Elizabeth Banks
| Elizabeth Banks | |
|---|---|
 Banks at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival |
|
| Born | Elizabeth Maresal Mitchell February 10, 1974 , U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Spouse | Max Handelman (m. 2003–present) |
Elizabeth Banks (born Elizabeth Maresal Mitchell;[1] February 10, 1974) is an American actress. Banks is well-known for her roles in Definitely, Maybe, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, W., Role Models, Wet Hot American Summer, The Uninvited and the Spider-Man franchise. She is also well-known for her role as Dr. Kim Briggs, Zach Braff's love interest in the television sitcom, Scrubs.
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Early life and education
Banks was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, the eldest of four children of Ann and Mark Mitchell.[2] Her father was a factory worker for General Electric and her mother worked in a bank.[3] As a young child she was a contestant on the Nickelodeon game show Finders Keepers. She graduated from Pittsfield High School in 1992 and is a magna cum laude graduate of the University of Pennsylvania in 1996 where she was a member of Delta Delta Delta Sorority. In 1998 she completed schooling at the American Conservatory Theater.
Career
Banks changed her name to avoid confusion with actress Elizabeth Mitchell.[4] She debuted in the independent film Surrender Dorothy as "Elizabeth Casey."
She quickly gained widespread exposure through movies like The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Slither. She also played Mark Wahlberg's love interest in the movie Invincible.
In August 2005 at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, Banks starred in William Inge's Bus Stop as Cherie, the sexy, blond, aspiring nightclub singer.[5] 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...."[6]
In May 2006, she appeared in the season five finale of the NBC comedy Scrubs as Dr. Kim Briggs, the love interest of J.D. (Zach Braff). The character has appeared throughout seasons six, seven and eight as a recurring guest star.
In 2005, she appeared on the show Stella. In 2007, Banks played the female lead in the comedy Meet Bill, alongside Aaron Eckhart and Jessica Alba. Banks also has a small role in the 2007 Christmas comedy film Fred Claus, co-starring Vince Vaughn and Paul Giamatti, and played a love interest in the 2008 comedy Definitely, Maybe alongside Isla Fisher and Ryan Reynolds.
Banks starred with Seth Rogen as the eponymous female lead in the Kevin Smith comedy Zack and Miri Make a Porno, which was released on Halloween 2008. She was also seen playing United States First Lady Laura Bush in W, Oliver Stone's biopic of George W. Bush.[7]
She has appeared in the thriller The Uninvited, a remake of the Korean horror film A Tale of Two Sisters.[8] The film tells the tale of 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".[9] "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".[9]
Banks is a frequent co-star of actor Paul Rudd, the two having appeared in four films together to date (Wet Hot American Summer, The Baxter, The 40 Year Old Virgin, and Role Models).[10] "There was a David O. Russell movie that I really wanted to make with Vince Vaughn that ended up falling apart",[9] said Banks, referring to the film H-Man Cometh, in a January 2009 interview.
Banks is set to star alongside Leslie Mann in What Was I Thinking?, based upon the book by Barbara Davilman and Liz Dubelman.[11]
On December 8, 2009, it was announced that Banks will appear in at least four episodes of the Emmy-winning sitcom 30 Rock as a love interest for Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin).[12] She went on to appear in nine episodes of the fourth season.
Personal life
On July 5, 2003, Banks married sportswriter and producer Max Handelman,[13] who had been her boyfriend since she met him on her first day at college, September 6, 1992.[14] She converted to Judaism upon marrying him.[15]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Surrender Dorothy | Vicki | Credited as "Elizabeth Casey" The film received these accolades: |
| 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 | ||
| Stella Shorts 1998-2002 | Woman at yoga class | Short films; direct-to-DVD release | |
| 2003 | The Trade | Sioux Sever | |
| 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 | The film won the Artios Award by CSA for Best Independent Feature Film Casting |
| Sexual Life | Sarah | ||
| The Sisters | Nancy Pecket | The film was nominated for the Artios Award by CSA for Best Independent Feature Film Casting | |
| The Baxter | Caroline Swann | ||
| The 40-Year-Old Virgin | Beth | ||
| Daltry Calhoun | May | ||
| 2006 | Slither | Starla Grant | |
| Invincible | Janet Cantrell | Nominated — MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss (with Mark Wahlberg) | |
| 2007 | Spider-Man 3 | Betty Brant | |
| Meet Bill | Jess | ||
| Fred Claus | Charlene | ||
| 2008 | Definitely, Maybe | Emily Jones | |
| Meet Dave | Gina Morrison | ||
| Lovely, Still | Alex | ||
| Zack and Miri Make a Porno | Miriam "Miri" Linky | ||
| W. | Laura Bush | Nominated — Detroit Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress | |
| Role Models | Beth Jones | ||
| 2009 | Big Breaks | Starlet | Short |
| The Uninvited | Rachel | ||
| Surrogates | - Did not act - | Executive Producer | |
| 2010 | The Details | Nealy Lang | Completed |
| The Next Three Days | Laura | Post Production | |
| Untitled Comedy | Filming | ||
| What Was I Thinking? | Announced | ||
| 2011 | My Idiot Brother | Filming | |
| Tink | Tinkerbell | Announced | |
| Forever 21 | Filming |
Television
| Year | Series | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Third Watch | Elaine Elchisak | Episode 1.3: "Patterns" Credited as "Elizabeth Maresal Mitchell" |
| 2000 | Sex and the City | Catherine | Episode 3.2: "Politically Erect" |
| 2001 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Jaina Tobias Jansen | Episode 3.7: "Sacrifice" |
| 2002 | Without a Trace | Clarissa | Episode 1.7: "Snatch Back" |
| 2005 | Stella | Tamara | Episode 1.6: "Meeting Girls" |
| 2006–2007, 2009 | Scrubs | Dr. Kim Briggs | Appeared in 15 episodes |
| 2007–2008 | Wainy Days | Shelly | Appeared in three episodes |
| American Dad! | Becky Arangino Lisa Silver |
Episode 3.1: "The Vacation Goo" Episodes 4.1 "1600 Candles" and 4.5: "Escape from Pearl Bailey" |
|
| 2008 | Comanche Moon | Maggie Tilton | TV mini-series |
| 2009 | Modern Family | Sal | Episode 1.8: "Great Expectations" |
| 2010 | 30 Rock | Avery Jessup | Episode 4.13: "Anna Howard Shaw Day" Episode 4.14: "Future Husband" Episode 4.15: "Don Geiss, America and Hope" Episode 4.16: "Floyd" Episode 4.17: "Lee Marvin vs. Derek Jeter" Episode 4.18: "Khonani" Episode 4.20: "The Moms" Episode 4.21: "Emanuelle Goes to Dinosaur Land" Episode 4.22: "I Do Do" |
References
- ↑ Vary, Adam B. (2008-10-20). "Elizabeth Banks Fall's First Lady Elizabeth Banks Movie Spotlight Movies Entertainment Weekly 2". Entertainment Weekly. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20234253_2,00.html. Retrieved 2008-11-01.
- ↑ Jessica Willis (October 21, 2008). "From Pittsfield to the big screen". The Berkshire Eagle. http://www.berkshireeagle.com/ci_10774008.
- ↑ James Mottram (2008-11-08). "Elizabeth Banks: from the top-shelf to First Lady in W.". The Times. London. http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article5088477.ece. Retrieved 2008-11-07.
- ↑ Strauss, Bob (2008-10-27). "From first lady to Porno star actress: Elizabeth Banks dishes the dirt". The Seattle Times. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/movies/2008310736_elizabethbanks27.html. Retrieved 2008-11-01.
- ↑ Sommer, Elyse. 2005, Curtain Up.
- ↑ Borak, Jeffrey 2005. "Love blooms in a Kansas diner", Berkshire Eagle August 20, Art section.
- ↑ Elizabeth Banks is Oliver Stone's Laura Bush "Elizabeth Banks is Oliver Stone's Laura Bush - ComingSoon.net". ComingSoon.net. 2008-03-26. http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=43380 Elizabeth Banks is Oliver Stone's Laura Bush. Retrieved 2008-11-01.
- ↑ Elizabeth Banks to Head Out into the Dark Fields?
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 "Elizabeth Banks: The Uninvited". SuicideGirls.com. 30 January 2009. http://suicidegirls.com/interviews/Elizabeth+Banks%3A+The+Uninvited/. Retrieved 2009-01-30.
- ↑ Elizabeth Banks Entering Dark Fields?
- ↑ DAVE MCNARY (Apr. 16, 2009). "New Line buys 'Thinking'". Variety. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118002530.html?categoryId=1959&cs=1.
- ↑ Joyce Eng. "Elizabeth Banks to Guest-Star on 30 Rock". TVGuide.com. http://www.tvguide.com/News/Elizabeth-Banks-Guest-1012914.aspx.
- ↑ "Celebrity Wedding: Elizabeth Banks & Max Handelman". In Style. http://www.instyleweddings.com/weddings/gallery/1,,20167213,00.html. Retrieved 2009-01-06.
- ↑ Tiger, Caroline 2010. "How to Succeed in Show Business by Really Really Trying". The Pennsylvania Gazette Jan.-Feb., Vol. 108, No. 3, pp. 46-50.
- ↑ Bloom, Nate. "New Movies, Interfaith Connections - InterfaithFamily.com". InterFaithFamily.com. http://www.interfaithfamily.com/arts_and_entertainment/movies_theater_tv_and_music/New_Movies_Interfaith_Connections.shtml. Retrieved 2008-11-01.