Elizabeth Banks Chose Her Stage Name Because She Wanted a 1 Syllable Surname
Elizabeth Banks has one of the most recognizable names in Hollywood, but it doesn’t mean she’s had that name forever. Despite the recognition that her stage name garners across the entertainment industry, it was a creative decision when it came time for the Screen Actor’s Guild (SAG) registration. It’s no secret, however, and Banks once opened up about why the change was necessary for her now-thriving career.
Elizabeth Mitchell banks on her new name
According to IMDb, Banks was born Elizabeth Mitchell in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. She grew up an average child with acting ambitions and eventually studied at the American Conservatory Theater to hone her skills. Before long, Banks appeared on several television shows in small parts. Banks started getting noticed by bigger names from within the industry.
By the time she was ready to pursue her dreams as a bona fide star, another actor with the same name had already registered with the guild. Lost fans may recognize Mitchell as Juliet from the hit ABC show Lost. When Banks discovered this duplicitous naming problem, she started to brainstorm something that fit her and was solely unique, and her process for doing so was surprisingly simple.
Meeting Elizabeth Banks
Glamour notes how several actors get their stage names not due to creative desires, but to prevent confusion once they register with the Screen Actors’ Guild. The guild ensures that everyone gets proper credit whenever they appear on camera, so when duplicates come up, they often push actors to adopt a new, unique name.
Banks wanted a one-syllable last name, something that rolled off of the tongue that anyone could pronounce. She researched names that fit her criteria with hopes that this would be the answer to her problem. It was, and Glamour quoted the actor’s short explanation for how this process eventually panned out for her.
“So I made a list and then alphabetized it, and Banks was the first one on the list. And I called SAG, and they said it was available, so I said, ‘I’ll take it!’ I just wanted it over with!” she said.
While Banks did sport her birth name for a handful of early roles, David Wain’s cult classic comedy Wet Hot American Summer introduced the name that fans know today. The movie was not just a coming-out party for Banks, but Paul Rudd, Bradley Cooper, Amy Poehler, and several future superstars of the industry.
She’s come a long way since.
A ‘Pitch Perfect’ career
Banks originally made her name in a slew of comedic performances. However, she proved to be more than what those roles entailed. From The Hunger Games to her take as Laura Bush in W to directing Pitch Perfect 2, Banks rode her initial dreams to an A-list career. However, while Elizabeth Mitchell might be hidden in the past, those days find life through Elizabeth Banks.
While Banks’ participation in the Pitch Perfect franchise is prominent, she was instrumental in getting them made, to begin with. While the films are loosely based on a non-fictional book, the events are all made up. Banks, who made the initial push to get it made, spoke about how she went back to her days as a theater kid for one of the series’ most iconic tropes.
“The riff-off idea even in the first film was inspired by my collegiate experience of being a nerdy musical theater kid and going to house parties where we would all stand around a piano with lyric sheets and just sing and show off and go back and forth and sort of throw it to each other. That was the inspiration for the riff-off in the first film. And I knew in this one I wanted it to feel like a fight club,” she told NPR.
According to IMDb, Banks will next appear in the Beanie Babies-inspired film The Beanie Bubble. Now, more than two decades into her career, she’s a seasoned veteran. However, her story shows that while Elizabeth Banks is the one fans know and love, Elizabeth Mitchell’s influence still shines through in full force.
