Eric Bana
Biography
Eric Bana (born Eric Banadinović in Melbourne, Australia, on August 9, 1968) is a highly respected Australian actor, comedian, producer, and director. His career began in comedy before a critically acclaimed dramatic turn launched him onto the global stage.
Early Career and Australian Breakthrough
Bana initially found success in Australia as a stand-up comedian in the early 1990s. He gained widespread popularity as a writer and performer on the popular sketch comedy series Full Frontal (1993–1996), where his ability to create memorable characters and do impressions made him a household name. He eventually had his own show, The Eric Bana Show Live.
In 1997, he made his feature film debut in the much-loved Australian comedy The Castle. His career pivoted dramatically in 2000 with the biographical crime film Chopper, where he played the notorious Australian criminal Mark "Chopper" Read. Bana gained significant weight and underwent a major physical transformation for the role, which earned him numerous accolades, including the Australian Film Institute (AFI) Best Actor Award.
Hollywood Career Highlights
The critical success of Chopper propelled Bana to Hollywood. He quickly transitioned to leading roles in major studio films across various genres:
War Drama: He received international notice for his role as Delta Force Sergeant Norm "Hoot" Gibson in Ridley Scott's Black Hawk Down (2001).
Superhero: He took on the title character of Dr. Bruce Banner in Ang Lee's Hulk (2003).
Historical Epic: He played the Trojan prince Hector opposite Brad Pitt in the epic war film Troy (2004).
Thriller/Drama: Bana took the lead role of a Mossad agent in Steven Spielberg's historical thriller Munich (2005).
Science Fiction: He delivered a memorable performance as the villain Nero in the commercially and critically successful reboot Star Trek (2009).
He also earned his second AFI Best Actor Award for the Australian drama Romulus, My Father (2007) and has starred in films like The Time Traveler's Wife (2009) and Lone Survivor (2013). More recently, he played the title role in the miniseries Dirty John (2018) and the lead in the Australian outback thriller The Dry (2020).
