Elizabeth Banks nearly choked to death making her latest film

She told 'Good Morning America' the "scary" ordeal happened when she was enjoying lunch and a "little green pea" got lodged in her throat.

Elizabeth added: "I threw the door open - couldn't make any noise, was so afraid. It was terrifying."

She was spotted by a crew member who came over and asked "Are you choking?" before she was able to croak "Yes" - prompting him to "very calmly" give her the Heimlich manoeuvre.

Elizabeth added: "He had to do it twice. His name is Julius. He is my guardian angel. Julius, I love you."

She said that after he "saved (her) life" she wanted to use her platform to encourage people to learn how to do the Heimlich.

Elizabeth went on: "Make sure you know how to do it. Talk to your friends and

family about it."

The first aid technique consists of an individual applying pressure against the abdomen of the choking victim to force out the object blocking their airway.

Elizabeth added the world is full of misconceptions about the method, including worries it could crack people's ribs.

She said: "They're dying, so crack a rib if you have to. I would've been fine with a cracked rib. I literally couldn't breathe, and it was super scary."