Elizabeth Banks, who I was fortunate enough to represent in her journey, continues to speak out about her decision to start her family with the assistance of a surrogate. Thanks to the candor of people like Elizabeth, whose outspoken advocacy has helped eliminate some of the stigma that has been attached to surrogacy, others will undoubtedly be empowered to consider assisted reproduction as an option to have a child:

“There are lots of ways to being a mother,” Elizabeth Banks says confidently in her cute calico flowered dress at a press junket in Beverly Hills while promoting her new film Man on a Ledge.

Her choice to have a surrogate mother carry her child was a tough decision, she says, but in the end it was the only choice right for her.

“It was frankly the only way for my husband and I, who have been together for nearly 20 years, could have a child that was half him and half me. So, for us, it was absolutely the way to go.” Her son Felix who was born in March is now nine and a half months old.
A private decision

The 37-year-old actress has become a role model to women considering surrogacy, although she still seems a bit uncomfortable talking about it. “Surrogacy is a very private thing,” she says, adding that she can’t offer any particular advice to couples considering it. “You have to listen to your heart in this situation.”

Being a working mom now, Banks says she has the luxury of taking her son to the set. “I’m lucky because I have a great job, and in the right situation — certainly not on a ledge like I was here,” she laughs. “I can bring my son to visit me at work.”
Balancing work and motherhood

When asked if trying to balance work and motherhood is tough she says, “I’m like every working mom, I’m just trying to figure it out.”

Her new film, Man on a Ledge, is about an ex-cop, played by Sam Worthington, on the run who is trying to prove his innocence. In an elaborate stunt on the side of a high-rise in New York City, he decides jumping might be the only option. The one person willing to help him get off the ledge is police psychologist Lydia Mercer, played by Banks.

The film comes out Jan. 27.

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