Porno is the one thing in the universe I don't need to learn more about. I could teach a class on it

You know Elizabeth Banks.  You fancy Elizabeth Banks.  You just might not have realised it yet. Whatever your taste in films, you’re guaranteed to have seen her on your screen over the last few years, working with everyone from Spielberg to Judd Apatow.

Into big, special-effects blockbusters? She was in all three Spider-Man films (wearing an oddly sexy, fringe-y brown wig and going by the name of Daily Bugle secretary Betty Brant). Like comedy? She almost bit off Steve Carell’s bottom lip in The 40  Year Old  Virgin, and made sure the North Pole ran smoothly in  Vince  Vaughn Christmas caper Fred Claus.

Into your horror films? She was attacked by gloopy alien slugs in ace indie horror flick, Slither, a role she particularly enjoyed – especially the props.  ‘I’m really glad that we had actual things to touch and feel, and KY jelly thrown at us and blood splattered,’  she laughs.  ‘It was kind of great.’

Want sports? She was Mark Wahlberg’s love interest in American football flick Invincible (OK, we didn’t watch that one). Even if you’re into your more serious stuff, she’s got that covered, playing Jeff Bridges’ wife in quality horsey drama, Seabiscuit, alongside Spidey co-star Tobey Maguire. She’s continuing her eclectic film choices this year, so if you want to see more of her, be prepared to mix it up a bit at the cinema.

First off, she’s going to be in off-beat comedy, Zak And Miri Make A Porno, a flick with so much (literally) heavyweight comedy talent behind it (written and directed by chunky indie legend Kevin Smith, and co-starring current flavour-of-the-year, Seth Rogen) that it can’t lose. Despite all the talent involved, she’s not nervous.  ‘I love improv,’  she grins.  ‘Anything can happen.’

As usual, the versatile 34-year-old’s followed this with something totally different: Oliver Stone’s George Bush biopic, W. And what naughty role is she playing? Er…Dubya’s wife, Laura Bush. Starring alongside No Country For Old Men’s Josh Brolin, they make a creepily convincing Mr and Mrs Bush.

Our Liz’s also made a splash in TV, making regular appearances as Zach Braff’s love interest in Scrubs, so even if you can’t be arsed to go to the flicks, you can Sky-Plus the lovely lady and appreciate her from the comfort of your sofa. Or, of course, you can just frame this painfully sexy photoshoot and award it your own homemade Oscar (a shampoo bottle wrapped in gold foil does the job quite nicely, we find.) What, obsessed? Us? Maybe…