Elizabeth Banks was thrilled to get the chance to work with Eddie Murphy in new comedy movie Meet Dave.

"He's very surreal to work with," the actress said at the Hollywood premiere of the new movie.

"It's always surreal to work with someone who was a hero of yours growing up and he definitely is one of my comedy heroes. I honed my comic chops with Eddie. I did a lot of improvisation and he was very patient with me."

Elizabeth, who has starred in films including Fred Claus, Spider-Man 3 and The 40-Year-Old Virgin, plays Gina Morrison in the new movie about a group of tiny aliens whose spaceship takes the shape of a human.

"I play the woman who becomes Eddie Murphy's guide to earth, sort of," she said. "I hit him with my car in the first five minutes of the movie and then I have to take care of him for the rest of the film. "