As I mentioned before, I had the opportunity to meet & interview Elizabeth Banks to discuss the film “People Like Us” (which is in theaters tomorrow 6/29). This is Part 2 of the Interview where Elizabeth discusses her advice for Moms, The highlights of her career, accepting an award from some of the cast members from “Magic Mike”, Balancing motherhood and her career, PLUS Much More! Also, you can check out Part 1 of the interview HERE, where she discusses her role as Frankie and filming “People Like Us”.

With doing this role and your experience with your sister being a single mom, what advice do you have for single moms?

Don’t do it by yourself, don’t take it on all on your own

What advice do you have for moms going to AA and who have troubled kids like you did in this movie?

Listen. Also, being a parent is more important than being a friend.

Her career:

Thoughts on the various roles she has done

“Every role requires something new and different…I compartmentalize everything”

Highlights of her career

  • She really enjoyed Zach & Mirna make a porno and cried a lot the day before the movie wrapped
  • “I got to work with Madonna, who sang the soundtrack to my childhood and who is an icon…”
  • She met Robert Dinero’s dog and his name is Fluffy and she recently met the president.

Elizabeth won a MTV Movie Golden Popcorn Award for Best On-Screen Transformation in the film ‘Hunger Games’, when congratulated on her win and told she looked like she had fun on stage she said “I did have a lot of fun on the stage; I was the envy of women everywhere” (Some of the cast from the film Magic Mike was there to give her the award…Google it and you will clearly understand why – I thought this would have made the highlights of her career list). She goes on to say that the award was great because it came from the fans and the fact that she has had an impact on so many young people is something that she cherishes.

What Latin Celebrity would you like to work with?

Click on “Read More” to read the rest of the interview…


I am a huge Antonio Banderas fan…I think he gets better with age and that voice is pretty incredible
But I thought Demian Bichir has had an amazing last few years, I loved him on Weeds. I am a Weeds fan…we have been watching Weeds from the beginning and I thought he was an incredible presence on that show.”

You also have a production company with your husband, Brownstone Production. How do you balance being an actress and a producer?

“It’s just choices. I chose to produce a movie instead of act in a movie. It really is as simple as that.”
She goes on to discuss how she recently produced a film, “Pitch Perfect”, with her husband in Louisiana and although she could have chosen to do another film she jokingly states that she had a pretty good year and didn’t need to do another film.

“Producing is gratifying in a while that acting is not because you really are there from beginning to the end, you get to see the whole movie through. It is your baby…It’s a lot to take on but it is a challenge that I really enjoy.”

What do you look for when choosing a project to produce?

Authentic story telling that audiences can latch into, I am very nostalgic about the movies that I love…just looking for movies that I would want to see.

*What’s next for you?

“Catching Fire”

What do you find harder to do, comedy or drama?

Comedy is always harder. It’s very hard to make people laugh for 2 hours. It’s why a lot of comedies stink (laughter from everyone) and it’s also very addicting which is troublesome. It’s more fun to make a comedy of course but at the end of the day it is a much bigger risk because you have to fail a lot in comedy. It’s just what’s required to be funny frankly. You’ve got to check your vanity. You’ve got to be a little fearless. You’ve got to go there, you’ve really got to push it…Especially in comedy these days, people have already seen everything, so how do you make it authentic?

Personal Life:

Growing Up, when did you know that you wanted to be an actress?

“Very Late. When I was in college, I went to college not expecting to be an actress and I was prepared to be a professional. I thought for a minute, maybe I’ll be Diane Sawyer. But I was always acting as a hobby on the side. I didn’t take it seriously as a career though until I went to drama school.”

On managing her personal life as an actress, producer and director with the busy year she has had…

“I manage it badly probably” (of course we all laughed). “I just put one foot in front of the other like Frankie does in this movie and just like all working moms, I have great help. I am really lucky in that regard.”
“ have a lot of clarity not that I have my son too because he is number one and it’s good to be able to check off #1 and then everything else competes to be #2…it’s nice to have a real focus every day.”

Does being a mom your 15 month old son change the roles you choose?

“It changes travel…his comfort and his lifestyle really matter to me.”

When asked how she takes her coffee in the morning she said she likes to drink tea, a black iced tea from Pete’s. It is her go to caffeinated drink. She rarely has coffee but she did have a cappuccino that morning being that she got up before the sun was even out that morning.
Don’t forget “People Like Us” will be in theaters tomorrow 6/29!

Synopsis:

“People Like Us”, a drama/comedy about family, inspired by true events, starring Chris Pine (“Star Trek”) as Sam, a twenty-something, fast-talking salesman, whose latest deal collapses on the day he learns that his father has suddenly died. Against his wishes, Sam is called home, where he must put his father’s estate in order and reconnect with his estranged family. In the course of fulfilling his father’s last wishes, Sam uncovers a startling secret that turns his entire world upside down: He has a 30-year-old sister Frankie whom he never knew about (Elizabeth Banks). As their relationship develops, Sam is forced to rethink everything he thought he knew about this family—and re-examine his own life choices in the process.