AceShowbiz -

Elizabeth Banks was not sure she's pretty "for a longtime." In an interview with New You magazine for its latest issue, the "Pitch Perfect" actress talks about her "blessed" genes, family and comedic success.

Elizabeth tells the magazine, "I didn't quite believe I was pretty for a long time. I never thought about it. I'm very genetically blessed, I cannot deny it, but I work hard at keeping myself together. Yes, I have nice cheekbones and skinny legs but I can't take any credit for it."

When asked about how she can balance her time for work and family time, she replies, "I balance it by always putting my children's health and safety first. Then I feel OK to go and do the job I love."

"It's important to remember that I face the same challenges as many other working parents out there," she continues, "I don't think dads do it as well as moms, quite frankly, as I don't think there's any pressure on them to balance anything in their lives when it comes to parents being at work."

The "Pitch Perfect 2" actress, director and producer goes on saying, "I try not to feel that pressure, either. I actually have a girlfriend who works in the justice department, going after criminals and the mafia, and she's got three kids. Parenting is challenging any way you slice it."

Talking about her secret to comedic success, Elizabeth says, "Comedy often comes at the expense of others, and to do that smartly, you don't want to make fun of vulnerable people. You want to make fun of people in power, and so you need to really understand the dynamics of power."

Elizabeth can be seen in her upcoming movie, "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1". The movie will have its original cast, including Elizabeth along with Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth, back in their respective roles. The third installment of "The Hunger Games" film series is scheduled to hit theaters in the U.S. on November 21.