Actress Elizabeth Banks was born Elizabeth Mitchell in Pittsfield, a small city in the Berkshires in Western Massachusetts near the New York border, on February 10, 1974. She describes herself as having been seen as a “goody two-shoes” in her youth who was nominated to be the local Harvest Queen.

Banks left home to attend college at the University of Pennsylvania, from which she graduated Magna cum Laude, and went on to attend the Advanced Training Program at the prestigious American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, from which she graduated in 1998. She then moved to New York and worked in the theater as well as obtaining her first roles on-screen, small parts in movies and guest-star roles on television series. Seeking more screen work, Banks moved to Los Angeles and the supporting roles soon came, and required that she change her name to avoid confusion with another actress named Elizabeth Mitchell who had already established herself. Her first signal success came in her delightful, brief performance in Spider-Man (2002), for which she is best known despite subsequent leading roles, as “Betty Brant”, the secretary of the cantankerous newspaper tycoon. (Banks has reprised the role in the Spider-Man series.)

Lasts Twitts

Twitted on 10 March 2010, 2:05 pm
ElizabethBanks: Very sad article on potential for 40,000 prostitutes to enter S.Africa for soccer World Cup. http://tinyurl.com/ygpz8wp
Twitted on 9 March 2010, 7:45 pm
ElizabethBanks: RT @NickKristof "10 Women to Watch" http://is.gd/a4gY0
Twitted on 9 March 2010, 12:17 pm
ElizabethBanks: Thx to @GiulianaRancic and the E! Fashion Police posse for their nice words. Even Joan Rivers was nice!
Twitted on 8 March 2010, 11:43 pm
ElizabethBanks: Flew over a lightning storm on the way to NY tonight. Definitely something I miss in LA: thunder n' lightning basically don't exist.
Twitted on 7 March 2010, 10:14 pm
ElizabethBanks: So glad that's over!! Thanks to all the tweeps who are giving the dress props!!
Twitted on 7 March 2010, 11:56 am
ElizabethBanks: Decided on the dress! Final fitting in 10 minutes. This red carpet is the Superbowl for girls.
Twitted on 6 March 2010, 11:45 pm
ElizabethBanks: Sat at dinner w Cat Deeley. Gorgeous and cool. Love the accent, right? Thx Charles Finch for bringing us together.
Twitted on 6 March 2010, 2:55 pm
ElizabethBanks: Back from Oscar rehearsal! Pretty nervous about the steps! Saw lots of fun faces. @adamshankman has his hands full!
Twitted on 5 March 2010, 6:12 pm
ElizabethBanks: A toe-tapper to carry Tweeps into the weekend. It's either awesome or creepy or both. http://tinyurl.com/y8fo2ul
Twitted on 5 March 2010, 4:47 pm
ElizabethBanks: 48 hours til the Oscar red carpet. Haven't decided on a dress, shoes or jewels. Hoping the fashion Gods bless me at today's fitting.

This post is tagged actor, American, comedian