Elizabeth Banks covers the latest issue of The Edit, surprisingly NOT to promote Pitch Perfect 2. PP2 is already out and it’s already a massive hit, easily making $100 million-plus domestically in its first ten days of release. Banks gets so much credit for that too – she’s so badass!! Props to her and may this be the first of many directorial gigs. Anyway, Banks sat down with net-a-porter.com’s The Edit to promote her supporting part in Magic Mike: XXL. I didn’t realize it, but she’s playing a wild-and-crazy former stripper in the sequel. I bet she had a BLAST. Some highlights from the interview:
Her role in Magic Mike: “I play an ex-stripper. She’s a hot mess, she’s completely not me, which is great!”
Working with her husband Max Handelman on PP2: “Both Max and I have had to fight misconceptions. ‘She’s just a blond actress who works with her husband.’ ‘Who are they?’ ‘She’s not even that successful of an actress!’ But none of this is a vanity project. I want to tell stories and have more control over my life.”
Being a female director in Hollywood: “I don’t want to pretend it’s not what it is. You can’t not take up the cause the minute you accept the job. I made a funny movie – about girls – and it’s going to make money? It just doesn’t happen.”
Whether she has secret meetings with Lena Dunham & Angelina Jolie: “There’s no meeting because we’re all ****ing busy.”
Meeting her husband on the first day at University of Pennsylvania. “When I met Max. I was not like, ‘I just met my husband!’ I was 18; it was lust. He looked like Jason Priestley from Beverly Hills, 90210. I was like, ‘Oh, that’s a college boy. That’s what I’m interested in.’”
Motherhood: “Motherhood changed me in positive ways. It made me more ambitious for my kids. I do everything for them now, because I want this success for my life with them…Directing is a big decision. It’s a year and a half of my life and it’s taking my kids out of their daily routine.”
The Edit also says that Banks is rumored for an extremely juicy role: Billie Jean King in a feature bio-pic. Which would be AMAZING. Does anyone else remember the TV movie When Billie Beat Bobby? Holly Hunter starred as Billie Jean King in that and she was fantastic!! But I could see Banks doing a great Billie as well. God, I hope it happens! As for the rest of it… Banks is amazing. I keep saying this, but she’s so inspirational.
Photos courtesy of Chad Pitman/The Edit.
She is the better Reese W.
I love the way your mind works.
Banks is fabulous – I think she’s great. Unfortunately, her Billie Jean King TV movie may be overshadowed by the film adoption of the same story that Emma Stone is supposed to be starring in – no disrespect to Emma, but Elizabeth is much better casting for that part IMHO.
Whyyyyy is every project released lately repeated in a different style very close in time?!?! It seems that’s all that happens… Elizabeth Taylor, Snow White, all those others I cant remember hahah
IM TIRED but I know there are more
I am so happy for her that the film is doing so well. Pretty awesome to have the first feature film she directed closing in on $200 million worldwide! Hopefully this means she’ll get more offers, and support for the projects she wants to do.
Rubs me in the wrong way… I wanted so much to like her! Anyway, I’m looking forward to see more women directing, including her.
I so agree! And I can’t figure out, why she rubs me the wrong way.
Yeah, I agree. I want to like her, but I can’t. Or maybe it’s because I know someone who works with her, and their story ideas are just not my cup of tea…
Yet, it’s nice to see a smart, educated woman in H’wood taking on acting, writing, directing and producing. And instead of complaining about a lack of roles, she’s succeeding on her own terms.
I love how much agency she is bringing to the table. Get out there and take charge, lady!
Did anyone hear her NPR interview? She was great–funny, smart, likeable. She’s a terrific role model and I wish her continued success.
I like the way she speaks. What kind of accent is it?
She is from Western Massachusetts. There’s an Eastern NY/Western Mass accent along that area.
I’ve always loved Elizabeth. I had no idea she, with her husband, produced the first one and that they produced and she directed this one. I loved her in The Next Three Days with Russell Crowe, who was fantastic, and Brian Dennehy. It was a great thriller about a wife convicted of murder. I can’t believe it didn’t do better at the box office. It made a profit, so definitely not a flop. But it should have been bigger compared to a lot of crap thrillers that make more. Great job by Director Paul Haggis, and great cameo with Liam Neeson.
That movie was awesome! Two thumbs up!
I saw Pitch Perfect for the first time yesterday, and I could not stop laughing! I thought it was a great movie and might see the second one in theaters.
I love her and am so glad that there are more female directors out there. However, I’m still a bit RME over the fact that she name checked several actresses and then went on to say “we all didn’t make it.” Like, lady…you are all about girl power and specifically name checking people like Tara Reid is just mean.