Person Details

Birthday: 1968-08-09 14:16:30

Aliases: Eric Banadinovich , Эрик Бана , 에릭 배너 , Έρικ Μπάνα

Gender: Male

Place of birth: Melbourne, Australia

Homepage:

Movie Involvements: 36

TV Involvements: 3


Most Famous Work

Biography

Eric Bana is an Australian film and television actor. He began his career as a comedian in the sketch comedy series Full Frontal before gaining critical recognition in the biopic Chopper (2000). After a decade of roles in Australian TV shows and films, Bana gained Hollywood's attention by playing the role of American Delta Force Sergeant Norm "Hoot" Hooten in Black Hawk Down (2001), the lead role as Bruce Banner in the Ang Lee directed film Hulk (2003), Prince Hector in the movie Troy (2004), the lead in Steven Spielberg's Munich (2005), and the villain Nero in the science-fiction film Star Trek (2009). An accomplished dramatic actor and comedian, he received Australia's highest film and television awards for his performances in Chopper, Full Frontal and Romulus, My Father. Bana performs predominantly in leading roles in a variety of low-budget and major studio films, ranging from romantic comedies and drama to science fiction and action thrillers. Eric Bana was the younger of two children; he has a brother, Anthony. He is of Croatian ancestry on his father's side. Bana's paternal grandfather, Mate Banadinović, fled to Argentina after the Second World War, and Bana's paternal grandmother emigrated to Germany and then to Australia in the 1950s with her son, Ivan (Bana's father). His father was a logistics manager for Caterpillar, Inc., and his German-born mother, Eleanor, was a hairdresser. Bana grew up in Melbourne's Tullamarine, a suburban area on the western edge of the city, near the main airport. In a cover story for The Mail on Sunday, he told author Antonella Gambotto-Burke that his family had suffered from racist taunts, and that it had distressed him. "Wog is such a terrible word," he said. He has stated: "I have always been proud of my origin, which had a big influence on my upbringing. I have always been in the company of people of European origin". Showing acting skill early in life, Bana began doing impressions of family members at the age of six or seven, first mimicking his grandfather's walk, voice and mannerisms. In school, he mimicked his teachers as a means to get out of trouble. As a teen, he watched the Mel Gibson film Mad Max (1979), and decided he wanted to become an actor. However, he did not seriously consider a career in the performing arts until 1991 when he was persuaded to try stand-up comedy while working as a barman at Melbourne's Castle Hotel. His stand-up gigs in inner-city pubs did not provide him with enough income to support himself, so he continued his work as a barman and bussing tables.

Most Famous Work

Something in the Air
Average
2

Something in the Air

(2000) Joe Sabatini
Finding Nemo
Average
8

Finding Nemo

(2003) Anchor (voice)
Troy
Average
7

Troy

(2004) Hector
Star Trek
Average
7

Star Trek

(2009) Nero
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
Average
7

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

(2017) Uther Pendragon
Black Hawk Down
Average
7

Black Hawk Down

(2001) Sfc. Norm 'Hoot' Hooten
Hulk
Average
6

Hulk

(2003) Bruce Banner / Hulk
Dirty John
Average
7

Dirty John

(2018) John Meehan

Acting

Year Character Movie/Tv
2024 N/A
Ben Monroe
Aaron Falk
2022 Mad Macka
Monterey Jack (voice)
2021 Chaz (voice)
(archive footage)
(narrator)
Aaron Falk
2018 John Meehan
Narrator (voice)
Narrator
Piet Blomfeld
Self - Special Guest
2017 Self
Uther Pendragon
Dr. William Grene
2016 Frank Bonneville
Daniel Cluff
2015 Himself - Narrator
2014 Ralph Sarchie
2013 Lieutenant Commander Erik Kristensen
Narrator (voice)
Martin Rose
2012 Addison
2011 Erik Heller
2009 N/A
Henry DeTamble
Clarke
Nero
Himself
Damien Popodopolous (voice)
2008 Himself
Henry Tudor
2007 Romulus
Huck Cheever
Himself
2005 Avner
2004 Hector
2003 Bruce Banner / Hulk
Anchor (voice)
2002 Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car
Lotto
Eric Bana
2001 Sfc. Norm 'Hoot' Hooten
2000 Mark Brandon 'Chopper' Read
Joe Sabatini
1999 Self
1997 Con Petropoulous
1993 Self - Guest
N/A
1992 N/A
1952 Self
Year Character Movie/Tv

Production

Year Role Movie/Tv
2024 Producer
2022 Executive Producer
2021 Executive Producer
2018 Executive Producer
2014 Executive Producer
2007 Associate Producer
Year Role Movie/Tv

Directing

Year Role Movie/Tv
2009 Director
Year Role Movie/Tv

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