Elizabeth Banks’ Role in Modern Family, Explained

Elizabeth Banks is one of the biggest stars on the big and small screen, and she even had a critical guest role on the comedy series Modern Family.

Elizabeth Banks’ career has taken her to the heights of the big and small screen, and she even played a recurring role in the comedy series Modern Family. Elizabeth Banks immediately turned heads with comedic performances in movies like 2001’s Wet Hot American Summer, and her dramatic prowess was rewarded with a SAG Award nomination for 2003’s Seabiscuit. She quickly positioned herself as a woman of many talents when she not only performed in films but began directing them as well. No matter what heights her career has taken her to, Banks’ comedic roles were always some of her most memorable.

Although her talent alone could have landed her any role she desired on the popular ABC series, she opted for a recurring role that featured in the best side character storylines on Modern Family. By the time Banks appeared in the series, she had already made some of the biggest movies of her career, and her appearances helped to bolster the fledgling days of the long-running show. Interestingly, Banks’ role was actually written with her in mind, and as she revealed in an interview with Deadline, the part was specifically crafted for her unique comedic talents. Although she was a movie star, Banks became a fixture on Modern Family.

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Elizabeth Banks Played Cam & Mitchell’s Best Friend, Sal

Making her Modern Family debut in season 1, episode 8, “Great Expectation”, Sal was Cam and Mitchell’s best friend from their hard-partying days, but the episode revealed that they had matured while she had not. Besides being one of the best episodes of season 1, it also introduced Banks into the series, and she would return seven more times, through to season 11. Constantly proving herself to be an unreliable friend, she did eventually attempt to clean up her act after becoming a single mother, but she still struggled with her desire to party. Her last appearance came in season 11, episode 18, “Finale Part 2”.

Elizabeth Banks Loved Her Experience On Modern Family

In the same Deadline interview, where she discussed how she landed her role on Modern Family, Banks discussed her lengthy friendship with Jesse Tyler Ferguson, who played Mitchell. An experienced comedic actor herself, Banks was in her element in the series, and the recurring role gave her a chance to build and grow the character of Sal over her eight appearances, without sacrificing any comedy. Regardless of the size of the role in the episode itself, Sal was involved several Modern Family milestones and events, like Mitchell and Cam’s wedding, and she mentioned that she thoroughly enjoyed her experience working with old friends on the show.

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