It wouldn’t be the Oscars without someone tripping! On her way to present the award for Best Visual Effects at the 2023 ceremony on Sunday, Cocaine Bear director, Elizabeth Banks, 49, tripped on her dress and nearly fell. “Oh my god, he tripped me!”, she joked while pointing at the mascot, Cocaine Bear. Of course, the blonde beauty gracefully brushed off the moment and shimmied her way up to the microphone and presented the award to the 2022 hit film, Avatar: The Way of Water.
Elizabeth Banks stumbles while taking the stage at the #Oscars.
"He tripped me," she jokes of the Cocaine Bear who accompanied her. https://t.co/ndiKiHfmID pic.twitter.com/ldDmOovz7A
— Variety (@Variety) March 13, 2023
Once the moment was shared online, many people reacted to the starlet’s stumble via Twitter. “Played it off brilliantly @ElizabethBanks is awesomeness,” one admirer wrote, while another added, “Such natural comedic talents :).” In a separate comment, one fan couldn’t help but be relived [sic] that Elizabeth did not fall on her face. “good recovery tho, if she had face planted that would had [sic] supplanted the slap as THE Oscar moment,” they joked. The fan seemingly referenced the 2022 Oscars moment when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock for a joke he made about Jada Pinkett Smith.
Prior to gracing the stage to present the prestigious award, Elizabeth took to the Oscars red carpet in a stunning black-and-white Vivienne Westwood gown. The ensemble featured a puffed-up back design with a sleek shoulder-bearing upper portion. For the bottom half of the gown, the designer opted for a white skirt that trailed behind Elizabeth as she walked. The 49-year-old styled her blonde tresses in an elegant up-do and completed her look with a diamond necklace, mini hoop earrings, and black high heel pumps.
Although Elizabeth was not nominated for an Oscar, she did attend to be one of the evening’s presenters. When she presented the award for Best Visual Effects to Avatar: The Way of Water, the in-room audience went wild and responded with a round of applause. The nominees that lost to the box office hit include: All Quiet on the Western Front, The Batman, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and Top Gun: Maverick.
Oscars moments aside, Elizabeth’s most recent project is the film, Cocaine Bear, which was released on Feb. 24. The thriller/comedy film stars the late actor Ray Liotta, newcomer Scott Seiss, and Waitress star Keri Russell. Some of her other works that she is known for include Walk of Shame, Pitch Perfect, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1, and more. Some of the awards that Elizabeth has been nominated for over the years include three Emmy Awards, an Austin Film Critics Association award, and more. She is married to sportswriter Max Handelman and they share two kids: Felix , 11, and Magnus, 10.