Star of stage and screen, actress Lisa Banes, 65, died on Monday after getting struck by a hit-and-run scooter driver on the streets of New York.
Banes, who resided in Los Angeles, was visiting New York for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic began. She was on her way to meet her wife, Kathryn Kranhold, for a dinner party when a red and black motorized scooter collided with her in Manhattan while crossing the road outside the Lincoln Center.
She suffered traumatic brain injury as a result of the accident, and passed away 10 days later at Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital.
“We are heartsick of Lisa’s tragic and senseless passing,” said a representative for Banes in a statement. “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.”
An NYPD spokesperson said on Monday night that no arrests have been made. The scooter was last seen heading northbound on Amsterdam Avenue.
Who was Lisa Banes?
Lisa Banes was born in Ohio and raised in Colorado. She went to the prestigious Juilliard School before going on to launch a long and fruitful acting career in New York and Hollywood.
On the small screen, the actress had recurring roles on Nashville, Royal Pains, One Life to Live, Six Feet Under, and China Beach. She also played a guest role on multiple sitcoms including Frasier, The King of Queens, and Roseanne.
On the big screen, she performed opposite Tom Cruise as his older love interest in 1988’s Cocktail. In 2014’s Gone Girl, she played the mother of the missing woman, who was played by Rosamund Pike.
On the stage, she made regular Broadway appearances, including the Neil Simon play Rumors in 1988, the musical High Society in 1998, and the Noel Coward play Present Laughter in 2010.
Friends of Lisa Banes pay tribute
Actor and screenwriter Seth Macfarlane, who recently worked with Banes on The Orville, took to Twitter to pay his respects to the late actress.
He 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…”
While Batman voice actor Kevin Conroy reflected on their younger years together with a nostalgic photo.
“This is how I will always remember Lisa Banes.” He recalled, “We shared a cottage in San Diego, 1982, SD Old Globe Shakespeare Festival. Our first dinner in our little house as we struggled to cook dinner! With Lisa everything was an adventure.”
Singer-songwriter Jill Sobule wrote of her late friend, “Just busted. Lisa Banes was magnificent, hilarious, and big-hearted – always helped me through the hard times. She was beloved by so many,”