When Elizabeth Banks chose her stage name, she opted for something short and punchy. Born and raised as Elizabeth Mitchell in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, she was forced to get creative while seeking her Screen Actors Guild membership in the early days of her acting career. (Lost<\/em> actress Elizabeth Mitchell had already registered with her given name.) She considered taking her partner Max Handelman\u2019s family name, but the pair had not yet married\u2014and she didn\u2019t want to \u201cjinx it.\u201d Nor did she want to abandon \u201cElizabeth\u201d; a friend had warned her not to pick anything too unfamiliar or unnatural.<\/p>\n A surname, then, was a safer transformation. She scrawled a list of potential options, each no longer than two syllables; alphabetized them in a column; and called SAG to see what was available. She didn\u2019t get far down the list before SAG confirmed one had not yet been claimed: \u201cBanks.\u201d Elizabeth Banks.<\/p>\n Jacket, bikini, Isabel Marant. Pants, Zimmermann. Sunglasses, Elisa Johnson. Earrings, 8 Other Reasons.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n She admired the \u201cbrightness\u201d of \u201cBanks,\u201d the sharp crunch of the consonants. She appreciated its proximity to the top of the alphabet, a convenient placement when cast lists were announced. It was fitting, too: Banks\u2019s mother, Ann, used to work in a bank. But what Banks couldn\u2019t, of course, predict at the time was how fitting the moniker would become for a savvy Hollywood actress and entrepreneur. \u201cI think serendipity plays a big role in a lot of people\u2019s lives,\u201d Banks says now, \u201cand that was just a little serendipitous moment: I actually think that \u2018Banks\u2019 was the perfect name, and I didn\u2019t totally realize it until it was mine.\u201d<\/p>\n When we speak in April, Banks is coming off of the press run for Peacock\u2019s new TV series The Miniature Wife<\/em><\/a>, in which she stars alongside Succession<\/em> star Matthew Macfadyen as Lindy Littlejohn\u2014a wife who does, indeed, become miniature. A bestselling author shrunk down to a 6-inch stature thanks to the inadvertent activation of her husband Les\u2019s miniaturization technology, Lindy\u2019s newfound perspective further reveals the imbalances between herself and her husband.<\/p>\n Sweater, polo, Polo Ralph Lauren. Jeans, Re\/Done. Belt, Artemas Quibble. Sunglasses, Elisa Johnson. Bracelet, watch, Cartier.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Attracted to the idea of a high-concept comedy like The War of the Roses<\/em> and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids<\/em>, Banks had attached herself to the project before the Writers Guild of America strike in 2023, and eventually went on to film the series in Toronto in 2025. It was a surprisingly challenging endeavor: She and Macfadyen had to shoot their scenes separately, with Banks using a green screen as a scene partner and the production team\u2019s scaled-up set design\u2014and various oversized props\u2014as a playground.<\/p>\n \u201cDoing physical comedy is inherently silly, right?\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s inherently vulnerable. You\u2019re failing a lot before you win. You have to be very open to failure. Then doing all of that by myself on a green screen\u2026it just felt so silly on a level that I\u2019ve never really experienced, because I usually have a partner who\u2019s taking on some of the vulnerability.\u201d<\/p>\n Top, Celine. Bracelet, watch, Cartier.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n But having that vulnerability thrust upon her forced Banks to think deeply about the power dynamics between Lindy and Les, and between \u201csoft power\u201d and \u201chard power\u201d more generally. She doesn\u2019t hesitate to draw connections with the political sphere beyond Hollywood: The country is in an era in which \u201cthere\u2019s a total lack of appreciation for what soft-power skills bring to the table in terms of leadership and integrity,\u201d she says. \u201cHard power feels like it should be a last resort.\u201d<\/p>\n Banks, 52, has made a career out of showing just how useful such soft-power skills can be. Charming, outgoing, and a self-proclaimed \u201coptimistic person,\u201d she has woven her way inextricably through the Hollywood ecosystem\u2014as an actress, producer, director, advocate, and entrepreneur\u2014in the years since she made her debut in 1998\u2019s Surrender Dorothy<\/em>, later gaining traction with 2001\u2019s Wet Hot American Summer<\/em>, Sam Raimi\u2019s Spider-Man<\/em> films, and 2005\u2019s The 40-Year-Old Virgin<\/em>. A bevy of other on-screen roles presented themselves soon after, including memorable runs on Scrubs<\/em>; Modern Family<\/em>; and 30 Rock<\/em>, where she played Avery Jessup, a character whom Banks believes \u201crepresents the height of my comedic skills.\u201d Then in 2012, Banks starred in both Pitch Perfect<\/em> (a project she calls \u201cvery close to my heart\u201d) as an a cappella competition commentator and The Hunger Games<\/em> as the outrageous stylist Effie Trinket\u2014two of her most well-recognized roles to date.<\/p>\n Jacket, Nili Lotan. Vest, shirt, Polo Ralph Lauren. Jeans, Agolde. Earrings, shoes, Tory Burch. Scarves, Herm\u00e8s. Ring, 8 Other Reasons.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n She hadn\u2019t necessarily intended to become an actress as a child. In fact, she thought she would become \u201ca lawyer or something,\u201d Banks says. \u201cI just knew that I wanted a big life, and that I wanted to be able to impact a lot of other people. And I think the young me has figured out how to do that, and I\u2019m really proud of her.\u201d She worked an odd series of jobs growing up in Massachusetts: babysitting; running the front desk and concession stand at a Catholic youth center; catering; cleaning at a bed and breakfast. (The latter was the worst, she says. \u201cHere\u2019s some advice for the readers: Don\u2019t try and flush condoms,\u201d Banks adds.) She waitressed for years, all through college and into her early 20s.<\/p>\n But she enjoyed acting in school plays, and when she attended the University of Pennsylvania, she eventually graduated with a degree in communications and a minor in theater arts. Next, she earned an MFA from the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, and went on to make her screen debut.<\/p>\n A few years later, she and her now-husband Handelman launched their production company, Brownstone Productions. Going into business together was a \u201cpractical\u201d decision. \u201cMy husband was graduating business school, and looking at jobs, and we wanted to build a life together,\u201d Banks says. \u201cAnd we felt like, if he took a 9-to-5 with two weeks vacation while I was traveling all over making films, we wouldn\u2019t be able to share the experience together.\u201d<\/p>\n Sunglasses, Elisa Johnson. Earrings, 8 Other Reasons.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n The duo had their work cut out for them. \u201cWe knew through my acting work that we had a lot of access in Hollywood, which is a key aspect of producing, and we had really good taste. We weren\u2019t worried about that,\u201d Banks continues. \u201cWhat we needed to build, as a team, was clout, and the only way to build clout is to actually make things, get things made, or make people money.\u201d<\/p>\n One of the couple\u2019s first producing projects was an adaptation of a graphic novel from a small publisher\u2014\u201cbecause we were never going to get a Marvel or DC title,\u201d Banks deadpans\u2014called The Surrogates<\/em>. Brownstone partnered with other producers to eventually make the 2009 film with Disney starring Bruce Willis, which gave Banks and Handelman exactly the \u201cclout\u201d they needed. Not long after, they pursued the adaptation rights for Mickey Rapkin\u2019s book Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate A Cappella Glory<\/em>, from which they made the smash-hit Pitch Perfect<\/em>. A mere three years later, Banks made her directorial debut with 2015\u2019s Brownstone-produced Pitch Perfect 2<\/em>.<\/p>\n Top, jeans, belt, bag, Celine. Necklace, bracelets, watch, Cartier.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Dress, Re\/Done.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Since then, Banks, Handelman, and Brownstone have made their mark with projects including the 2019 Charlie\u2019s Angels<\/em> reboot, the Aidy Bryant-led Hulu series Shrill<\/em>, the 2023 films Cocaine Bear<\/em> and Bottoms<\/em>, and 2025\u2019s Prime Video drama The Better Sister<\/em><\/a>. All the while, Banks has maintained a steady presence in front of the camera while juggling myriad other roles: her multiple brand partnerships (with companies such as skin care brand No7<\/a>, hair care line Virtue Labs, and pharmaceutical company Pfizer, among others); her co-ownership in canned wine business Archer Roose; her investments in businesses such as the American soccer team Boston Legacy FC and the sexual health brand Cadence OTC; her hosting gig with ABC game show Press Your Luck<\/em> (which Banks calls \u201cmy favorite job in Hollywood\u201d); and her advocacy for gun control and women\u2019s health care and reproductive rights.<\/p>\n Top, La DoubleJ. Shorts, R\u00f9adh. Hat, necklace, Zimmermann. Watch, Cartier.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n Regarding her advocacy, Banks says that she doesn\u2019t feel \u201cparticularly revolutionary\u201d when, for instance, she speaks out against the Trump administration and in favor of abortion access or gun safety. \u201cI do want to acknowledge that it feels more dangerous right now than ever before, because our government\u2019s been weaponized against everyday citizens in a lot of ways that have never happened in my 52 years of life,\u201d she says. But she feels she\u2019s in a uniquely privileged position to speak out, and that \u201cmy intention lines up with what is actually not controversial and almost always popular….I\u2019m literally putting voice to what most people believe is a sensible mid-path to make sure that people stay as safe as they can in our society. I\u2019m advocating for people\u2019s safety and their right to exist, and it\u2019s really hard to argue against that.\u201d Some do try, she adds, and those people \u201ccall me names, and threaten me, but they can\u2019t argue those points.\u201d<\/p>\n Banks is also a mother to two sons, with whom she wants to spend as much time as possible before they leave home. Prioritizing her presence at home has led her to be very intentional about the projects she takes on, even if she\u2019s not necessarily \u201cslowing down at all,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n \u201cI want to be impactful,\u201d she explains. \u201cAnd as an artist, I don\u2019t make art in a closet for myself. I am trying to convey something to the audience. I\u2019m trying to speak to the time that I live in. I\u2019m trying to make art that moves people, entertains people, and educates people.\u201d<\/p>\n Jacket, Nili Lotan. Vest, shirt, Polo Ralph Lauren. Jeans, Agolde. Scarves, Herm\u00e8s. Ring, 8 Other Reasons.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n Now that her work on The Miniature Wife<\/em> has concluded, Banks has a full docket ahead of her: She\u2019s filming the next season of Press Your Luck<\/em>, and in the coming weeks she\u2019ll shoot an as-yet-unannounced series with Apple TV. Production has yet to begin, but she is \u201cvery much working toward\u201d playing Karen Read in the upcoming Prime Video series about the infamous Massachusetts trial (in which the real-life Read was accused of murdering her boyfriend, police officer John O\u2019Keefe, in 2022). Banks is also actively producing and developing other projects, including a film about \u201csorority rush culture\u201d called Betas<\/em>. (Banks was herself in the Delta Delta Delta sorority in college, and while she generally has \u201ca positive outlook\u201d on Greek life, she feels \u201cthere is a satire to be made about how seriously people take it\u2014because it should not be life or death for anybody.\u201d)<\/p>\n She\u2019s excited to see The Hunger Games: Sunrise in the Reaping<\/em><\/a> later this year, featuring Elle Fanning as a younger version of Banks\u2019s Effie Trinket. \u201cI am so excited for her to make it her own,\u201d Banks says. \u201cI mean, truly. I\u2019m happy if I provided any part of the blueprint for what she\u2019ll end up doing, but Suzanne Collins<\/a> wrote an incredibly awesome piece of anti-fascist propaganda, and I can\u2019t wait for more of it to be in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n Top, earrings, La DoubleJ. Shorts, R\u00f9adh. Watch, Cartier. Shoes, Tory Burch.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n In the meantime, she\u2019s keeping her eye out for projects to develop, produce, and act in. But rapidly changing technology in Hollywood\u2014the rise of streaming, social media, and artificial intelligence among them\u2014has led her to think deeply about what matters, both as an artist and as a businesswoman. \u201cI think it\u2019s important to remember that there have been these periods of big transitions in Hollywood before, and I still believe that people want to be connected through art and entertainment\u2026there\u2019s a reason we still read the Greeks, and why we still go to museums. What we pass on is the human stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n She continues, \u201cI don\u2019t think storytelling goes away. I just think now storytelling is adapting to the way that people consume.\u201d<\/p>\n When I ask if, looking back on the scope of her career, there\u2019s a film or television role she\u2019s most proud of, Banks mentions the Pitch Perfect <\/em>series\u2014but her greatest source of pride is \u201cthat I\u2019m still here,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve survived it all so far,\u201d she continues. \u201cAnd I still get to do something that I love to do, and I still have the opportunity to entertain people. I don\u2019t take that lightly. It\u2019s a great responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n Lead image: Sweater, top, pants, Polo Ralph Lauren. Earrings, 8 Other Reasons. Belt, Artemas Quibble. Shoes, Herbert Levine.<\/em><\/p>\n Photography by Daniel Jack Lyons; styling by Christopher Campbell; hair by Holly Mills at The Wall Group; makeup by Fiona Stiles at A-Frame Agency; manicure by Queenie Nguyen at Tomlinson Management Group; produced by Alexey Galetskiy Productions.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.elle.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When Elizabeth Banks chose her stage name, she opted for something short and punchy. Born and raised as Elizabeth Mitchell in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, she was forced to get creative while seeking her Screen Actors Guild membership in the early days of her acting career. (Lost actress Elizabeth Mitchell had already registered with her given name.) 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