Elizabeth Banks recalls being told directly that she would not be able to direct male actors, a claim she quickly made wrong when directing Ray Liotta.
Appearing on The Kelly Clarkson Show to promote his comedy series Peacock The miniature womanBanks was asked about times she felt small in Hollywood.
His response was immediate.
“Because I direct films, I’ve literally been told, ‘You can’t lead men. They won’t follow you,'” she said.
“And then I directed Ray Liotta, who played Henry Hill in The Freedmenand I think I succeeded. Check. Everything is fine.”
Liotta starred in Banks’ 2023 film Cocaine Bearwhich grossed $90 million worldwide.
It was one of several major studio films Banks made, alongside Perfect location 2, a worldwide success at 287 million dollars, and Charlie’s Angels in 2019.
This is the Charlie’s Angels an experience that Banks reflected on at length, describing her frustration at losing control of the film’s narrative to a media determined to present it as a feminist statement rather than simply a big-budget action film.
“A lot of the story the media wanted to tell about Charlie’s Angels was that it was a feminist manifesto,” she recalls.
“I just loved the franchise. I didn’t have this gendered agenda. It was really a priority in the work, and it was a little disappointing. I felt like it pigeonholed me and the audience for the film.”
When Clarkson asked if being told she couldn’t lead men simply made her do just that, Banks’ response was blunt.
“Yeah, sure!”
