a major in communications and a minor in theater arts. In 1998, she completed schooling at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, California, where she earned an MFA degree. In 2002, Banks set up her own production company called Brownstone Productions with her future husband, Max Handelman. Banks gained more prominent widespread exposure with her role in the 2005 comedy film The 40-Year-Old Virgin. In 2007, she played the female lead in the comedy film Meet Bill, alongside Aaron Eckhart and Jessica Alba. In the same year, she had a small role as Santa’s little helper, Charly Claus, in the Christmas comedy film Fred Claus and Paul Giamatti. In 2006, Banks appeared throughout seasons six, seven, and eight as a recurring star in the American football football drama film Invincible. In 2008, she co-starred in the film Slither, alongside Vince Vaughn and Paul Wahlberg.