Elizabeth Banks

She met her life partner Max Handelman on the first day of her college at the University of Pennsylvania. Their acquaintance continued and they were married in 2003.

Her husband is a renowned sportswriter and producer who is also the partner of her production company, “Brownstone. The couple have produced films like “Surrogates” and “Pitch Perfect”.

The couple have two sons Felix and Magnus Mitchell, both born through surrogates. Though she was raised in the Catholic and Protestant faith, she converted to Judaism when she married Max Handelman.

Elizabeth Irene Mitchell was born on February 10, 1974 in Pittsfield as the eldest of the four children of Mark Mitchell and Ann Mitchell. Her father Mark worked in General Electric and her mother was a bank employee.

She was educated at Pittsfield High School and during her school days, she participated in all kinds of sports. She switched her interest to acting when her leg was fractured in a softball game.

She started acting in the school plays and was excited with her new interest. After graduating from there in 1992, she enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania and graduated with magna cum laude.

She underwent training in drama at the American Conservatory Theater. She was acclaimed as a great stage performer in productions like "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and "Hurly Burly" and earned MFA degree in 1998.

She moved to New York in pursuit of her career and got minor roles in TV screens and films. In 1998, she made her debut appearance in “Surrender Dorothy,” a movie on drug addiction.

Her performance in “Surrender Dorothy” gave way to more chances in television. She acted in Gotham-based TV productions like “Third Watch” and “Sex and the City.”

She moved to Los Angeles in search of more opportunities on the big screen. As there was another actress by name Elizabeth Mitchell, she changed her name to “Banks” to avoid confusion.

In 2002, a turning point in her career came through her appearance in Sam Raimi’s “Spiderman.” Her role as Betty Brant, a secretary to a newspaper tycoon was specially customized to suit her skill.

Her career graph kept moving ahead with roles in “Swept Away" and “Catch Me If You Can.” Her role in “Catch Me If You Can” gained her popularity.

Her classic comic performance in “Seasbiscuits” earned her Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance. The film was rated as a box office hit and won 8 nominations in 76th Academy Awards.

Her supporting role in “The Huger Games” made the film a box office hit. The film earned more than $690 million worldwide and Banks was invited to cast in its 2013 sequel, “Catching Fire.”