We have already counted down out top three actors of 2012 and now it is time to which leading lady performances we have been enjoying this year at FemaleFirst.
There have been so many great roles for women this year from blockbuster to comedy from action to drama and we kick off with Elizabeth Banks at number three.
It has been an incredibly busy year for Banks as she has starred in five movies as well as a TV series - making her one of the hardest working actresses of the year.
She kicked off 2012 with Man on a Ledge which saw her star alongside Sam Worthington and Jamie Bell.
But it was to be her role as Effie Trinket that was to be a major highpoint of the year as The Hunger Games was adapted for the big screen.
The movie was an adaptation of the Suzanne Collins novel and saw Gary Ross in the director’s chair and Jennifer Lawrence in the lead role of Katniss Everdeen.
But Banks’ supporting role is played pitch perfect as Effie is one of the most interesting and flamboyant characters in the movie.
She looks simply fantastic and the movie really captures the look and the feel of the character that is described in the book.
The Hunger Games was a monster box office success as it went on to gross in excess of $686 million worldwide.
As if one movie for the summer wasn’t enough Banks was back with comedy What To Expect When You’re Expecting as part of an ensemble cast that included Jennifer Lopez and Cameron Diaz.
Banks really carries the comedy element of this movie as she shows perhaps the most realistic image of being pregnant and just how difficult it can be. She is fantastically funny throughout and she really does steal this movie.
People Like Us and comedy Pitch Perfect have followed at the end of the year as well as working on 30 Rock.
And she looks to be just as busy in 2013 as she joins the ensemble cast of comedy Movie 43 at the beginning of the year.
Filming on The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is currently underway and it will see Banks reprise the role of Effie Trinket.
It looks like 2013 is also set to be a year of filming for the actress as projects such as Frank or Francis and Every Secret Thing are currently in pre-production.
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
Tagged in Elizabeth Banks The Hunger Games