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IMDbPro

Eric Bana

  • Actor
  • Writer
  • Producer
IMDbProStarmeter
Top 5,00022
Eric Bana
When Federal Agent Aaron Falk returns to his home town after an absence of over twenty years to attend the funeral of his childhood friend, Luke, who allegedly killed his wife and child before taking his own life – a victim of the madness that has ravaged this community after more than a decade of drought. When Falk reluctantly agrees to stay and investigate the crime, he opens up an old wound – the death of 17- year-old Ellie Deacon. Falk begins to suspect these two crimes, separated by decades, are connected. As he struggles to prove not only Luke’s innocence but also his own, Falk finds himself pitted against the prejudice towards him and and pent-up rage of a terrified community.
Play trailer2:06
The Dry (2020)
78 Videos
99+ Photos
Eric Bana was born Eric Banadinovic on August 9, 1968, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. He is the younger of two brothers. His father, named Ivan Banadinovic, came from Zagreb, Croatia, and worked as a manager for Caterpillar Inc. His mother, named Eleanor Banadinovic, came from a German family and was a hairdresser.

Young Bana grew up in suburban Melbourne. He was popular among his schoolmates for his talent of making comic impressions of his teachers. At that time, he was fond of Mel Gibson in Mad Max (1979) and also decided to become an actor. He moved to Sydney and worked odd jobs to support himself. In 1991, he began a career as a stand-up comedian, while working as a barman at Melbourne's Castle Hotel. In 1993, Bana made his television debut on Steve Vizard's Tonight Live with Steve Vizard (1990) talk show, then joined the Full Frontal (1993) TV-series. He gained popularity for making impressions of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Tom Cruse and "Columbo". In 1996, he started his own show titled Eric (1997), then launched a comedy series titled The Eric Bana Show Live (1997). The show was canceled for the lack of substantial audience. However, in 1997, Bana received the Logie Award for "Most Popular Comedian" for his work on The Eric Bana Show Live (1997).

He made his film debut in The Castle (1997), in a supporting comic role. That same year, he was cast to portray Mark "Chopper" Read, the notorious Australian underworld figure. For the role, Bana gained 30 pounds, by eating junk food; he also spent a few days with Read in prison, in order to perfect his mimicry. Bana completely transformed himself into a bald, plump, disturbed criminal. He would arrive on the film set at four in the morning, spending several hours in makeup, being tattooed exactly like Read. Chopper (2000) became an international success and won three Australian Film Institute Awards. Bana won the Best Actor at the 2000 Stockholm Film Festival and also the AFI 2000 Best Actor Award. Then he co-starred in Black Hawk Down (2001), then starred in Hulk (2003). In 2002, he was cast as the Trojan Prince Hector in the historical epic Troy (2004), after being recommended by Brad Pitt, who admired Bana for his work in Chopper (2000). In 2005, Bana co-starred with Daniel Craig and Geoffrey Rush in the political drama Munich (2005) directed by Steven Spielberg.

In 1995, he began dating Rebecca Gleeson, a publicist and daughter of Australian High Court Chief Justice Murray Gleeson. The following year, he was named "Bachelor of the Year" by Cleo magazine, and won a trip for two to the United States. He invited Gleeson, and proposed to her during that romantic trip. In 1997, the two were married; their son, Klaus, was born in 1999, their daughter, Sophia, was born in 2002. He currently resides in Melbourne with his wife and their two children. Bana is a passionate supporter of Australian football. He was appointed Member of the Order of Australia at the 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours for his services to the performing arts and to charitable organisations.
BornAugust 9, 1968
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
BornAugust 9, 1968
IMDbProStarmeter
Top 5,00022
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
  • Awards

Photos399

Eric Bana in Troy (2004)
Eric Bana, Justin Peroff, Rachel McAdams, Kevin Drew, Broken Social Scene, Brendan Canning, and Andrew Whiteman in The Time Traveler's Wife (2009)
Eric Bana in Star Trek (2009)
Natalie Portman and Eric Bana in The Other Boleyn Girl (2008)
Eric Bana and Mathieu Kassovitz in Munich (2005)
Brad Pitt and Eric Bana in Troy (2004)
Eric Bana and Tyler Mane in Troy (2004)
Eric Bana in Blueback (2022)
Eric Bana in Blueback (2022)
Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams in The Time Traveler's Wife (2009)
Brad Pitt and Eric Bana in Troy (2004)
Eric Bana in Dirty John (2018)

Known for

Christian Slater and Amanda Peet in Dirty John (2018)
Dirty John
7.2
TV Series
  • John Meehan
Eric Bana in Munich (2005)
Munich
7.5
  • Avner
  • 2005
Brad Pitt, Sean Bean, Saffron Burrows, Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom, Rose Byrne, Diane Kruger, and Garrett Hedlund in Troy (2004)
Troy
7.3
  • Hector
  • 2004
Chopper (2000)
Chopper
7.1
  • Chopper
  • 2000

Credits

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IMDbPro

Actor

  • Berlin Nobody
    • Post-production
  • Force of Nature
    • Post-production
  • Blueback (2022)
    Blueback
  • Andy Samberg and John Mulaney in Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers (2022)
    Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers
    • (voice)
  • Guy Pearce, Isla Fisher, Tim Minchin, Angus Imrie, and Miranda Tapsell in Back to the Outback (2021)
    Back to the Outback
    • (voice)
  • Eric Bana in The Orchard (2021)
    The Orchard
    • (voice)
  • Eric Bana in The Dry (2020)
    The Dry
  • Christian Slater and Amanda Peet in Dirty John (2018)
    Dirty John
  • Forest Whitaker, Eric Bana, and Jeff Gum in The Forgiven (2017)
    The Forgiven
  • Charlie Hunnam in King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)
    King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
  • Eric Bana, Rooney Mara, Jack Reynor, and Theo James in The Secret Scripture (2016)
    The Secret Scripture
  • Eric Bana and Ricky Gervais in Special Correspondents (2016)
    Special Correspondents
  • Casey Affleck, Ben Foster, Eric Bana, Holliday Grainger, and Chris Pine in The Finest Hours (2016)
    The Finest Hours
  • Sean Harris and Olivia Horton in Deliver Us from Evil (2014)
    Deliver Us from Evil
  • Chantoozies: Baby It's You (2014)
    Chantoozies: Baby It's You
  • Mark Wahlberg in Lone Survivor (2013)
    Lone Survivor
  • Closed Circuit (2013)
    Closed Circuit

Writer

  • Eric Bana and Belinda Carlisle in The Eric Bana Show Live (1997)
    The Eric Bana Show Live
  • Eric (1997)
    Eric
  • Eric Bana in Eric (1996)
    Eric
  • Full Frontal (1993)
    Full Frontal

Producer

  • Force of Nature
    • Post-production
  • Eric Bana in The Dry (2020)
    The Dry
  • Christian Slater and Amanda Peet in Dirty John (2018)
    Dirty John
  • Ed Oxenbould, Nicholas Bakopoulos-Cooke, Julian Dennison, and Ena Imai in Paper Planes (2014)
    Paper Planes
  • Eric Bana in Love the Beast (2009)
    Love the Beast
  • Romulus, My Father (2007)
    Romulus, My Father
  • Eric (1997)
    Eric
  • Eric Bana in Eric (1996)
    Eric
  • In-development projects at IMDbPro

Videos78

Hanna
Clip 1:00
Hanna
Star Trek: "Kirk Meets McCoy"
Clip 0:44
Star Trek: "Kirk Meets McCoy"
The Time Traveler's Wife
Clip 1:12
The Time Traveler's Wife
The Time Traveler's Wife
Clip 1:26
The Time Traveler's Wife
The Time Traveler's Wife
Clip 1:00
The Time Traveler's Wife
The Time Traveler's Wife
Clip 1:06
The Time Traveler's Wife
The Other Boleyn Girl
Clip 0:49
The Other Boleyn Girl
The Other Boleyn Girl
Clip 1:11
The Other Boleyn Girl
The Other Boleyn Girl
Clip 0:35
The Other Boleyn Girl
The Other Boleyn Girl
Clip 1:12
The Other Boleyn Girl
The Other Boleyn Girl
Clip 1:53
The Other Boleyn Girl
The Other Boleyn Girl
Clip 0:38
The Other Boleyn Girl

Personal details

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    • August 9, 1968
    • Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
    • Rebecca GleesonAugust 2, 1997 - present (2 children)
    • (Sibling)
  • Publicity listings
    • 8 Interviews
    • 14 Articles
    • 2 Pictorials
    • 26 Magazine Cover Photos

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    Brad Pitt personally requested Bana for the role of Prince Hector in Troy (2004) because he was a huge fan of Chopper (2000).
  • Quotes
    I wanted to be a mechanic. When I was 14, I wanted to quit school and go work on my car. But my dad said, "Son, you shouldn't do that. You should stay in school until your education is finished, and when you're done, don't make your hobby your job.".
    • Raspy deep-throated voice

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