Elizabeth Banks (born February 10, 1974 in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, USA) is an American actress most famous for her roles in Seabiscuit, Heights, Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2 (playing the part of Betty Brant), and quickly gaining widespread exposure through movies like The 40-Year-Old Virgin. She is a convert to Judaism. She is a graduate of the prestigious University of Pennsylvania.

Elizabeth Banks' natural talent, striking presence and undeniable energy are quickly earning her a reputation as one of the most promising young actresses in Hollywood. Banks most recently appeared in Steven Spielberg's critically acclaimed Catch Me If You Can. Banks plays a bank teller who is unwittingly instrumental in teaching Frank some tricks of the con-artistry trade.

Banks appeared in two other major motion pictures in 2002: she co-starred with Madonna, Jeanne Tripplehom and Bruce Greenwood in Guy Ritchie's Swept Away, the story of a group of socialites whose boating trip goes awry; she also appeared as Betty Brant (a role director Sam Raimi created for her) in the box office hit Spider-Man. The film about the iconic web-spinning hero starred Tobey Maguire, Willem Dafoe and Kirsten Dunst. Banks' additional feature credits include roles in John Singleton's Shaft, with Samuel L. Jackson, and Wet Hot American Summer, starring Janeane Garofalo and David Hyde Pierce. She has also appeared in several independent features, including The Trade and Ordinary Sinner, which won the Best Film Award at the 2002 Slamdunk Film Festival in Sundance.

On the small screen, Banks has appeared in several guest-starring roles, including a highly acclaimed performance in Law & Order: SYU, HBO's Sex and the City and NBC's Third Watch. Her extensive theater credits include roles in American Conservatory Theater's productions of Hurly Burly, Bethlehem, A Midsummer Night's Dream, A Woman of No Importance and Uncle Yanya, as well as the Guthrie Theater's production of Summer & Smoke, directed by David Esbjornson. Originally hailing from Massachusetts, Banks received her Bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania and her graduate degree at the American Conservatory Theater. Banks currently resides in Los Angeles.