Elizabeth Banks Apologises For Crucial Oversight In Her Spielberg Call-Out

Elizabeth Banks has fronted up and apologised for an awkward misstep at the Women in Film awards, when she called out director Steven Spielberg for having “never made a movie with a female lead” and casually forgetting about that time he did – with Whoopi Goldberg for ‘The Color Purple‘.

On Wednesday, while accepting an award from the non-profit group, the ‘Pitch Perfect 2‘ director expressed her frustration at the lack of roles available for women.

“I went to ‘Indiana Jones’ and ‘Jaws’ and every movie Steven Spielberg ever made, and by the way, he’s never made a movie with a female lead. Sorry, Steven. I don’t mean to call your ass out but it’s true,” she said, as reported by The Wrap.

But Spielberg, in his 30 feature film career, has directed one film with a female lead: 1985’s Oscar-nominated film ‘The Color Purple’, which featured a nearly all-female cast including Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey and Margaret Avery.

Her mistake was very quickly called out, both by an audience member at the Beverly Hills Hotel and on Twitter.

Banks fronted up to her mistake, posting a public apology to Twitter following the outcry.

“I messed up,” she said. “When referring to Steven Spielberg at the Women in Film awards, I framed my comments about his films inaccurately. I want to be lear from the start that I take full responsibility for what I said and I’m sorry.”

“Those who have the privilege and honour of directing and producing films should be held to account for our mistakes, whether it’s about diversity of inaccurate statements. I’m very sorry.”


Photo: Vincent Sandoval / Getty.

More Stuff From PEDESTRIAN.TV