Elizabeth Banks (born February 10, 1974) is an American actress who plays Miri in Zack and Miri Make a Porno.
Zack and Miri[]
Originally, Rosario Dawson was cast as Miri. However, when filming was moved from November 2007 to January 2008 (to accomodate Seth Rogen's schedule), Dawson was no longer available due to her commitment to filming Eagle Eye with Steven Spielberg. A short list of six alternate actresses was drawn up; because it was alphabetical, Banks' name was at the top. When Seth Rogen saw the list he warmly endorsed having Banks play the role.[1] According to Banks, she went to Kevin Smith's house and told him that she would like to play the part, and she was hired.[2]
Smith is very enthusiastic about the job she did, claiming,
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She's hands down the best actress I've ever worked with. She gives you so many choices in the editing room, delivers the exact same lines, changes it up each take just a little bit in terms of delivery, [...] When you're sitting there cutting the movie together, you can always count on a fantastic reaction from her. You can find it. It's in the footage.[1]
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Quotes[]
When asked to compare the experience of making Zack and Miri Make a Porno to what she expected, Banks replied:
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I had no expectations of what it was going to be like. [...] So I knew – I will say this – that Seth and I would get along gangbusters because we always have and I knew that we would improvise a lot which we did. I knew that Kevin [Smith] would be amazing to be around which he is. He just runs a really friendly and relaxed set full of his friends and has everyone that makes him comfortable around. So I knew all of that was going to work. I knew that it was going to be really fucking cold in Pittsburgh and it was. What else did I know? Other than that I didn't know much. I knew we were making a really funny movie. It's actually funnier than I realized.[3]
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When discussing Kevin Smith, Banks said:
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Kevin writes real, hilarious women better than just about anybody. He finds that balance between raunchy and daring yet feminine and genuine which is rare and a true talent.[2]
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Biography[]
Banks was born Elizabeth Maresal Mitchell in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. As a young child, she was a contestant on the Nickelodeon game show Finders Keepers. She graduated from Pittsfield High School in 1992 and is a magna cum laude graduate of the University of Pennsylvania (1996). In 1998 she completed schooling at the American Conservatory Theater. In 2003, Banks married Max Handelman, who had been her boyfriend since college. She converted to Judaism upon marrying him.[4]
She and her husband Max own a production company called Brownstone Productions, which is producing the upcoming movie Surrogates.[3]
Trivia[]
- At Comic-Con 2008, she claimed her favorite Kevin Smith film is Chasing Amy.[5]
Filmography[]
- Surrender Dorothy (1998) as Vicki
- Third Watch (1999) TV-Series as Elaine Elchisak (1 episode 1999)
- Sex & the City (2000) TV-Series as Catherine (1 episode 2000)
- Shaft (2000) as Trey's Friend
- Wet Hot American Summer (2001) as Lindsay
- Ordinary Sinner (2001) as Rachel
- Law & Order: SVU (2001) TV-Series as Jaina Jenson (1 episode 2001)
- Spider-Man (2002) as Betty Brant
- Swept Away (2002) as Debi
- Without a Trace (2002) TV-Series as Clarissa (1 episode 2002)
- Catch Me if You Can (2002) as Lucy Forrest
- The Trade (2003) as Sioux Sever
- Seabiscuit (2003) as Marcela Howard
- Spider-Man 2 (2004) as Betty Brant
- Heights (2005) as Isabel
- Sexual Life (2005) as Sarah
- Stella (2005) TV-Series as Tamara (1 episode 2005)
- The Baxter (2005) as Caroline Swan
- The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005) as Beth
- Daltry Calhoun (2005) as May
- Slither (2006) as Starla Grant
- The Sisters (2006) as Nancy Pecket
- Scrubs (2006) TV-Series as Dr. Kim Briggs (13 episodes 2006-2007)
- Invincible (2006) as Janet Cantrell
- Spider-Man 3 (2007) as Betty Brant
- Wainy Days (2007)TV-Series as Shelly (2 episodes 2007)
- Fred Claus (2007) as Charlene
- Comanche Moon (2008) TV-mini-series as Maggie
- Definitely, Maybe (2008) as Emily (Sarah)
- Meet Bill (2008) as Jess
- Meet Dave (2008) as Gina Morrison
Upcoming[]
- Role Models (2008) as TBA (awaiting release)
- Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008) as Miri (awaiting release)
- W. (2008) as Laura Bush (post-production)[6]
- The Uninvited (2009) as Rachael (awaiting release)[7]
- Lovely, Still (2009) as Alex (post-production)
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Interview: Kevin Smith on Zack and Miri Make a Porno! Alex Billington, October 27, 2008.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Story and About the Production at zackandmiri.com
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Elizabeth Banks Interview Steve Weintraub at collider.com
- ↑ "Jews on the Big Screen" Nate Bloom, JVibe, 2004
- ↑ filmschoolrejects.com
- ↑ Elizabeth Banks cast as Laura Bush - The Hollywood Reporter
- ↑ Elizabeth Banks gets evil for "Sisters" horror - Yahoo.com