Elizabeth Banks
Encyclopedia
Elizabeth Maresal Mitchell (born February 10, 1974), known professionally as Elizabeth Banks, is an American actress. Banks had her film debut in the low-budget independent film Surrender Dorothy
. Since then, she is best known for her roles in the films Definitely, Maybe
, Zack and Miri Make a Porno
, W.
, Role Models
, Wet Hot American Summer
, and The Uninvited
.
On television, Banks currently stars in the recurring role
of Avery Jessup on the sitcom 30 Rock
, which gained her a nomination for an Emmy Award
. Previously, Banks had starred in the recurring role of Dr. Kim Briggs on Scrubs
from 2006 to 2009.
, the eldest of four children of Ann and Mark Mitchell. Her father was a factory worker for General Electric
and her mother worked in a bank.
As a girl, she loved playing baseball and riding horses. She played little league until she broke her leg sliding into third at a game. Looking for something else, she tried the school play. After that, acting became her passion. As a young teenager, she was a contestant on the Nickelodeon
game show Finders Keepers. She graduated from Pittsfield High School in 1992 and attended the University of Pennsylvania
where she was a member of the Delta Delta Delta
Sorority. Banks graduated magna cum laude in 1996. In 1998, she completed schooling at the American Conservatory Theater
and earned an MFA
.
. 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, blond, aspiring nightclub singer. 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...." In 2005, she appeared on the show Stella
, and in May 2006, she had a role in the season five finale of the NBC
comedy
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 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 Slither.
In 2007, she played the female lead in the comedy 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 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
.
In 2009, Banks appeared in the thriller The Uninvited
, a remake of the Korea
n horror film A Tale of Two Sisters
. 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
". "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".
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).
Banks was cast as a love interest for Jack Donaghy
(Alec Baldwin
) in the fourth season of the Emmy-winning sitcom 30 Rock
. 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 will soon appear in the movie The Hunger Games. She'll play Effie, a woman who originates from "The Capitol" and organizes the District 12 tributes. (District 12 being a region in which The Hunger Games is located in the distopian future.) The movie will premiere on March 23, 2012, rating PG-13. (To see more on the movie look up "The Hunger Games (film)".
, who had been her boyfriend since she met him on her first day at college, September 6, 1992. She converted to Judaism
upon marrying him.
She and her husband welcomed their first child, a boy named Felix, via surrogacy
in March 2011.
Surrender Dorothy (1998 film)
Surrender Dorothy is an independent film by director Kevin DiNovis which won first place at the 1998 Slamdance Film Festival. The film starred Peter Pryor, Kevin DiNovis, and was the first film role for Elizabeth Banks who appears in the credits as "Elizabeth Casey."...
. Since then, she is best known for her roles in the films Definitely, Maybe
Definitely, Maybe
Definitely, Maybe is a 2008 romantic comedy film directed by Adam Brooks, and starring Ryan Reynolds, Isla Fisher, Rachel Weisz, Elizabeth Banks, Abigail Breslin and Kevin Kline.-Plot:...
, Zack and Miri Make a Porno
Zack and Miri Make a Porno
Zack and Miri Make a Porno is a 2008 romantic comedy film written and directed by Kevin Smith, distributed by The Weinstein Company, and starring Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks. It is Smith's second film not to be set within the View Askewniverse and the first not set in New Jersey. It was...
, W.
W. (film)
W. is a 2008 American film based on the life and presidency of George W. Bush. It was produced and directed by Oliver Stone, written by Stanley Weiser, and stars Josh Brolin as Bush, with a cast that includes Ellen Burstyn, Elizabeth Banks, James Cromwell, Thandie Newton, Jeffrey Wright, Scott...
, Role Models
Role Models
Role Models is a 2008 American comedy film directed by David Wain about two energy drink salesmen who are ordered to perform 150 hours of community service as punishment for various offenses. For their service, the two men work at a program designed to pair kids with adult role models. The film...
, Wet Hot American Summer
Wet Hot American Summer
Wet Hot American Summer is a 2001 satirical comedy film written by David Wain and Michael Showalter, and directed by Wain. The film takes place during the last day at a fictional Jewish summer camp in 1981, before closing for the summer...
, and The Uninvited
The Uninvited (2009 film)
The Uninvited is a 2009 American remake of the 2003 South Korean horror film A Tale of Two Sisters. It is unrelated to another 2003 Korean horror film and a 1944 American film, both of which have the same name.-Plot:...
.
On television, Banks currently stars in the recurring role
Recurring character
A recurring character is a fictional character, usually in a prime time TV series, who appears from time to time during the series' run. Recurring characters often play major roles in an episode, sometimes being the main focus...
of Avery Jessup on the sitcom 30 Rock
30 Rock
30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live...
, which gained her a nomination for an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
. Previously, Banks had starred in the recurring role of Dr. Kim Briggs on Scrubs
Scrubs (TV series)
Scrubs is an American medical comedy-drama television series created in 2001 by Bill Lawrence and produced by ABC Studios. The show follows the lives of several employees of the fictional Sacred Heart, a teaching hospital. It features fast-paced screenplay, slapstick, and surreal vignettes...
from 2006 to 2009.
Early life and education
Banks was born in Pittsfield, MassachusettsPittsfield, Massachusetts
Pittsfield is the largest city and the county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. Its area code is 413. Its ZIP code is 01201...
, the eldest of four children of Ann and Mark Mitchell. Her father was a factory worker for General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
and her mother worked in a bank.
As a girl, she loved playing baseball and riding horses. She played little league until she broke her leg sliding into third at a game. Looking for something else, she tried the school play. After that, acting became her passion. As a young teenager, she was a contestant on the Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
game show Finders Keepers. She graduated from Pittsfield High School in 1992 and attended the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
where she was a member of the Delta Delta Delta
Delta Delta Delta
Delta Delta Delta , also known as Tri Delta, is an international sorority founded on November 27, 1888, the eve of Thanksgiving Day. With over 200,000 initiates, Tri Delta is one of the world's largest NPC sororities.-History:...
Sorority. Banks graduated magna cum laude in 1996. In 1998, she completed schooling at the American Conservatory Theater
American Conservatory Theater
American Conservatory Theater is a large non-profit theater company in San Francisco, California, that offers both classical and contemporary theater productions. A.C.T. was founded in 1965 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in conjunction with the Pittsburgh Playhouse and Carnegie Tech by theatre and...
and earned an MFA
Master of Fine Arts
A Master of Fine Arts is a graduate degree typically requiring 2–3 years of postgraduate study beyond the bachelor's degree , although the term of study will vary by country or by university. The MFA is usually awarded in visual arts, creative writing, filmmaking, dance, or theatre/performing arts...
.
Career
Banks changed her name to avoid confusion with actress Elizabeth MitchellElizabeth Mitchell
Elizabeth Mitchell , is an American actress/modelwho is known for her roles as Dr. Juliet Burke on ABC's TV series Lost and as FBI agent Erica Evans on V. She has starred in such films as The Santa Clause 2, The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, and Gia.-Early life:Mitchell was born Elizabeth...
. She debuted in the 1998 independent film Surrender Dorothy
Surrender Dorothy (1998 film)
Surrender Dorothy is an independent film by director Kevin DiNovis which won first place at the 1998 Slamdance Film Festival. The film starred Peter Pryor, Kevin DiNovis, and was the first film role for Elizabeth Banks who appears in the credits as "Elizabeth Casey."...
, 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
The 40-Year-Old Virgin
The 40-Year-Old Virgin is a 2005 American buddy comedy film about a middle-aged man's journey to finally have sex. The film was written and directed by Judd Apatow and co-written by its lead star, Steve Carell, though the film itself features a great deal of improvised dialogue...
.
In August 2005, at the Williamstown Theatre Festival
Williamstown Theatre Festival
The Williamstown Theatre Festival is a regional summer stock theatre on the campus of Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, founded in 1954 by Williams College news director, Ralph Renzi, and drama program chairman, David C. Bryant. The theatre was conceived as a way to use the Adams...
, Banks starred in William Inge's
William Inge
William Motter Inge was an American playwright and novelist, whose works typically feature solitary protagonists encumbered with strained sexual relations. In the early 1950s, he had a string of memorable Broadway productions, and one of these, Picnic, earned him a Pulitzer Prize...
Bus Stop
Bus Stop (play)
Bus Stop is a 1955 play by William Inge. The 1956 film is only loosely based upon it.-Characters:Bus Stop is a drama, with romantic and some comedic elements. It is set in a diner in rural Kansas, about 20 miles west of Kansas City, Missouri during a snowstorm from which bus passengers must take...
as Cherie, the sexy, blond, aspiring nightclub singer. 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...." In 2005, she appeared on the show Stella
Stella (TV series)
Stella was a short-lived television series that originally ran from June 28, 2005 to August 30, 2005 on the American television channel Comedy Central, created by and starring Michael Ian Black, Michael Showalter, and David Wain, the three members of the sketch comedy troupe of the same name and...
, and in May 2006, she had a role in the season five finale of the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
Scrubs
Scrubs (TV series)
Scrubs is an American medical comedy-drama television series created in 2001 by Bill Lawrence and produced by ABC Studios. The show follows the lives of several employees of the fictional Sacred Heart, a teaching hospital. It features fast-paced screenplay, slapstick, and surreal vignettes...
as Dr. Kim Briggs, the love interest of J.D.
John Dorian
John Michael "J.D." Dorian, M.D. is a fictional character on the American comedy-drama Scrubs, played by Zach Braff. He is the narrator and main character of the series. He provides voice-over to the series which fills the roles of his internal thoughts and an overall narration in the show, often...
(Zach Braff
Zach Braff
Zachary Israel "Zach" Braff is an American actor, screenwriter, producer, comedian, and director. Braff first became known in 2001 for his role as Dr. John Dorian on the television series Scrubs, for which he was nominated for an Emmy Award and three Golden Globe Awards.In 2004, Braff made his...
). The character appeared throughout seasons six, seven and eight as a recurring guest star.
In 2006, Banks appeared in the American football drama film Invincible
Invincible (2006 film)
Invincible is a 2006 family film directed by Ericson Core set in 1976. It is based on the true story of Vince Papale, who played for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1976–78. Mark Wahlberg portrays Papale and Greg Kinnear plays Papale's coach, Dick Vermeil...
, in which she played Mark Wahlberg
Mark Wahlberg
Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg is an American actor, film and television producer, and former rapper. He was known as Marky Mark in his earlier years, and became famous for his 1991 debut as a musician with the band Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. He was named No. 1 on VH1's 40 Hottest Hotties of...
'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 Slither.
Bill (film)
Meet Bill is a 2007 comedy film written and directed by Bernie Goldmann and Melisa Wallick and starring Aaron Eckhart as the titular character.- Plot :...
, alongside Aaron Eckhart
Aaron Eckhart
Aaron Edward Eckhart is an American film and stage actor. Born in California, he moved to England at the age of 13, when his father relocated the family. Several years later, he began his acting career by performing in school plays, before moving to Sydney, Australia, for his high school senior year...
and Jessica Alba
Jessica Alba
Jessica Marie Alba is an American television and film actress. She began her television and movie appearances at age 13 in Camp Nowhere and The Secret World of Alex Mack . Alba rose to prominence as the lead actress in the television series Dark Angel...
. Also that year, Banks had a small role in the Christmas comedy film Fred Claus
Fred Claus
Fred Claus is a 2007 Christmas family-comedy film produced and directed by David Dobkin, written by Dan Fogelman and Jessie Nelson, and starring Vince Vaughn and Paul Giamatti.-Plot:...
, co-starring Vince Vaughn
Vince Vaughn
Vincent Anthony "Vince" Vaughn is an American film actor, screenwriter, producer and comedian. He began acting in the late 1980s, appearing in minor television roles before attaining wider recognition with the 1996 movie Swingers...
and Paul Giamatti
Paul Giamatti
Paul Edward Valentine Giamatti is an American actor. Giamatti began his career as a supporting actor in several films produced during the 1990s including Private Parts, The Truman Show, Saving Private Ryan, The Negotiator, and Man on the Moon, before earning lead roles in several projects in the...
. In 2008, she played a love interest in the comedy Definitely, Maybe
Definitely, Maybe
Definitely, Maybe is a 2008 romantic comedy film directed by Adam Brooks, and starring Ryan Reynolds, Isla Fisher, Rachel Weisz, Elizabeth Banks, Abigail Breslin and Kevin Kline.-Plot:...
, alongside Isla Fisher
Isla Fisher
Isla Lang Fisher is an actress and author. She began acting on Australian television, on the short-lived soap opera Paradise Beach before playing Shannon Reed on the soap opera Home and Away...
and Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Rodney Reynolds is a Canadian film and television actor, best known for his roles in such films as National Lampoon's Van Wilder, Waiting..., The Amityville Horror, Just Friends, Definitely, Maybe, The Proposal, Buried, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and Green Lantern.One of his best known...
, starred with Seth Rogen
Seth Rogen
Seth Rogen is a Canadian stand-up comedian, actor, producer, screenwriter, and voice artist. Rogen began his career doing stand-up comedy during his teen years, winning the Vancouver Amateur Comedy Contest in 1998. While still living in his native Vancouver, he landed a small part in Freaks and...
as the eponymous female lead in the Kevin Smith
Kevin Smith
Kevin Patrick Smith is an American screenwriter, actor, film producer, and director, as well as a popular comic book writer, author, comedian/raconteur, and internet radio personality best recognized by viewers as Silent Bob...
comedy Zack and Miri Make a Porno
Zack and Miri Make a Porno
Zack and Miri Make a Porno is a 2008 romantic comedy film written and directed by Kevin Smith, distributed by The Weinstein Company, and starring Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks. It is Smith's second film not to be set within the View Askewniverse and the first not set in New Jersey. It was...
, and played United States First Lady Laura Bush
Laura Bush
Laura Lane Welch Bush is the wife of the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush. She was the First Lady of the United States from January 20, 2001, to January 20, 2009. She has held a love of books and reading since childhood and her life and education have reflected that interest...
in W.
W. (film)
W. is a 2008 American film based on the life and presidency of George W. Bush. It was produced and directed by Oliver Stone, written by Stanley Weiser, and stars Josh Brolin as Bush, with a cast that includes Ellen Burstyn, Elizabeth Banks, James Cromwell, Thandie Newton, Jeffrey Wright, Scott...
, Oliver Stone
Oliver Stone
William Oliver Stone is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Stone became well known in the late 1980s and the early 1990s for directing a series of films about the Vietnam War, for which he had previously participated as an infantry soldier. His work frequently focuses on...
's biopic of George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
.
In 2009, Banks appeared in the thriller The Uninvited
The Uninvited (2009 film)
The Uninvited is a 2009 American remake of the 2003 South Korean horror film A Tale of Two Sisters. It is unrelated to another 2003 Korean horror film and a 1944 American film, both of which have the same name.-Plot:...
, a remake of the Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
n horror film A Tale of Two Sisters
A Tale of Two Sisters
A Tale of Two Sisters is a 2003 South Korean psychological horror film written and directed by Kim Ji-woon...
. 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
Rebecca De Mornay
Rebecca De Mornay is an American film and television actress. Her breakthrough film role came in 1983, when she played Lana in Risky Business opposite Tom Cruise...
's character in The Hand That Rocks the Cradle
The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (film)
The Hand That Rocks the Cradle is a 1992 American thriller about a vengeful nanny out to destroy a naïve woman and steal her family. The film was directed by Curtis Hanson, starring Annabella Sciorra, Rebecca De Mornay, and Matt McCoy...
". "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".
Banks is a frequent co-star of actor Paul Rudd
Paul Rudd
Paul Stephen Rudd is an American actor and screenwriter. He has primarily appeared in comedies, and is known for his roles in the films Clueless, Wet Hot American Summer, Anchorman, Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Dinner for Schmucks, The Object of My...
, the two having appeared in five films together to date (Wet Hot American Summer
Wet Hot American Summer
Wet Hot American Summer is a 2001 satirical comedy film written by David Wain and Michael Showalter, and directed by Wain. The film takes place during the last day at a fictional Jewish summer camp in 1981, before closing for the summer...
, The Baxter
The Baxter
The Baxter is a 2005 film written by, directed by and starring American comedian Michael Showalter. A “Baxter”, as defined by the film, is the nice, dull guy in a romantic comedy who is dumped at the end of the story for the protagonist....
, The 40-Year-Old Virgin
The 40-Year-Old Virgin
The 40-Year-Old Virgin is a 2005 American buddy comedy film about a middle-aged man's journey to finally have sex. The film was written and directed by Judd Apatow and co-written by its lead star, Steve Carell, though the film itself features a great deal of improvised dialogue...
, Role Models
Role Models
Role Models is a 2008 American comedy film directed by David Wain about two energy drink salesmen who are ordered to perform 150 hours of community service as punishment for various offenses. For their service, the two men work at a program designed to pair kids with adult role models. The film...
and Our Idiot Brother).
Banks was cast as a love interest for Jack Donaghy
Jack Donaghy
John Francis "Jack" Donaghy is a fictional character on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock. He is the Vice President of East Coast Television and Microwave Oven Programming for General Electric and later Kabletown....
(Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin
Alexander Rae "Alec" Baldwin III is an American actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television.Baldwin first gained recognition through television for his work in the soap opera Knots Landing in the role of Joshua Rush. He was a cast member for two seasons before his character was killed off...
) in the fourth season of the Emmy-winning sitcom 30 Rock
30 Rock
30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live...
. 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
Mrs. Donaghy
"Mrs. Donaghy" is the eleventh episode of the fifth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 91st overall episode of the series. It was written by co-executive producer Jack Burditt and directed by Tricia Brock. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting...
. 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
63rd Primetime Emmy Awards
The 63rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, honoring the best in primetime television programming from June 1, 2010 until May 31, 2011, was held on September 18, 2011, at the Nokia Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles, California. Fox televised the ceremony within the United States. Actress Jane Lynch hosted...
.
Banks will soon appear in the movie The Hunger Games. She'll play Effie, a woman who originates from "The Capitol" and organizes the District 12 tributes. (District 12 being a region in which The Hunger Games is located in the distopian future.) The movie will premiere on March 23, 2012, rating PG-13. (To see more on the movie look up "The Hunger Games (film)".
Personal life
On July 5, 2003, Banks married sportswriter and producer Max HandelmanMax Handelman
Max Handelman is an American author, sportswriter, executive, film producer, and blogger. He wrote the book Why Fantasy Football Matters: .-Education:...
, who had been her boyfriend since she met him on her first day at college, September 6, 1992. She converted to Judaism
Conversion to Judaism
Conversion to Judaism is a formal act undertaken by a non-Jewish person who wishes to be recognised as a full member of the Jewish community. A Jewish conversion is both a religious act and an expression of association with the Jewish people...
upon marrying him.
She and her husband welcomed their first child, a boy named Felix, via surrogacy
Surrogacy
Surrogacy is an arrangement in which a woman carries and delivers a child for another couple or person. This woman may be the child's genetic mother , or she may carry the pregnancy to delivery after having an embryo, to which she has no genetic relationship whatsoever, transferred to her uterus...
in March 2011.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Surrender Dorothy Surrender Dorothy (1998 film) Surrender Dorothy is an independent film by director Kevin DiNovis which won first place at the 1998 Slamdance Film Festival. The film starred Peter Pryor, Kevin DiNovis, and was the first film role for Elizabeth Banks who appears in the credits as "Elizabeth Casey."... |
Vicki | Credited as Elizabeth Casey |
| 2000 | Shaft Shaft (2000 film) Shaft is a 2000 American action-crime film directed by John Singleton, and starring Samuel L. Jackson, Jeffrey Wright, Christian Bale, Pat Hingle, Toni Collette, Busta Rhymes, Vanessa L. Williams, and Mekhi Phifer. This film is not a remake of the 1971 film of the same name, but rather a sequel,... |
Trey's friend | Credited as Elizabeth Maresal Mitchell |
| 2001 | Wet Hot American Summer Wet Hot American Summer Wet Hot American Summer is a 2001 satirical comedy film written by David Wain and Michael Showalter, and directed by Wain. The film takes place during the last day at a fictional Jewish summer camp in 1981, before closing for the summer... |
Lindsay | |
| 2001 | Ordinary Sinner | Rachel | |
| 2002 | Spider-Man Spider-Man (film) Spider-Man is a 2002 American superhero film, the first in the Spider-Man film series based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. It was directed by Sam Raimi and written by David Koepp... |
Betty Brant Betty Brant Elizabeth "Betty" Brant is a supporting character in Marvel Comics’s Spider-Man series. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, she first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #4 .-Fictional character biography:... |
|
| 2002 | Swept Away Swept Away (2002 film) Swept Away is a 2002 Franco-British romantic comedy film directed by Guy Ritchie and starring Madonna, Adriano Giannini, and Bruce Greenwood. It was released by Screen Gems and produced by Matthew Vaughn. It received generally negative reviews from critics and was a box office failure.-Plot:Amber... |
Debi | |
| 2002 | Catch Me If You Can Catch Me If You Can Catch Me If You Can is a 2002 American biographical comedy-drama film based on the life of Frank Abagnale Jr., who, before his 19th birthday, successfully performed cons worth millions of dollars by posing as a Pan American World Airways pilot, a Georgia doctor, and a Louisiana parish prosecutor... |
Lucy Forrest | |
| 2002 | Stella Shorts 1998-2002 Stella shorts The Stella shorts are a collection of short films by the comedy group Stella. The short films were produced and written by Michael Showalter, Michael Ian Black, David Wain, who also star in the shorts with a number of guest actors... |
Woman at yoga class | Short films; direct-to-DVD release |
| 2003 | The Trade | Sioux Sever | |
| 2003 | Seabiscuit Seabiscuit (film) Seabiscuit is a 2003 American biographical film based on the best-selling non-fiction book Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand... |
Marcela Howard | Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture |
| 2004 | Spider-Man 2 Spider-Man 2 Spider-Man 2 is a 2004 American superhero film directed by Sam Raimi, written by Alvin Sargent and developed by Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, and Michael Chabon. It is the second film in the Spider-Man film franchise based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man... |
Betty Brant Betty Brant Elizabeth "Betty" Brant is a supporting character in Marvel Comics’s Spider-Man series. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, she first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #4 .-Fictional character biography:... |
|
| 2005 | Heights | Isabel | |
| 2005 | Sexual Life Sexual Life Sexual Life is a 2005 comedy-drama film written and directed by Ken Kwapis. Cast members include Azura Skye, Carla Gallo, Anne Heche, Elizabeth Banks, Tom Everett Scott, and Steven Weber.It is adapted from Arthur Schnitzler's play La Ronde.- Cast :... |
Sarah | |
| 2005 | The Sisters The Sisters (2005 film) The Sisters is a 2005 film starring Maria Bello, Mary Stuart Masterson, and Erika Christensen as the title characters; it also stars Alessandro Nivola, Rip Torn, Eric McCormack, Steven Culp, Tony Goldwyn and Chris O'Donnell... |
Nancy Pecket | |
| 2005 | The Baxter The Baxter The Baxter is a 2005 film written by, directed by and starring American comedian Michael Showalter. A “Baxter”, as defined by the film, is the nice, dull guy in a romantic comedy who is dumped at the end of the story for the protagonist.... |
Caroline Swann | |
| 2005 | The 40-Year-Old Virgin The 40-Year-Old Virgin The 40-Year-Old Virgin is a 2005 American buddy comedy film about a middle-aged man's journey to finally have sex. The film was written and directed by Judd Apatow and co-written by its lead star, Steve Carell, though the film itself features a great deal of improvised dialogue... |
Beth | |
| 2005 | Daltry Calhoun Daltry Calhoun Daltry Calhoun is a 2005 film, written and directed by Katrina Holden Bronson and starring Johnny Knoxville as the lead character Daltry Calhoun and Sophie Traub as his estranged daughter... |
May | |
| 2006 | Slither | Starla Grant | |
| 2006 | Invincible Invincible (2006 film) Invincible is a 2006 family film directed by Ericson Core set in 1976. It is based on the true story of Vince Papale, who played for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1976–78. Mark Wahlberg portrays Papale and Greg Kinnear plays Papale's coach, Dick Vermeil... |
Janet Cantrell | Nominated—MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss This is a following list for the MTV Movie Award winners and nominees for Best Kiss.This is a following list for the MTV Movie Award winners and nominees for Best Kiss.... |
| 2007 | Spider-Man 3 Spider-Man 3 Spider-Man 3 is a 2007 American superhero film written and directed by Sam Raimi, with a screenplay by Ivan Raimi and Alvin Sargent. It is the third film in the Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man... |
Betty Brant Betty Brant Elizabeth "Betty" Brant is a supporting character in Marvel Comics’s Spider-Man series. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, she first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #4 .-Fictional character biography:... |
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| 2007 | Meet Bill Bill (film) Meet Bill is a 2007 comedy film written and directed by Bernie Goldmann and Melisa Wallick and starring Aaron Eckhart as the titular character.- Plot :... |
Jess | |
| 2007 | Fred Claus Fred Claus Fred Claus is a 2007 Christmas family-comedy film produced and directed by David Dobkin, written by Dan Fogelman and Jessie Nelson, and starring Vince Vaughn and Paul Giamatti.-Plot:... |
Charlene | |
| 2008 | Definitely, Maybe Definitely, Maybe Definitely, Maybe is a 2008 romantic comedy film directed by Adam Brooks, and starring Ryan Reynolds, Isla Fisher, Rachel Weisz, Elizabeth Banks, Abigail Breslin and Kevin Kline.-Plot:... |
Emily Jones | |
| 2008 | Meet Dave Meet Dave Meet Dave is a 2008 American family comedy film directed by Brian Robbins and starring Eddie Murphy. The film was co-written by Bill Corbett and Rob Greenberg... |
Gina Morrison | |
| 2008 | Lovely, Still Lovely, Still Lovely, Still is a 2008 Christmas-themed romantic drama film starring Martin Landau and Ellen Burstyn.-Plot:Lonely Robert Malone falls in love with Mary , the mother of his neighbor Alex... |
Alex | |
| 2008 | Zack and Miri Make a Porno Zack and Miri Make a Porno Zack and Miri Make a Porno is a 2008 romantic comedy film written and directed by Kevin Smith, distributed by The Weinstein Company, and starring Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks. It is Smith's second film not to be set within the View Askewniverse and the first not set in New Jersey. It was... |
Miriam "Miri" Linky | |
| 2008 | W. W. (film) W. is a 2008 American film based on the life and presidency of George W. Bush. It was produced and directed by Oliver Stone, written by Stanley Weiser, and stars Josh Brolin as Bush, with a cast that includes Ellen Burstyn, Elizabeth Banks, James Cromwell, Thandie Newton, Jeffrey Wright, Scott... |
Laura Bush Laura Bush Laura Lane Welch Bush is the wife of the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush. She was the First Lady of the United States from January 20, 2001, to January 20, 2009. She has held a love of books and reading since childhood and her life and education have reflected that interest... |
Nominated—Detroit Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Detroit Film Critics Society The Detroit Film Critics Society is a film critic organization in Detroit, Michigan, United States.-2007 Awards:The nominees for the Detroit Film Critics Society Awards 2007 were announced on 15 December and the winners were announced on 21 December 2007.-Best Actor:**George Clooney - Michael... |
| 2008 | Role Models Role Models Role Models is a 2008 American comedy film directed by David Wain about two energy drink salesmen who are ordered to perform 150 hours of community service as punishment for various offenses. For their service, the two men work at a program designed to pair kids with adult role models. The film... |
Beth Jones | |
| 2009 | Big Breaks | Starlet | Short film |
| 2009 | The Uninvited The Uninvited (2009 film) The Uninvited is a 2009 American remake of the 2003 South Korean horror film A Tale of Two Sisters. It is unrelated to another 2003 Korean horror film and a 1944 American film, both of which have the same name.-Plot:... |
Rachel Summers | |
| 2009 | Surrogates | Executive producer | |
| 2010 | The Details | Nealy Lang | |
| 2010 | The Next Three Days The Next Three Days The Next Three Days is a 2010 thriller film directed by Paul Haggis and starring Russell Crowe and Elizabeth Banks. It was released in the United States on November 19, 2010 and was filmed on location in Pittsburgh... |
Lara Brennan | |
| 2011 | Our Idiot Brother | Miranda | |
| 2012 | The Hunger Games The Hunger Games (film) The Hunger Games is an upcoming science fiction action drama film directed by Gary Ross and is based on the novel of the same name by Suzanne Collins. It stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth... |
Effie Trinket | Filming |
| 2012 | What to Expect When You're Expecting What to Expect When You're Expecting (film) What to Expect When You're Expecting is an upcoming film directed by Kirk Jones from a screenplay by Shauna Cross and based on the book of the same name. It stars an ensemble cast of Elizabeth Banks, Anna Kendrick, Chris Rock, Brooklyn Decker, Jennifer Lopez, Rodrigo Santoro, Cameron Diaz, Rob... |
Wendy | Filming |
| 2012 | Movie 43 | Also director Post-production |
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| 2012 | Man on a Ledge Man on a Ledge Man on a Ledge is an upcoming 2012 thriller film directed by Asger Leth, starring Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell and Ed Harris... |
Lydia Anderson | Post-production |
| 2012 | Welcome to People Welcome to People Welcome to People is an upcoming drama film directed by Alex Kurtzman as his directorial debut, written by Kurtzman, Jody Lambert and Roberto Orci, starring Chris Pine, Olivia Wilde, Elizabeth Banks, Michelle Pfeiffer and Mark Duplass. The film has music composed by A. R... |
Frankie | Post-production |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Third Watch Third Watch Third Watch is an American television drama series which first aired on NBC from 1999 to 2005 for a total of 132 episodes, broadcast in 6 seasons of 22 episodes each.... |
Elaine Elchisak | 1 episode: "Patterns" Credited as Elizabeth Maresal Mitchell |
| 2000 | Sex and the City Sex and the City Sex and the City is an American television comedy-drama series created by Darren Star and produced by HBO. Broadcast from 1998 until 2004, the original run of the show had a total of ninety-four episodes... |
Catherine | 1 episode: "Politically Erect" |
| 2001 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced... |
Jaina Tobias Jansen | 1 episode: "Sacrifice" |
| 2002 | Without a Trace Without a Trace Without a Trace is an American television drama which originally ran on CBS from September 26, 2002 to May 19, 2009. The series was set in New York City and concerned a fictitious FBI Missing Persons Unit.-Premise:... |
Clarissa | 1 episode: "Snatch Back" |
| 2005 | Stella Stella (TV series) Stella was a short-lived television series that originally ran from June 28, 2005 to August 30, 2005 on the American television channel Comedy Central, created by and starring Michael Ian Black, Michael Showalter, and David Wain, the three members of the sketch comedy troupe of the same name and... |
Tamara | 1 episode: "Meeting Girls" |
| 2006–2007, 2009 | Scrubs Scrubs (TV series) Scrubs is an American medical comedy-drama television series created in 2001 by Bill Lawrence and produced by ABC Studios. The show follows the lives of several employees of the fictional Sacred Heart, a teaching hospital. It features fast-paced screenplay, slapstick, and surreal vignettes... |
Dr. Kim Briggs | Recurring role |
| 2007–2008 | Wainy Days Wainy Days Wainy Days is an internet video series starring David Wain that is hosted on the website, My Damn Channel. It is currently running in its fourth season. The web series follows a fictionalized version of Wain through his everyday life as he tries to form relationships with numerous women and... |
Shelly | 3 episodes: "Shelly", "The Date", "Shelly 2" |
| 2007–2008 | American Dad! American Dad! American Dad! is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane and owned by Underdog Productions and Fuzzy Door Productions. It is produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television... |
Becky Arangino Lisa Silver |
3 episodes: "The Vacation Goo", "1600 Candles", "Escape from Pearl Bailey" |
| 2008 | Comanche Moon Comanche Moon (TV miniseries) Comanche Moon is a television miniseries that is an adaptation of the novel of the same name. It aired on CBS beginning Sunday, January 13, and continuing Tuesday, January 15, and Wednesday, January 16, 2008.-Cast:* Val Kilmer as Inish Scull... |
Maggie Tilton | TV mini-series |
| 2009 | Modern Family Modern Family Modern Family is an American television comedy series created by Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan, which debuted on ABC on September 23, 2009. Lloyd and Levitan serve as showrunner and executive producers, under their Levitan-Lloyd Productions label... |
Sal | 1 episode: "Great Expectations Great Expectations (Modern Family) "Great Expectations" is the eighth episode of the ABC series Modern Family. It premiered on ABC in the United States on November 18, 2009. The episode was written by Joe Lawson and directed by Jason Winer.-Plot:... " |
| 2010–present | 30 Rock 30 Rock 30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live... |
Avery Jessup | Recurring role Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series |