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I Z E L A B E T H B A N K S ueenOF THE Game Don’t let her winsome Q laugh deceive you. Elizabeth Banks is a star to be reckoned with, in front of — and behind — the camera. By Kristin Baird Rattini she was Effie Trinket in the current blockbuster film The Hunger Games, before she was Laura Bush in W. or Betty Brant in the three Spider- BeforeMan films, and even before she was Banks (as close friends call her), the actress known as Elizabeth Banks was Elizabeth Mitchell from Brown Street in working-class Pittsfield, Mass. Growing up, young Elizabeth didn’t particularly care for her address. “My girlfriend — who also lived on Brown Street — and I told people we lived at 10300 Brownstone Drive,” she says. “Because rich people had five numbers in their address and we had only three, and Brownstone Drive sounded much fancier than Brown Street.” As it turns out, Banks now has five numbers in her address. She entered Hollywood, laugh- ing, a decade ago as the giggly bank teller in Steven Spielberg’s Catch Me If You Can. Since then, the classically trained actress has repeatedly demonstrated sizable comedic and dramatic BANKS: MATTHIAS VRIENS-MCGRATH/TRUNK ARCHIVE; CHIPS: GETTY IMAGES 36 APRIL 01, 2012 AA.COM/AMERICANWAY AA.COM/AMERICANWAY APRIL 01, 2012 37 dance, and they all have to act and be funny. “I am addicted It is a lot of pressure. They’ve overdelivered. I’m like a proud mom, a super-proud mom.” to making people Not to mention a super-busy working laugh.” mom. Pitch Perfect is Banks’ first produc- tion since her son, Felix, arrived in March 2011. While her young Pitch Perfect cast has often continued their revelry into happy hour and beyond, Banks’ focus is now on sleep and Felix time. “It’s interesting to see how I’ve evolved, and how much I don’t miss it,” she says. What she does miss is time to cozy up with some books and a season’s worth of Breaking Bad. But that will have to wait until … well, until further notice, especially now that the highly anticipated film adaptation of The Hunger Games has finally hit theaters. talents, and, after The Hunger Games and her upcom- Suzanne Collins’ novel has introduced 16 million readers ing roles in What to Expect When You’re Expecting and (and counting) to the post-apocalyptic nation of Panem, Movie 43, both out this spring, she will undoubtedly ce- where the country’s 12 districts must each select one boy The versatile Banks ment her status as a leading lady. Not comfortable to just and one girl as “tributes” to compete in an annual tele- in The Hunger Games coast along though, the 38-year-old star is also fostering vised death match. Banks plays Effie Trinket, a bubbly (ABOVE LEFT, with Jennifer Lawrence) and her talents as a budding director and producer. She and and seemingly oblivious pink-coiffed chaperone who se- in (BELOW, LEFT TO husband Max Handelman recently launched their own lects the two teenage tributes from District 12 — Katniss RIGHT)Seabiscuit (with Jeff Bridges), 30 Rock production company together, but its name, clearly, is all and Peeta, the main characters — and escorts them to the (with Alan Alda and Banks: Brownstone Productions. Capitol for the “happy Hunger Games.” Alec Baldwin) and Banks read the book before it became a best-seller Man on a Ledge (with Sam Worthington) and fell for Effie immediately. “Effie could be reduced a production day (read: off-camera simply to comic relief,” she says. “She is funny, but of day), so Banks is dressed casually course there’s so much more going on. Effie walks a very in a gray sweater and scarf as she fine line. She is mentoring her tributes and pulling for It’ssits down to a late lunch at Beausoleil Restaurant & Bar, them on one level. On another level she is essentially a a cozy bistro in Baton Rouge, La. For two months, she puppet for a totalitarian regime and understands all her has been on location in the Louisiana capital to oversee liberties in life are given with strings attached. If she Brownstone’s production of Pitch Perfect. Adapted from [angers] the leadership, she could lose everything, even Mickey Rapkin’s nonfiction book, the comedy explores her life. I was fascinated by playing someone who is so the world of competitive college a cappella groups. Film- motivated by both ambition and fear.” ing wraps in two days, and farewell tweets have been It became a very happy Hunger Games for Banks, in- flying furiously among the 20-something cast mem- deed, when she learned the film would be directed by bers, particularly top-billers Anna Kendrick (Up in Gary Ross. As the director of 2003’s Seabiscuit, Ross cast the Air), Brittany Snow (Hairspray) and Rebel Wilson Banks in her first significant dramatic film role: Mar- (Bridesmaids). cela Howard, the elegant, supportive wife of Seabiscuit’s “I’ve been crying a lot this last week, out of pride and owner (Jeff Bridges). Banks emailed Ross to lobby for the joy,” Banks says. “We have all these amazing young peo- role of Effie, and after auditioning, he knew she was the ple who are at the start of their careers. It is so fun to obvious choice. “It was clear to me she understood this watch them blossom and commit. They have to sing and character as well as, if not better than, I did,” Ross says. TOP: MURRAY CLOSE; LEFT RIGHT: TO EVERETT COLLECTION (2); MYLES ARONOWITZ/SUMMIT ENTERTAINMENT OUTLINE OLENICK/CORBIS SETH 38 APRIL 01, 2012 AA.COM/AMERICANWAY AA.COM/AMERICANWAY APRIL 01, 2012 39 she brought all her incredible comedic skills.” Banks put those comedic skills to use off- camera, too, in her repartee with co-star Woody Harrelson. His character, Haymitch, frequently infuriates Effie with his drunken behavior. “Woody and I have a very special relationship,” Banks says with a chuckle. “My first exchange with Woody involved some off-color jokes, so we were off to a great start. We can both be very silly and also very serious. I took a lot of pride in trying to make him laugh.” After all, laughter is what Banks does best. Banks (left) and Brooklyn Decker “I am addicted to making people laugh,” she in the upcoming What to Expect When admits. In several of her best performances, You’re Expecting, due out in May the mere sound of her wide-eyed laugh is enough to make viewers roll in the aisles. “She’s got one of those start-in-the-knees “And I had just written the screenplay!” movie. There’s also a tinge of desperation in kind of laughs that doesn’t care where or Still, Banks wasn’t completely comfort- Auntie Mame,” she says. “I wanted all those in what setting it’s heard, or how loud it is,” able in Effie’s painfully pointy shoes until things in the voice.” says friend and frequent co-star Paul Rudd. she perfected her voice. The novel makes Banks’ voice came through loud and Banks earned an Emmy nomination in a point of how pretentious and ridiculous clear her first day of shooting, when she 2011 — Outstanding Guest Actress in a Com- the Capitol accent sounds to people in the jumped right into Effie’s biggest scene: the edy Series — for her recurring role as conser- outlying districts. Banks tried out a chorus reaping, or selection, of the District 12 trib- vative talk-show host Avery Jessup-Donaghy of voices before settling on a mid-Atlantic/ utes. “When I saw her come out of hair and on 30 Rock. Yet her favorite role (so far) is not faux British accent that was an homage to makeup and stand on that stage, there was Avery but Miri, from Kevin Smith’s comedy Rosalind Russell in the 1958 film Auntie such an amazing jolt I got at seeing that char- Zach and Miri Make a Porno. “The film is Mame. “There’s something very theatrical acter come to life,” Ross says. “Liz brought a pretty overlooked. Everyone hears ‘porno’ about what Rosalind Russell does in that nuance and subtlety to it; at the same time and thinks it’s dirty,” she says. “But it’s a CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: MELISSA MOSELEY; GETTY IMAGES; EVERETT COLLECTION; HAVLICEK/CHILLI PAVEL MEDIA 2012 might be a big year for ELIZABETH BANKS, but you've been watching her on the silver screen for more than a decade. Who’s That Girl? Here’s a past, present and future recap: 2012 2005 The Hunger Games The 40-Year-Old Virgin Man on a Ledge The Baxter Movie 43 (acting and directing) Daltry Calhoun Pitch Perfect (producing) Heights Welcome to People Sexual Life What to Expect When You’re Expecting The Sisters 2011 2004 Our Idiot Brother Spider-Man 2 2010 2003 The Next Three Days Seabiscuit 2009 The Trade The Uninvited 2002 2008 Catch Me If You Can Definitely, Maybe Spider-Man Lovely, Still Swept Away Meet Dave Role Models W. Zack and Miri Make a Porno 2007 Fred Claus Meet Bill Spider-Man 3 2006 Invincible Slither 40 APRIL 01, 2012 AA.COM/AMERICANWAY NOW YOU KNOW: Banks changed her last name ELIZABETH BANKS to avoid confusion with Lost’s Elizabeth Mitchell. really sweet movie. That character took ad- altogether different journey: She plays one “As I was reading the script, I thought one of the nine comedy shorts that comprise She is the girl power of that whole dynasty.” were college sweethearts at the University vantage of all the things I’m good at: being of five expectant mothers in the ensemble it was okay; I was going along for the ride,” the Farrelly Brothers’ star-studded Movie And, of course, there’s Pitch Perfect.

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