Press Your Luck: Who is host Elizabeth Banks? Age, career and more explored

Elizabeth Banks has more or less been the face of ABC's Press Your Luck since she took over as host in 2019, injecting a new energy and personality into the show's relaunched version. Now, at the age of 51, the actress and director has helped somewhat modernise the original structure, in which players spin a large board to win cash and prizes while avoiding the wicked Whammy.

Elizabeth Banks' excellent comedic timing and clear excitement for the game have earned her good reviews and several Emmy nominations, including one in 2025 for Outstanding Game Show Host. Despite her demanding game show schedule, the Massachusetts native has a thriving film career, with acting, directing, and producing credits on major films.

Before Press Your Luck, Banks was already a Hollywood staple thanks to roles in The Hunger Games and Pitch Perfect. She’s also made her mark behind the camera with a string of hit films. Her production firm, Brownstone Productions, which she runs with her husband, Max Handelman, continues to produce success stories. In May 2025, the couple celebrated 22 years of marriage, demonstrating spectacular partnership both on and off television.

Elizabeth Banks’ background and career trajectory, explored

Elizabeth Banks, born Elizabeth Irene Mitchell on February 10, 1974, in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, discovered her passion for entertainment while in college. In 1992, she met her now-husband and long-time artistic collaborator, Max Handelman, at the University of Pennsylvania. What began as a collegiate romance evolved into a full-fledged creative tag partnership. The pair married in July 2003 and now have two boys, Felix and Magnus, owing to surrogacy, which Banks has publicly and gratefully discussed while disclosing her reproductive issues.

She started her acting career in the late with a few small TV roles before making her big-screen debut in Surrender Dorothy in 1998. Her big break came not long after, playing Betty Brant in the Spider-Man trilogy. She followed that up with standout performances in comedies like The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Seabiscuit. On TV, she was a part of 30 Rock, Scrubs, and Modern Family, all of which landed her Emmy nominations.

She also played the iconic role of Effie Trinket in the acclaimed dystopian series The Hunger Games. This is one of her most notable performances, alongside the role of Gail, a snarky commentator ever so slightly jaded by misogyny, in the hit series Pitch Perfect.

Elizabeth Banks returned behind the camera in 2015 to direct Pitch Perfect 2, the highest-grossing live-action musical at the time. She didn't stop there; she also directed Charlie's Angels and the viral hit Cocaine Bear, proving her versatility as a director.

She also leads Brownstone Productions, which she formed alongside Handelman in 2002. They produced the entire Pitch Perfect franchise, as well as Charlie's Angels and Cocaine Bear.

What is her current status?

When ABC resurrected the iconic game show Press Your Luck, Elizabeth Banks made considerable changes. Her presenting approach combines lively charm with just the proper amount of competitive fire, making it appealing to both players and fans.

The success of the show she directed reveals her inherent ability for unscripted television. And the Emmy nominations back this up. She's no longer simply acting; she's hosting like a pro.

At 51, Elizabeth Banks is still authoring new chapters in her career as she continues to host Press Your Luck. An effective leader in the room, her transition from actress to director to host exemplifies how she remains relevant in a competitive business. Banks is living proof that in Hollywood, diversity is essential for survival.

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You can watch Press Your Luck airing Wednesdays at 9/8c on ABC, with full episodes available to stream the next day on Hulu.

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