Eric Bana

Born: 1968-08-09

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.


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Mary and Max

as Damien Popodopolous (voice)
Released: 2009-02-09

A tale of friendship between two unlikely pen pals: Mary, a lonely, eight-year-old girl living...

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as Anchor (voice)
Released: 2003-05-30

Nemo, an adventurous young clownfish, is unexpectedly taken from his Great Barrier Reef home to...

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as SFC Norm 'Hoot' Gibson
Released: 2001-12-28

When U.S. Rangers and an elite Delta Force team attempt to kidnap two underlings of a Somali...

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Troy

as Hector
Released: 2004-05-13

In year 1250 B.C. during the late Bronze age, two emerging nations begin to clash. Paris, the...

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as Captain Nero
Released: 2009-05-06

The fate of the galaxy rests in the hands of bitter rivals. One, James Kirk, is a delinquent,...

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Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers

as Monterey Jack (voice)
Released: 2022-05-20

Decades since their successful television series was canceled, Chip has succumbed to a life of...

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Lone Survivor

as Lieutenant Commander Erik Kristensen
Released: 2013-12-24

Four Navy SEALs on a covert mission to neutralize a high-level Taliban operative must make an...

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King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

as Uther Pendragon
Released: 2017-05-10

When the child Arthur’s father is murdered, Vortigern, Arthur’s uncle, seizes the crown. Robbed...

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as Bruce Banner / Hulk
Released: 2003-06-19

Bruce Banner, a genetics researcher with a tragic past, suffers massive radiation exposure in...

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Back to the Outback

as Chaz (voice)
Released: 2021-12-03

Tired of being locked in a reptile house where humans gawk at them like they are monsters, a...

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The Dry

as Aaron Falk
Released: 2021-01-01

Aaron Falk returns to his drought-stricken hometown to attend a tragic funeral. But his return...

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Chopper

as Mark Brandon 'Chopper' Read
Released: 2000-06-21

The true and infamous story of Australia's notorious criminal Mark 'Chopper' Read and his years...

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The Other Boleyn Girl

as Henry Tudor
Released: 2008-02-28

A sumptuous and sensual tale of intrigue, romance and betrayal set against the backdrop of a...

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Lucky You

as Huck Cheever
Released: 2007-05-01

A professional poker player whose astounding luck at the table fails to translate into his...

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Munich

as Avner
Released: 2005-12-23

During the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, eleven Israeli athletes are taken hostage and murdered...

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The Finest Hours

as Daniel Cluff
Released: 2016-01-27

The Coast Guard makes a daring rescue attempt off the coast of Cape Cod after a pair of oil...

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as Clarke
Released: 2009-07-30

Famous and wealthy funnyman George Simmons doesn't give much thought to how he treats people...

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Deadfall

as Addison
Released: 2012-11-08

A thriller that follows two siblings who decide to fend for themselves in the wake of a botched...

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Deliver Us from Evil

as Ralph Sarchie
Released: 2014-07-01

When a frightening wave of violence sweeps through New York City, troubled cop Sarchie fails to...

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as Henry DeTamble
Released: 2009-08-14

Due to a genetic disorder, handsome librarian Henry DeTamble involuntarily zips through time,...

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as Erik Heller
Released: 2011-04-07

Raised by her father, an ex-CIA agent, in the wilds of Finland, Hanna's upbringing has been...

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The Secret Scripture

as Dr. William Grene
Released: 2017-03-23

The hidden memoir of an elderly woman confined to a mental hospital reveals the history of her...

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Closed Circuit

as Martin Rose
Released: 2013-08-28

A high-profile terrorism case unexpectedly binds together two ex-lovers on the defense team -...

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Being James Bond

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2021-08-29

Daniel Craig candidly reflects on his 15 year adventure as James Bond. Including...

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The Forgiven

as Piet Blomfeld
Released: 2018-03-09

After the end of Apartheid, Archbishop Desmond Tutu meets with a brutal murderer seeking redemption.

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Special Correspondents

as Frank Bonneville
Released: 2016-04-22

A radio journalist and his technician get in over their heads when they hatch a scheme to fake...

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Force of Nature: The Dry 2

as Aaron Falk
Released: 2024-02-08

When five women take part in a corporate hiking retreat and only four come out on the other...

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Spielberg

as Self
Released: 2017-10-05

A documentary on the life and career of one of the most influential film directors of all time,...

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The Castle

as Con Petropoulous
Released: 1997-04-10

A Melbourne family is very happy living near the Melbourne airport. However, they are forced to...

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Blueback

as Mad Macka
Released: 2022-12-29

Based on the best-selling novel by Tim Winton, Blueback is a timely tale about the ocean, a...

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Romulus, My Father

as Romulus
Released: 2007-05-31

The story of Romulus, his beautiful wife, Christina, and their struggle in the face of great...

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The Nugget

as Lotto
Released: 2002-10-17

'The Nugget' looks at how instant wealth suddenly changes the lives of three working class men -...

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Finke: There & Back

as Narrator (voice)
Released: 2018-06-30

The iconic Finke Desert Race, the largest off-road motorsport event in the southern hemisphere...

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Love the Beast

as Self
Released: 2009-03-12

What if you were a Hollywood movie star with an obsession for cars and racing? Eric Bana is such...

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Envoy: Shark Cull

as Narrator (voice)
Released: 2021-07-21

Envoy: Shark Cull is a fascinating, deeply moving documentary narrated by Eric Bana, which sheds...

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Memoir of a Snail

as James the Magistrate (voice)
Released:

A bittersweet remembrance of Grace Puddle; a lonely hoarder of ornamental snails living in Canberra.

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Great Barrier Reef 3D

as Narrator (voice)
Released: 2018-06-29

What comes to mind when you think of the largest structure built by living creatures? China's...

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Making Mary and Max

as Self
Released: 2009-10-21

Comedic behind-the-scenes film for the production of Mary and Max, originally released as webisodes.

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The Graham Norton Show

as Himself
First aired: 2007-02-22

Each week celebrity guests join Irish comedian Graham Norton to discuss what's being going on...

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Late Night with Conan O'Brien

as Self - Guest
First aired: 1993-09-13

Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that...

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Top Gear

as Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car
First aired: 2002-10-20

This fast-paced and stunt-filled motor show tests whether cars, both mundane and extraordinary,...

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The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

as uncredited
First aired: 1992-05-25

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that...

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Something in the Air

as Joe Sabatini
First aired: 2000-01-17

Something in the Air was an Australian television soap opera transmitted by the Australian...

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Dirty John

as John Meehan
First aired: 2018-11-25

Anthology series in which each season is based on a true crime story featuring an epic tale of...

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Today

as Self
First aired: 1952-01-14

Today is a daily American morning television show that airs on NBC. The program debuted on...

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Rove

as Self
First aired: 1999-09-22

Rove, formerly Rove Live, was an Australian television variety show which premiered on the Nine...

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Kath & Kim

as Eric Bana
First aired: 2002-05-16

Kath & Kim is a character-driven Australian television situation comedy series. The series was...

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The Joel McHale Show with Joel McHale

as Self - Special Guest
First aired: 2018-02-18

Trending news, pop culture, social media, original videos and more come together in host Joel...

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Full Frontal

as uncredited
First aired: 1993-05-13

Full Frontal was an Australian sketch comedy series which debuted in 1993. The show first aired...

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Stop Laughing... this is serious

as Self - Narrator (voice)
First aired: 2015-03-25

Documentary series charting a course through the story of Australian comedy, featuring...

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