Actor Lisa Banes has passed away. Audiences perhaps best remember Banes for playing in the TV series “Nashville” and the film “Gone Girl.”
She was 65-years-old. The actor passed away on Monday (June 14) at Mount Sinai Morningside hospital. For the past 10 days, Banes has been in critical care. The actor experienced a traumatic brain injury after a scooter hit her in a hit-and-run.
Banes had been in New York City’s Upper West Side on June 4. She was on her way to meet her wife for a dinner party. But an electric scooter ignored a red light, hitting her as a result. The driver then fled the scene afterward.
Banes’ representative confirmed her passing in a statement. They wrote, “We are heartsick over Lisa’s tragic and senseless passing. She was a woman of great spirit, kindness and generosity and dedicated to her work, whether on stage or in front of a camera and even more so to her wife, family, and friends. We were blessed to have had her in our lives.”
Lisa Banes and Her Career
So far, NYPD has not reported an arrest in the case. But Banes’ wife Kathryn Kranhold urged any witnesses to come forward to help arrest the driver. Born in Ohio, Banes first lived in New York when she attended Julliard. She later moved out to Los Angeles, making a name for herself as an actor. But she later returned to the city.
Banes starred as Marybeth Elliott in the thriller “Gone Girl,” opposite Rosamund Pike and Ben Affleck. She also appeared in both “Cocktail” and “Young Guns” during the 1980s as well. Banes became a mainstay on television, having recurring roles on “Nashville” and “The King of Queens.”
She became an award-winning actor on Broadway. For instance, she won the Theatre World Award in 1981 and later took home an Obie for her 1982 performance in “My Sister in This House.”
So far, there has been an outpouring of support and memorials from Banes’ former co-stars. For instance, her friend Jill Sobule remembered times that the actor helped her. She also shared a picture of the two in front of a book store. She wrote: “Just busted. Lisa Banes was magnificent, hilarious, and big-hearted – always helped me though the hard times. She was so beloved by so many.”
Likewise, Banes co-star and creator of “The Orville” also paid tribute to the actor.
He wrote on social media, “I am deeply saddened at the news of Lisa Banes’ passing. We had the good fortune to work with her on The Orville this past year. Her stage presence, magnetism, skill, and talent were matched only by her unwavering kindness and graciousness toward all of us.”
