Pitch Perfect 2 is coming out soon, and people seem to be pretty stoked on it. I thought the first one was good, but not something I desperately needed a sequel to and can’t live without… but hey, to each her own. Elizabeth Banks directed the latest installment and she’s loving her new role behind the camera. She talked about this and other things – like how hard it is to be a woman getting older in Hollywood and how SOME PEOPLE, like, say, Tara Reid, just “didn’t make it”. SHADE!
From The Hollywood Reporter:
On Hollywood being difficult for ‘older’ actresses: “There was a group of us girls coming up. A lot of us are surviving. Some of us are not. I used to go to auditions with Tara Reid. So, you know, we didn’t all make it. We’re not all still here – I do love Sharknado”
On being a female director: “The list of women who get to make studio-level films is very short. And I’m not quite in that club yet. Until this movie comes out, then we’ll see. This shoot is the test. I like to get A’s.”
On becoming the director of Pitch Perfect 2: “I went through no hoops for this particular job. I just put myself right at the spot where someone needed to be to get the job. And I prepared. I knew I wanted to direct, so I met DPs, I ran sets, I chose music. I went through the process of directing in little ways — nothing too big or risky or time-consuming. I just started really observing.”
On advice/challenges: “Some big actresses told me a few things that inspired me. One said that the biggest challenge for a female actress was to make sure they are not profoundly bored. Another told me to just do whatever you want — do anything. And another told me that her quote hadn’t changed in 15 years. That really lit a fire under my ass.”
Well, you can’t fault the woman for being honest. I don’t know that Tara Reid ever really had any kind of serious chops – comedy, acting, any of that – that would have let her really dominate in Hollywood, and she was always a bit too sloppy to hold it all together, anyway. Elizabeth has a natural charm and a very “girl next door” feeling about her, which gave her a foot in the door, but it did take her a while to get there. I like her, though. And I also like Sharknado.
It sounds like they started out working auditioning at around the same time. Tara’s career took off a little earlier…maybe Elizabeth got passed up for Tara a few times though Tara wasn’t necessarily better or more deserving. Tara was probably a bitch and also kinda blew it.