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Eric Bana

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.


Read bio at tmdb | Read bio at Wikipedia
Born:
Aug 9, 1968 In Melbourne, Australia
Movie/TV Credits:
41
First Appeared:
In the series Today 1952-01-14
Latest Project:
Movie Force of Nature: The Dry 2 2024-02-08
Known For
Poster of Mary and Max
Poster of Finding Nemo
Poster of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
Filmography
Movie Force of Nature: The Dry 2 Aaron Falk 2024-02-08
Movie Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers Monterey Jack (voice) 2022-05-20
Movie Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Namor (rumoured) 2022-11-09
Movie Blueback Mad Macka 2022-12-29
Movie The Dry Aaron Falk 2021-01-01
Movie Back to the Outback Chaz (voice) 2021-12-03
Movie Being James Bond Self (archive footage) 2021-08-29
Movie The Forgiven Piet Blomfeld 2018-03-09
Series Dirty John John Meehan 2018-11-25
Movie The Secret Scripture Dr. William Grene 2017-03-23
Movie King Arthur: Legend of the Sword Uther Pendragon 2017-05-10
Movie Spielberg Self 2017-10-05
Movie The Finest Hours Daniel Cluff 2016-01-27
Movie Special Correspondents Frank Bonneville 2016-04-22
Movie Deliver Us from Evil Ralph Sarchie 2014-07-01
Movie Closed Circuit Martin Rose 2013-08-28
Movie Lone Survivor Lieutenant Commander Erik Kristensen 2013-12-24
Movie Deadfall Addison 2012-11-08
Movie Hanna Erik Heller 2011-04-07
Movie Love the Beast Self 2009-03-12
Movie Mary and Max Damien Popodopolous (voice) 2009-02-09
Movie Funny People Clarke 2009-07-30
Movie The Time Traveler's Wife Henry DeTamble 2009-08-14
Movie Star Trek Captain Nero 2009-05-06
Movie The Other Boleyn Girl Henry Tudor 2008-02-28
Movie Translating History to Screen Self 2008-06-10
Movie Lucky You Huck Cheever 2007-05-01
Movie Romulus, My Father Romulus 2007-05-31
Movie Munich Avner 2005-12-23
Movie Troy Hector 2004-05-13
Movie Finding Nemo Anchor (voice) 2003-05-30
Movie Hulk Bruce Banner / Hulk 2003-06-19
Movie The Nugget Lotto 2002-10-17
Movie Black Hawk Down SFC Norm 'Hoot' Gibson 2001-12-28
Series Something in the Air Joe Sabatini 2000-01-17
Movie Chopper Mark Brandon 'Chopper' Read 2000-06-21
Movie The Castle Con Petropoulous 1997-04-10
Series Full Frontal 1993-05-13
Series Late Night with Conan O'Brien Unknown 1993-09-13
Series The Tonight Show with Jay Leno Unknown 1992-05-25
Series Today Unknown 1952-01-14