Elizabeth Banks sat down with ELLE for an exclusive interview to discuss her decades long career in Hollywood, her evolution into a powerhouse producer and director, and her latest role in Peacock’s dramedy, THE MINIATURE WIFE, where she filmed many scenes solo using a green screen in place of her co-star Matthew Macfadyen: “Doing physical comedy is inherently silly, right?” Banks tells ELLE Senior Culture Editor Lauren Puckett-Pope. “It’s inherently vulnerable. You’re failing a lot before you win. You have to be very open to failure. Then doing all of that by myself on a green screen…it just felt inherently so silly on a level that I’ve never really experienced, because I usually have a partner who’s taking on some of the vulnerability.”
On her thoughts on Elle Fanning playing a younger version of her Effie Trinket in The Hunger Games: Sunrise in the Reaping: “I am so excited for her to make it her own,” Banks says. “I mean, truly. I’m happy if I provided any part of the blueprint for what she’ll end up doing, but Suzanne Collins wrote an incredibly awesome piece of anti-fascist propaganda, and I can’t wait for more of it to be in the world.”
On The Miniature Wife’s exploration of power dynamics: Having that vulnerability thrust upon her forced Banks to think deeply about the power dynamics between Lindy and Les, and between “soft power” and “hard power” more generally. She doesn’t hesitate to draw connections with the political sphere beyond Hollywood: The country is in an era in which “there’s a total lack of appreciation for what soft-power skills bring to the table in terms of leadership and integrity,” she says. “Hard power feels like it should be a last resort.”
On the rapidly changing technology in Hollywood: “I think it’s important to remember that there have been these periods of big transitions in Hollywood before, and I still believe that people want to be connected through art and entertainment…There’s a reason we still read the Greeks, and why we still go to museums. What we pass on is the human stuff.” She continues, “I don’t think storytelling goes away. I just think now storytelling is adapting to the way that people consume.”
On what she’s most proud of in her career: When I ask if, looking back on the scope of her career, there’s a film or television role she’s most proud of, Banks mentions the Pitch Perfect series—but her greatest source of pride is “that I’m still here,” she says. “I’ve survived it all so far,” she continues. “And I still get to do something that I love to do, and I still have the opportunity to entertain people. I don’t take that lightly. It’s a great responsibility.”
On starting her production company, Brownstone Productions, alongside her now-husband: “We knew through my acting work that we had a lot of access in Hollywood, which is a key aspect of producing, and we had really good taste. We weren’t worried about that,” Banks continues. “What we needed to build, as a team, was clout, and the only way to build clout is to actually make things, get things made, or make people money.”
On finding her path in the industry: She hadn’t necessarily intended to become an actress as a child. In fact, she thought she would become “a lawyer or something,” Banks says. “I just knew that I wanted a big life, and that I wanted to be able to impact a lot of other people. And I think the young me has figured out how to do that, and I’m really proud of her.”
[Photo Credit: Daniel Jack Lyons for ELLE Magazine]
Previous post:
Red Carpet Rundown: THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2 London Premiere Next Post:
Red Carpet Rundown: THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2 London Premiere Next Post:
-
THE FIVE-STAR WEEKEND Star Chloë Sevigny Covers HARPER’S BAZAAR’s May 2026 Issue
-
Charli XCX Is British Vogue’s May 2026 Cover Star
-
Rihanna and Baby Rocki for W Magazine
Please review our Community Guidelines before posting a comment. Thank you!
