Elizabeth Maresal Mitchell was born on February 10, 1974 and raised in the picturesque western Massachusetts town of Pittsfield. She is the eldest of 4 children and grew up in a in a divided sports house (Her mom was a fan of the Boston Red Sox and her dad was a fan of the New York Yankees). Self-described as having been seen as a “goody two-shoes” in her youth and was nominated to be the local Harvest Queen in school – Elizabeth was also an outdoorsy tomboy who loved riding horses and going to baseball games, she had thoughts of becoming an athlete herself, until she broke her leg sliding into third base at a softball game. Looking for something else to do after school, she gave the school play a shot and fell in love with performing. She continued to appear in school productions up until her graduation from Pittsfield High School in 1992, at which point she moved to Philadelphia, earning a BA from the University of Pennsylvania, graduating Magna Cum Laude in 1996. Elizabeth continued her dramatic training at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, CA, where she earned a graduate degree and garnered extensive stage credits in productions such as “Hurly Burly,” “Bethlehem,” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “A Woman of No Importance” and “Uncle Vanya,” as well as the Guthrie Theater’s production of “Summer & Smoke.”

   After graduating from the American Conservatory Theater, Elizabeth moved to New York and worked in the theater as well as obtaining her first roles on-screen, small parts in movies and guest-starring roles on television series (like Sex & The City, Third Watch and Law & Order: SVU). Seeking more screen work, Elizabeth eventually moved to Los Angeles and more roles soon came (in the films Surrender, Dorothy, Shaft and her “break-out” role in Wet Hot American Summer). It also required that she change her name to avoid confusion with another actress named Elizabeth Mitchell who had already established herself in the acting realm.

   In the early 2000′s, Elizabeth began to receive smaller roles in big films, starring some of Hollywood’s most notable actors and directors. (Including: Steven Spielberg, Sam Raimi, Leonardo DiCaprio, Madonna, Samuel L. Jackson, Tobey Maguire, Jeff Bridges, Glenn Close, Maria Bello, and Willem Dafoe to name a few) This lead to critical praise and even being named one of Movieline magazine’s, “Young Hollywood’s Up-and-Comers”. Soon, Elizabeth began getting larger roles in indpendent films. (such as The Baxter, Heights and The Sisters)

   The late 2000′s was definitely a point where Elizabeth became a household name. Not only did she get larger roles in films, but she began to get wide-spread exposure from the films The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Slither, Definitely, Maybe, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, W., The Uninvited and Man on a Ledge. Elizabeth returned to the small screen in the hit comedies Scrubs, Modern Family and 30 Rock. In Scrubs Elizabeth played Dr. Kim Briggs, the love interest of J.D. (played by Zach Braff). Her character has appeared throughout season six, seven and eight as a recurring guest star. On her guest episode of Modern Family, she played Sal, an old friend of Cameron and Mitchell who had a hard time adjusting to their life as new parents. And on 30 Rock, Elizabeth played Avery Jessup, the hard hitting news anchor who married Jack Donaghy, had a baby girl named Liddy and ended up kidnapped by North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il.

  Continuing her success, Elizabeth Banks landed the role as beloved character Effie Trinket in the movie adaptation of the book The Hunger Games. Being a fan of the books herself, Elizabeth has said she was excited for not only portraying Effie, but for the movie itself. In 2012, Elizabeth will also see the release of the films What to Expect When You’re Expecting (based on the popular parenting book), People Like Us (an independent feature as the sister of Chris Pine) and Movie 43 where Elizabeth will be making her directorial debut.

   Biography last updated: March 21, 2012