I didn't quite believe I was pretty for a long time. I never thought about it.
— Elizabeth Banks
Predicting what content is going to fly is like looking into a crystal ball. I try not to say, 'Yeah, 'Bridesmaids' opened the door to make more movies about women.' I mean, did it? I don't know; where are they?
What I love about Twitter specifically is that reciprocity is not guaranteed, nor expected. In other words, I can go one way. I can put things out. I don't have to respond to everybody.
I grew up in a very small town, but it happened to be in western Massachusetts, where there were a lot of gay people. I remember my aunt going to a gay wedding when I was 11, and I thought it was the coolest thing.
I went to a few really bad commercial auditions because I needed the money, and when you booked a commercial, your life was made: you could eat.
I like entertaining people. I want to make big entertainment.
When you live in a leading lady's body, which I do, you have to constantly prove that you are funny.
Most men I know rely on women to do all the literal dirty work.
I actually think that secrets are just a part of human nature and that everybody should have some.
I love working with a stylist but I also love having personal relationships with designers. A stylist is great for pulling together an entire outfit, accessories included, and for shaking me out of my comfort zone.
I try not to repeat myself too often, but it's a gamble. 'Fred Claus' had three Oscar winners in it. No business - it was a bad movie.
I think people respond to me as a down-to-Earth, girl-next-door person, because I am one of those people. That's something I don't have to act very hard at.
I went to drama school. I'm classically trained; I studied Shakespeare, blah blah blah. But I always preferred to do Oscar Wilde, or Shakespeare's comedies over his dramas.
Honestly, I am hoping to influence young people, and Twitter's a great way to encourage them to lend their voice to the conversation. Any time you can show young people that you support gay friends and that there are gay people in the world who are lovely, happy, singing, and in love, it opens their minds.
The sexism in Hollywood is not particularly overt - because the system is good at hiding it.
I don't stay in my trailer. I like to sit in video village, probably to the annoyance of some producers and directors, because they really love to talk about actors, and they can't in front of me.
Every once in a while I play a true idiot, and they're really fun to play.
I play Rock Band, which is Guitar Hero times ten. You can play with four people, so when you have parties, you have a real band. Nobody ever wants to sing, so I'm always the one throwing down on the mic.
I like my coffee light.
If I ever complain about yachting around the Mediterranean with Madonna, who I just idolized as a child, I should be slapped across the face.
Producing never stops. It's 24/7.
The great thing about Twitter is, you get a lot back, and I read through a lot, and I want my fans to know that I do read a lot, and it's why I do respond or retweet clever posts, and I'm constantly amazed by the cleverness of people on Twitter.
I have a gay cousin who came out to my parents before he came out to his own. So I benefited from having a very open, supportive family, and I want to pass that on.
Violence against women is real and something I feel passionately about, and the gateway to all that is wolf whistling. It's allowing a man to impose his will on a woman who is just trying to walk down the street and live her life. It's all about unwanted versus wanted attention, and, of course, there's a fine line.
No matter what, I'm in a very small club. There are very few women who have directed studio-level commercial films - very few.
Some big actresses told me a few things that inspired me. One said that the biggest challenge for a female actress was to make sure they are not profoundly bored. Another told me to just do whatever you want - do anything.
I love physical comedy. I love Oscar Wilde, I love Shakespeare comedies, I love improv.
When I was in college I was accused of being a goody two-shoes. But every goody two-shoes has a bad side.
I am not afraid of much. I kill all the spiders in my house, and I'm planning to go skydiving. I am into girl power, and I'm very self-sufficient.
You have got to have an agent. It's a business. But I think there is a way to be artful and commercial at the same time.
