Elizabeth Banks Says She “Fell Into Acting by Accident,” Shares How The 40-Year-Old Virgin Changed Everything
Emmy-nominated actress and filmmaker Elizabeth Banks has built one of Hollywood’s most versatile careers — from starring in blockbuster franchises like The Hunger Games and Pitch Perfect to directing features such as Pitch Perfect 2 and Cocaine Bear. But according to Banks herself, none of this was part of the plan. In a new interview with Harper’s Bazaar, the multi-hyphenate star reveals that she never set out to become an actor at all. In fact, she stumbled into the craft completely by accident.
Banks opens up about her unlikely path, tracing it back to a single moment in middle school that shifted her life forever.
“I got into acting… by accident,” she says. “I literally fell into performing. I was a student athlete, and I broke my leg sliding into third base playing softball when I was 13. I needed to find something new to do after school while my parents were at work. I joined the cast of Jesus Christ Superstar playing Pontius Pilate, so I could wear a robe over my cast. I really found that it was like playing sports, in that you had a team of people, and you were all going to put on the show together, everybody was relying on each other to play their part well, and at the end, everybody claps. I thought: ‘Wow, acting might be for me.’”
That unexpected theatre experience launched a passion that eventually carried Banks from her small hometown in Massachusetts to a thriving Hollywood career. After graduating from the American Conservatory Theater, she began working steadily in a wide range of film and television roles, earning a reputation for being both hardworking and highly adaptable. Early projects like Wet Hot American Summer, Catch Me If You Can, and Seabiscuit showcased her dramatic and comedic range, but it wasn’t until 2005 that Banks landed the role that truly transformed her trajectory.
The Breakthrough That Changed How Casting Directors Saw Her
Banks explains that although she has become widely recognized for comedy, industry decision-makers didn’t always view her that way. Coming off prestige films like Seabiscuit, she was often only considered for serious dramatic work.
That all changed with The 40-Year-Old Virgin.
“The unexpected curveball of my career was The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” she says. “After Seabiscuit, I mostly was being considered for dramatic roles. I went to drama school, and I studied Shakespeare, Chekhov and Ibsen, so I really knew the classics. It looked as if I was a very classic actress at that time, but I knew I was funny, and I always thought I would be in romantic comedies.”
Determined to show casting directors what she could really do, Banks went all-in during her audition.
“I was the last person to audition for the role of Beth in The 40-Year-Old Virgin. I did improv in the audition with Steve Carell, and ended up taking a lot of that improv to the set. That role really reset people’s ideas about what I could do as an actress.”
Her performance became one of the film’s standout comedic moments — and it opened the door to the comedic success she’s known for today. From Zack and Miri Make a Porno to Role Models to Pitch Perfect, Banks reshaped her image, proving she could command both laughs and emotional depth.
A Career Built on Curiosity and Reinvention
Banks has since expanded far beyond acting. She’s directed studio features, produced hit films, and championed more inclusive storytelling in Hollywood. Whether she’s appearing on-screen or leading behind the camera, her career reflects a willingness to take risks and redefine herself again and again.
And it all began with a broken leg, a borrowed robe, and a middle-school play she never meant to join.
Her story serves as a reminder to every aspiring actor: sometimes the biggest breakthroughs come from the most unexpected places — and the roles that change your life might be the ones you almost didn’t take.
