Bio: Both a comedian and a leading lady, Elizabeth Banks has proven she's game for just about anything, slowly amassing a body of work that ranges from slapstick comedy (The 40-Year-Old Virgin) to sweeping drama (Seabiscuit).

Born Elizabeth Mitchell on Feb. 10, 1974, in Pittsfield, Mass., Banks was bitten by the acting bug when a sports injury forced her off of the field and onto the stage. After studying acting at the University of Pennsylvania and the American Conservatory Theater, Banks moved to Hollywood, where her first big break came with the scene-stealing role of secretary Betty Brant in Spider-Man (2002) -- a character she's reprised in subsequent Spider-Man films.

Banks has continued to impress with her work on television's "Scrubs" and in films such as Zack and Miri Make a Porno. In 2008, she added first lady to her résumé, playing the role of Laura Bush in Oliver Stone's W.