Elizabeth Banks — Read About the 'Hunger Games' Star and What She's Been Up to Since

For some, Elizabeth Banks’ most notable role might be that of Effie Trinket, the District 12 escort she played in the Hunger Games film series alongside Woody Harrelson’s Haymitch Abernathy, recognized for her distinct sense of style, outlandish hair and makeup looks and the saying she made famous: “May the odds be ever in your favor.”

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However, the 50-year-old actress’ career spans far beyond the Panem Capitol, as the blonde beauty has been leaving her mark on the industry for decades. The Massachusetts born starlet took an interest in performing at a young age, and after earning a degree from the University of Pennsylvania, the Ivy League grad took her talents to the American Conservatory Theater. 

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Her first credited role came in the 1998 film Surrender Dorothy and was followed up by various bouts of television work before things started picking up for her in the early 2000s. Before then, however, she could be seen on shows like Third Watch, All My Children and even Sex and the City. 

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Elizabeth Banks’ career takes off

In 2001, Elizabeth played a part in the comedy film Wet Hot American Summer, and not long after that, she could be seen in 2002’s Spider-Man. Movies like Catch Me If You Can (2002), Spider-Man 2 (2004), The 40-Year-Old-Virgin (2005) and W. (2008) lined her resume in the following years, showcasing her range in both a comedic and dramatic space. 

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Also around this time was she getting acclimated in the television world. She’s best known for her guest roles on the hit series Scrubs, as well as Modern Family and 30 Rock, the latter of which she was nominated twice for an Emmy. 

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Elizabeth Banks in the ‘Hunger Games’ and beyond

Banks’ role of Effie Trinket in the Hunger Games film series, though only a small fraction of her career, was a particularly memorable one. Aside from her physical transformation, Effie’s distinct voice is also a huge part of her character. 

“Effie, you know, she's a very theatrical person,” she told Screen Rant back in 2013 of finding her character’s voice. “So I looked at some of my favorite overly theatrical performances. I really love Auntie Mame; I love Rosalind Russell and specifically Auntie Mame, and Madeline Kahn I love as well. So I tried to just blend some of those voices. I think Christine Baranski is a fabulously theatrical person and so she's a mixture of that. She's a mix of those women, and specifically I was just going for that sensibility of theatricality.”

Life after the ‘Hunger Games’

Elizabeth Banks is no one-hit-wonder, and her career after the popular film series proved that. She went on to show her stuff in the Pitch Perfect films, Love & Mercy (2014), appeared in Magic Mike XXL (2015), directed Charlie’s Angels (2019) and much more. 

Currently, she serves as the host of the ABC game show Press Your Luck, and on August 16, her newest film Skincare hit theaters. In the film, Banks plays an aesthetician whose career is on the rise with her own skincare line on the horizon. However, a series of mysterious occurrences lead her to believe there’s someone trying to take down the empire she’s built. Get your tickets here. 

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