Why Elizabeth Banks Says She's "Terrified" Of Getting Cosmetic Injectables

Elizabeth Banks recently opened up about the aging process and why she's hesitant to dabble with cosmetic injectables.

By Alyssa Morin Oct 30, 2023 6:49 PMTags
Watch: "Charlie's Angels" Stars Gush Over Director Elizabeth Banks

Elizabeth Banks isn't giving this beauty treatment a shot.

The Cocaine Bear director recently shared insight into her skincare habits, revealing that turning cosmetic injectables isn't part of her practices.

"I've never put a needle in my face," Elizabeth told People in an interview published Oct. 30. "And by the way, most people do it and truly, there's no judgement. But I make my living with my face."

As she put it, "Basically I'm terrified of f--king it up."

The Hunger Games alum explained that cosmetic procedures are more than skin deep.

"It's a mental thing, too," she noted. "When I start thinking about messing with my face, it's because my self-esteem is a little lower, and that's usually because I'm not taking care of myself."

According to the 49-year-old, beauty and wellness go hand-in-hand.

"When I'm exercising and eating well and feeling good about myself, and am confident," she continued, "Like, 'Did I make a good decision today? Did I mom the s--t out of my kids today?' That's when I think I look and feel amazing."

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Celebs Who've Admitted to Getting Plastic Surgery or Cosmetic Procedures

If anything, Elizabeth—who shares sons Felix, 11, and Magnus, 10, with husband Max Handelman—reflected on how she's embracing the skin she's in rather than trying to change it.

"I just can't believe I get a whole second life after this," she shared about the aging process ahead of her 50th birthday in February. "Isn't that crazy?"

Mike Coppola/Getty Images

With age, comes wisdom—at least, that's her motto.

"The first half of my life was having to learn everything and make money and put a foundation underneath me," the Pitch Perfect star noted. "Now, I have all that, and this knowledge base, and so I really feel more powerful than I've ever felt before."

In fact, Elizabeth joked that turning 40 wasn't a great experience, which is why she's more than ready to enter a new era.

"I literally felt men look and me and be like, 'Oh, you can't make me a baby anymore. I don't need you,'" she admitted. "It felt primal, like suddenly I wasn't a sexual being anymore, and in a way that rocked me. Which, by the way, of course I was already married for years at this point. But now I'm like, whatever."

She added, "And who cares? I let that go long ago."

Elizabeth isn't the only celebrity to share her honest take on cosmetic procedures. Keep scrolling to see all of the stars who've steered clear of plastic surgery.

Alabama Barker

Travis Barker and ex Shanna Moakler's daughter has been open about her use of lip fillers but denies having cosmetic surgery.

In February 2024, she shared photos of herself wearing a bikini on Instagram, to which a user commented, "This child has done alot of cosmetic surgery @ a very young age, I hope she doesn't over do it! She looks good now!"

The 18-year-old responded, "I really appreciate the love! I'm natural, besides my lips, accept the fact I'm naturally beautiful."

Kristen Stewart

The Twilight alum told Harper's Bazaar U.K. in 2015 she will "never" get plastic surgery, adding, "I am so freaked out by the idea of doing anything. And maybe that's completely arrogant but I don't want to change anything about myself. I think the women who do are losing their minds. It's vandalism."

Meryl Streep

The actress told Good Housekeeping in 2008. "You have to embrace getting older. Life is precious, and when you've lost a lot of people, you realize each day is a gift."

Paulina Porizkova

The supermodel opened up about why she's all about embracing her skin at every age. 

"This is a 58 year old face without fillers, Botox or surgery in good light with professional gorgeous makeup," she wrote in her Aug. 21 Instagram caption. "I have chosen not to put anything 'into' my face."

She continued, "Some days, I like it. I feel like my face has gained character even as it's lost its youthful prettiness. And it seems a fair trade off."

 

Charlize Theron

The Fast X star revealed whether or not she's gotten plastic surgery.

"My face is changing," she told Allure in an interview published Aug. 18, "and I love that my face is changing and aging. People think I had a facelift. They're like, 'What did she do to her face?' I'm like, 'Bitch, I'm just aging! It doesn't mean I got bad plastic surgery. This is just what happens.'"

Elizabeth Banks

The Charlie's Angels star admitted she's never gotten any cosmetic injectables, telling People, "I've never put a needle in my face. And by the way, most people do it and truly, there's no judgement. But I make my living with my face."

She added, "Basically I'm terrified of f--king it up."

Salma Hayek

The Magic Mike actress set the record straight on whether or not she's gotten facial injectables. "No Botox!" she put it bluntly on Kelly Ripa's Let's Talk Off Camera podcast.

Linda Evangelista

In 2021, the supermodel, who rose to fame in the '90s as one of the first, sued Zeltiq Aesthetics, alleging that its CoolScupting fat-reducing procedures that she underwent in 2015 and 2016 left her "permanently disfigured." The parties reached a settlement in the case in 2022.

Emily Ratajkowski

In January 2021, while pregnant, the model wrote on her Instagram Story in response to fans' questions: "For anyone saying 'you need to stop w/ the lip injections': I've never had lip injections (no judging folks who do—ya'll look great!) but you can't even get injections when you're pregnant!"

Jennifer Lopez

Jenny from the Block continues to look like Jenny from the Block. In January 2021, she told an Instagram user, "I have never done Botox or any other injectables or surgery!! Just sayin'."

Jennifer Aniston

The actress did have a nose job when she was younger to fix a deviated septum but has spoke out against Botox and other facial fillers.

"There is also this pressure in Hollywood to be ageless," she told Yahoo! Beauty in 2014. "I think what I have been witness to, is seeing women trying to stay ageless with what they are doing to themselves. I am grateful to learn from their mistakes, because I am not injecting s--t into my face."

Gwyneth Paltrow

"I've probably tried everything. I would be scared to go under the knife, but you know, talk to me when I'm 50. I'll try anything. Except I won't do Botox again, because I looked crazy," the actress told Harper's Bazaar in 2013.

Drew Barrymore

The actress told InStyle magazine in 2012, "I say, don't fight the rings on the trunk of a tree. Just keep counting 'em."

"The idea of not looking like myself scares me," she added.

Emma Thompson

The actress told The Telegraph in 2011, "I'm not fiddling about with myself. We're in this awful youth-driven thing now where everybody needs to look 30 at 60."

Jodie Foster

"Nah. It's not my thing," the actress told MORE magazine in 2007. "I don't have anything against it for other people. Whatever they want to do, I'm fine with it. For me, it's really a self-image thing. Like, I'd rather have somebody go, "Wow, that girl has a big nose" than 'Wow, that girl has a bad nose job.' I'd rather have a comment about who I am than about something that identifies me as being ashamed of who I am."

Lady Gaga

In 2011, the pop star told Harper's Bazaar, "I think that promoting insecurity in the form of plastic surgery is infinitely more harmful than an artistic expression related to body modification."

Kate Winslet

In 2011, the actress told the U.K. newspaper The Telegraph that cosmetic surgery goes against her morals, the way her parents brought her up and what she considers to be "natural beauty."

"I will never give in," she added. "I am an actress, I don't want to freeze the expression of my face."