Elizabeth Banks might have worked on fun projects such as Magic Mike XXL and the Pitch Perfect movies, but that doesn't mean it's all fun and games for the blond bombshell.
The actress-turned-director talked to Net-A-Porter.com's The EDIT about her crazy film schedule and how motherhood has changed the way she works in Hollywood, and even added that her husband, Max Handelman, is the reason she decided to take on male-dominated Hollywood.
"Both Max and I have to fight misconceptions," Banks explained. "'She's just a blond actress who works with her husband.' 'Who are they?' 'She's not even that successful of an actress!' But none of this is a vanity project. I want to tell stories and have more control over my life."
So when Pitch Perfect became a sleeper hit it was only natural that Banks take on a sequel, which blew the first movie's box office numbers out of the water. As a female director taking on a predominantly female cast, Banks knew that the job had a bit of novelty.
"I don't want to pretend it's not what it is. You can't not take up the cause the minute you accept the job," she told the magazine. "I made a funny movie – about girls – and it's going to make money? It just doesn't happen."
But she is serious about having women be taken more seriously when it comes to working in Hollywood. When the reporter jokingly asked if Banks, Angelina Jolie and Lena Dunham host "secret meetings for strong industry women," Banks quipped, "There's no meeting because we're all f--king busy."
The rise of women in Hollywood has become a hot-button issue recently, with many actresses speaking out to fight for better, stronger roles for older actresses. But even the ever-busy Banks admitted that sometimes she needs to take on a more "fun" job to break from the stress of directing. For her, that was Magic Mike XXL.
"I was deep in post-production on Pitch Perfect 2 and I needed a break," she explained. "It was a jolt of energy."
We can imagine working alongside shirtless Channing Tatum and Joe Manganiello would be exactly what the doctor ordered. And she didn't mind her role, either. "I play an ex-stripper," she revealed. "She's a hot mess, she's completely not me, which is great!"
Even though everything she touches seems to turn into Hollywood gold, Banks admitted that she doesn't know if she wants to keep directing because it takes away from time with her children, Felix, 4, and Magnus, 2.
"Motherhood changed me in positive ways," she dished. "It made me more ambitious for my kids. I do everything for them now, because I want this success for my life with them."
But with a rumored Pitch Perfect 3 in the works, she doesn't know if she would take the reigns again. "It's a year and a half of my life and it's taking my kids out of their daily routine," she said.
To see The EDIT's full interview with Elizabeth Banks go to www.net-a-porter.com or download the free EDIT app at the App Store.