Elizabeth Banks

For years, she was the girl in comedies you liked but couldn't name. The 40-Year-Old Virgin changed that in 2005. She held her own against Steve Carell and got taken seriously as a comedian, not just a love interest. The bigger shift came with Pitch Perfect in 2012. She acted in it and produced it through her own company, Brownstone Productions. The film cost $17 million and cleared $100 million worldwide. Her two Emmy nominations for 30 Rock were just the side hustle.

Pitch Perfect 2 was her directorial debut in 2015, opening to $69 million, a record for a first-time director at the time. Charlie's Angels came next in 2019 and opened to $8.6 million against a $48 million budget. She initially suggested sexism was a factor, then walked it back and said she'd marketed it wrong. Cocaine Bear in 2023 grossed $90 million on a $30 million budget and reset the conversation. She's developing a production slate at Universal and attaching herself to multiple projects.

The last name isn't a family name. Elizabeth Mitchell was already registered in SAG, so she made a list of one-syllable surnames, alphabetized it, and 'Banks' came first. The acting career itself has a stranger origin: she was sliding into third base in Little League when she broke her leg, and trying out for the school play was something to do while she recovered. She graduated magna cum laude from Penn, reportedly turned down a soap opera offer to finish her MFA at the American Conservatory Theatre, and met her husband Max Handelman on her literal first day of college. Some people plan their careers. She fell into hers on a baseball diamond.