Gone Girl and Cocktail actress Lisa Banes has died ten days after she was mowed down in a hit-and-run by an electric scooter in New York.
The 65-year-old, from Los Angeles, was on her way to meet her wife for a dinner party on the Upper West Side when she was struck by a rider who blew through a red light.
Banes suffered a traumatic brain injury and had been in critical care at Mount Sinai Morningside hospital since June 4. She died on Monday.
Confirming Banes’ death, a representative told Entertainment Tonight: ‘We are heartsick over Lisa’s tragic and senseless passing.
‘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,’ the rep added.
Lisa Banes, 65, was hit while crossing the intersection of Amsterdam Avenue and West 64th Street on the Upper West Side at about 6.30pm on June 4
Banes had been on her way to meet her wife Kathryn Kranhold, a former Wall Street Journal writer, for a dinner party on the Upper West Side
Banes starred with Ben Affleck in Gone Girl, playing Marybeth Elliott
Lisa Banes is seen with Tom Cruise in the 1988 film Cocktail (left) Kathryn Kranhold, Banes’ wife at a book party with author Ken Wells
The force of the scooter’s impact sent Banes flying off the crosswalk. She was rushed by ambulance to Mount Sinai Morningside hospital
The street where Lisa Banes was hit was roped off by police on Saturday as cops investigated
NYPD officers were seen guarding the cordon as forensic teams got to work
Witnesses said the scooter rider ran a red light at the intersection of Amsterdam Avenue and West 64th Street and then fled after knocking Banes over.
An NYPD spokesperson said Monday night that no arrests have been made in the case.
The TV and film star, who lives in Los Angeles, had been visiting NYC for the first time since the pandemic.
Banes’ wife Kathryn Kranhold, a former Wall Street Journal writer, last week issued an urgent appeal for the public to come forward with any information about the hit-and-run.
‘We have several days ahead of us to pray for Lisa,’ the worried wife told the Daily News.
‘If anyone has any information about the scooter driver, we ask them to please call police.’
Born in Ohio and raised in Colorado, Banes attended Julliard in New York, world renowned as a performing arts school, before launching prolific acting career, according to the New York Post.
She married Kranhold at an intimate ceremony roughly four years ago at City Hall.
Seth McFarlane, the creator of The Orville in which Banes appeared, paid tribute to the actress
Reacting to the news last night, Banes’ friend and singer Jill Sobule shared a photo of them together in a book store
Reacting to the news last night, Banes’ friend and singer Jill Sobule shared a photo of the pair together in a book store, tweeting: ‘Just busted. Lisa Banes was magnificent, hilarious, and big-hearted – always helped me though the hard times. She was so beloved by so many.’
Seth McFarlane, the creator of The Orville in which Banes appeared, also paid tribute to the actress.
He tweeted: ‘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.’
Banes is best known for her role as Marybeth Elliott, the mother of Rosamund Pike’s character in Gone Girl, starring Ben Affleck.
She also appeared in 1980s blockbusters including Cocktail, starring Tom Cruise, and Young Guns, with Kiefer Sutherland and Charlie Sheen.
Banes is seen in character as Lady Tremaine in the Disney series Once Upon A Time (left) and at the premiere of Gone Girl in New York in 2014 (right)
Banes with Christina Ricci in the 2002 movie Pumpkin
Banes scooped up a Theatre World Award in 1981 for the off-Broadway play ‘Look Back in Anger’ and an Obie in 1982 for her performance in ‘My Sister in This House’
Banes had since had recurring roles on The King of Queens, Six Feet Under and Nashville, as well as memorable guest roles on The Orville and Desperate Housewives.
Banes also appeared in Broadway plays including ‘Present Laughter’ and ‘High Society.’
She scooped up a Theatre World Award in 1981 for the off-Broadway play ‘Look Back in Anger’ and an Obie in 1982 for her performance in ‘My Sister in This House.’
‘She’s a great character,’ friend Cynthia Crossen told the Post last week.
‘She’s funny. She’s fun. She’s vibrant. She’s just a person of many talents and interests.’
The fatal crash comes as traffic fatalities in New York hit a seven-year high.
As the pandemic emptied the roads of traffic, many drivers began speeding dangerously.
At least 243 people died in traffic crashes in New York City in 2020 — making it the deadliest year on record since Mayor Bill de Blasio introduced his signature ‘Vision Zero’ plan to improve street safety in 2014.