Elizabeth Banks has had a busy year, and it's showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon. The Hollywood actress has only recently returned home from Toronto where she spent the past six months filming alongside a star-studded cast, including Matthew Macfadyen, for Peacock's upcoming show, The Miniature Wife, and since returning she's had little time to rest. Just a few weeks before the 2025 Emmys, she took a trip to NYC to celebrate 90 years of No7, the iconic British beauty brand she's been an ambassador for since 2023. At the event, which spotlighted the brand’s new "Believe in Possible" campaign – its commitment to unlocking the possibilities with cutting-edge science, developing breakthrough innovations, and delivering transformative results to skin at affordable prices – Elizabeth caught up with HELLO! about why prioritizing time for her home life is all the more important in this new chapter of her children's lives, her Emmy nomination, and why beauty sleep has a whole new meaning these days.
The actress is a doting mom to sons Felix, 14, and Magnus, 12, whom she shares with husband, Max Handelman. It's a new school year for the actress and her family, and she's making sure she's finding as much time as possible to be at home during what she's described as her sons' "transitional" phase. "It's a big transition year for everybody," she told HELLO!
"I was in Toronto filming for half of it so I'm just going to be home for the fall. I've got a lot going on. My brother's getting married, we've got some holidays, and some trips planned, and I'm excited to be nesting with my kids as they experience a really big transition. Both of them are - one is going into high school and the other is going to another school."
The Pitch Perfect actress is a hands-on mom, adding: "I actually think teenagers are so interesting. Puberty is such an incredible time and it's actually brought up a lot of feelings for me about puberty. It's going to go really fast. Like I know they are going to change, but they don't know it yet. They are very impatient to grow up bigger and older."
© No7When HELLO! spoke to Elizabeth at the launch of her partnership with No7 in 2023, she admitted that she wasn't allowing her children to have a smartphone. The impressive parenting rule has been maintained, and while her older son now has a phone, her youngest will not be getting one until eighth grade.
"My seventh grader still hasn't got a phone. He just started middle school. No phone. I promise you all the parents that it can be done - and he's surviving. He has a computer so he can text friends from his school email account and he can go on the internet."
© No7"I'm not preventing them from the internet, but they aren't allowed to have social media," she continued. "Neither one of them do. They're not allowed to have them at night in their rooms, and we have a lot of boundaries around them. They are actually very compliant about it too. I feel there are so many other things to distract them, there's a lot going on in a young person's life."
Elizabeth spoke further about parenthood as she gave a speech at the No7 event, admitting that her entire family were fans of the British beauty brand's products, especially her youngest son - who often asks her to give him facials at home.
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© InstagramAt 51, the actress looks incredibly youthful and she has praised No7 and their products - which are backed up by science - as a huge contributor to this. "What I love about this brand is it's easy skincare that's been backed up by science. They've done all the research so I don't have to and the brand is 90 years old. The Future Renewal Damage Reversal range took 15 years to make, and I like that the company puts that much focus into creating products that they know are efficient for consumers at a price point where everyone can afford it. That was really important to me."
© No7The brand's newest addition to the range is Future Renew Damage Reversal Night Serum, 100 per cent clinically proven to reverse visible skin damage, and specially formulated to work in sync with the skin’s circadian rhythm while you sleep. "I mean, I tell my kids this already that they do all of their repair while they sleep, and this technology works with your bodies. It does a lot of work while you're sleeping while your cells are already in their regenerative mode. I think it's so fun. It's like giving the phrase beauty sleep a whole new meaning."
© AFP via Getty ImagesElizabeth is such a fan of No7 products, that she's been sharing the love with her family and famous friends. At a recent party, she gifted several products for her relatives, and she also took some to Toronto during filming The Miniature Wife. It was in Toronto that the actress was inspired to send flowers to Elle Fanning, upon learning the news of the young actress taking on the role as a young Effie Trinket in the upcoming 2026 prequel, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.
As the original Effie, Elizabeth made a touching gesture to congratulate the star, which had been inspired by her co-stars. She recalled: "I was telling Matthew Macfadyen about it and he was like 'That's so cool, Colin Firth and I sent Jack Lowden - who is Saoirse Ronan's husband - a note as he's been cast as the next Mr Darcy.' So I thought I would send some flowers. That's kind of how the idea came about, and I was truly excited for her and excited to see what she does with the role. I love the whole franchise and Suzanne Collins, the author. And the producers, you know, I've nothing but the warmest feelings for that whole world."
