Elizabeth Banks
Elizabeth Banks is one of a handful of actresses to successfully make the transition to the other side of the camera. She optioned, developed and produced the blockbuster cult-classic Pitch Perfect and returned to the series in 2015 adding director to her many credits for Pitch Perfect 2. The film opened to rave reviews, earning her the #1 spot in box-office sales (beating Mad Max: Fury Road and Avengers: Age of Ultron) and set a record for a first-time movie director. She has just completed principal photography on the feature film re-boot of Charlie’s Angels, as well as an upcoming TV movie The Greater Good for 20th Century Fox Television.
Bonnie Goldfarb, Executive Producer of Elizabeth’s explains, “Not only is she a champion of women, Elizabeth is an incredibly smart and gifted director and business woman.”
Banks graduated Magna cum Laude from the University of Pennsylvania and began acting in 1998. Her breakthrough performance came in 2002 as secretary Betty Brant in Sam Raimi’s Spider Man. Since then, Banks has starred in an array of movie roles including The 40-Year-Old-Virgin, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, Seabiscuit, The Hunger Games film series, Love and Mercy, as well as the upcoming Power Rangers. Her television credits include regular roles on Modern Family (Emmy nomination 2015), Scrubs, Wet Hot American Summer and NBC's 30 Rock for which she earned two Emmy nominations for her role as Avery Jessup in 2011 and 2012. Elizabeth also plays the character, Wyldstyle in the upcoming The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part.
In addition, Elizabeth helmed WhoHaHa, a comedy website that puts funny women at center stage. No stranger to the small screen, Banks has directed shorts for Funny or Die, the award-winning Just A Little Heart Attack for The American Heart Association, as well as amusing ads for Tommy John, Annie’s Homegrown and Lucy’s Activewear. Elizabeth launched her first harvest project for Persil that debuted at Superbowl LI (51).