The Hunger Games' Elizabeth Banks Talks Effie Trinket
Posted 11.16.11 by Mandy
This week's People magazine features a look at the upcoming movie adaptation of The Hunger Games and the unrecognizable Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket. In the interview, Banks explained how her pink poofy hair and dramatic makeup helped the actress to get into the character of the tribute escort for District 12.
I would be in the hair and makeup trailer and I was Elizabeth, and then the wig went on and very suddenly I was Effie. Every day I would have that aha moment, like, 'We did it! We found Effie!'
While at first glance Effie may seem like nothing more than a vacuous and pushy self-promoter, Banks found layers in the character.
Effie is a very complicated woman. She's a spinner. She spins everything into something positive. These kids have been pulled from their loved ones to compete on television in this horrible event in which they will likely lose their lives.
Banks goes on to explain that Effie's job of coaching a positive attitude out of her tributes as they go into the Hunger Games "seems crazy."
And while the craziness of Effie's job was certain to be a challenge, it turns out it wasn't the biggest obstacle for the actress. Apparently the most difficult aspect of playing Effie was her footwear.
For sure the biggest challenge of playing Effie was the shoes! All of my shoes in the movie are completely amazing but highly uncomfortable. I said to (director) Gary (Ross), 'You better be shooting these shoes, because they're killing me.'
The new issue of People is on newsstands Friday, and promises to include more Hunger Games coverage.
Next Showing: The Hunger Games opens March 23, 2012.