Lisa Banes, a veteran of stage and screen who appeared in Cocktail, Gone Girl, and had recurring roles on The King of Queens and Six Feet Under, has died at 65. As the New York Post reports, she died from injuries sustained in a hit and run accident earlier this month.
A resident of Los Angeles, Banes had been visiting New York for the first time since the pandemic began. On June 4th, she was on route to meet her wife, Kathryn Kranhold, for a dinner party when she was struck by a red and black scooter. She suffered traumatic brain injuries, and passed away on June 14th. Police say they have no suspects at this time.
Born on July 9th, 1955, in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, Banes studied acting at the prestigious Juilliard School. She appeared on Broadway numerous times, winning a 1981 Theatre World Award for her work in Look Back in Anger, and receiving a Best Actress Drama Desk nomination for Isn’t It Romantic in 1984.
On the big screen, she performed opposite Tom Cruise in Cocktail, appeared in the Academy Award-nominated film Gone Girl as Rosamund Pike’s mother, and played Hollis in Gore Verbinski’s A Cure for Wellness.
Her most consistent work came on television, and since the 1980s hardly a year had gone by without her booking several roles. Banes appeared in China Beach, L.A. Law, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Murder, She Wrote, NYPD Blue, One Life to Live, The King of Queens, Six Feet Under, Boston Legal, Desperate Housewives, The Good Wife, and Law and Order: SVU. In just the last decade, she appeared in nine episodes of Royal Pains, and had recurring roles on Masters of Sex, The Orville, and Nashville.
Her death was mourned on social media by her many collaborators over the years. Seth MacFarlane wrote, “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. A tremendous loss…”
“Just busted,” singer Jill Sobule wrote on Instagram, sharing a video of her and Banes singing “This Land Is Your Land”. “Lisa Banes was magnificent, hilarious, and big-hearted – always helped me though the hard times. She was so beloved by so many.”
Playwright and screenwriter Paul Rudnick added, “RIP Lisa Banes, a superb actress and much beloved, especially by the theater community. I only knew Lisa a bit, but I treasured her performances and her elegant, generous style.”
Penny Johnson Jerald, who worked with Banes on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and The Orville, wrote, “Rest in Peace my beautiful friend.” Check out some of the tributes below.
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. A tremendous loss…
Advertisement— Seth MacFarlane (@SethMacFarlane) June 15, 2021
Just busted. Lisa Banes was magnificent, hilarious, and big-hearted – always helped me though the hard times. She was so beloved by so many pic.twitter.com/85IL2OZKMd
— jillsobule (@jillsobule) June 15, 2021
RIP Lisa Banes, a superb actress and much beloved, especially by the theater community. I only knew Lisa a bit, but I treasured her performances and her elegant, generous style. She was killed in a hit and run in NYC, while on her way to dinner with her wife, Kathryn Kranhold pic.twitter.com/A5LfQnC6r8
— Paul Rudnick (@PaulRudnickNY) June 15, 2021
Rest In Peace my beautiful friend #lisabanes 👼🏼 pic.twitter.com/6lwBZwrnIu
— Penny Johnson Jerald (@PennyJJerald) June 15, 2021
#lisabanes love and light pic.twitter.com/9kRsB9ovq9
— Kathryn Kranhold (@kkranhold) June 15, 2021