Jonathan Ray Banks (born January 31, 1947) is an American actor. Born in
Washington, D.C. and raised in
Chillum Heights,
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; ...
, while attending
Indiana University Bloomington
Indiana University Bloomington (IU Bloomington, Indiana University, IU, or simply Indiana) is a public research university in Bloomington, Indiana. It is the flagship campus of Indiana University and, with over 40,000 students, its largest camp ...
Banks did theatre. In 1974, he moved to Los Angeles where he began playing supporting roles in films and television. His breakthrough came with the role of detective Frank McPike in the television series ''
Wiseguy'' (1987–1990). For his role at the
Emmy Awards
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
he was nominated for "
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series".
From there on, Banks continued acting in films and television. In 2009 Banks received critical acclaim for his role as
hitman
Contract killing is a form of murder or assassination in which one party hires another party to kill a targeted person or persons. It involves an illegal agreement which includes some form of payment, monetary or otherwise. Either party may b ...
and
cleaner
A cleaner or a cleaning operative is a type of industrial or domestic worker who cleans homes or commercial premises for payment. Cleaning operatives may specialise in cleaning particular things or places, such as window cleaners. Cleaning op ...
Mike Ehrmantraut
Michael Ehrmantraut () is a fictional character in ''Breaking Bad'' and its spinoff prequel ''Better Call Saul'', portrayed by Jonathan Banks. Mike is a former Philadelphia police officer who works for Gus Fring—and, on occasion, Saul Goodma ...
in the television series ''
Breaking Bad
''Breaking Bad'' is an American crime drama television series created and produced by Vince Gilligan. Set and filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the series follows Walter White ( Bryan Cranston), an underpaid, overqualified, and dispirited ...
'' (2009–2012), its
spin-off
Spin-off may refer to:
*Spin-off (media), a media work derived from an existing work
*Corporate spin-off, a type of corporate action that forms a new company or entity
* Government spin-off, civilian goods which are the result of military or gove ...
series ''
Better Call Saul
''Better Call Saul'' is an American crime and legal drama television series created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould. Part of the ''Breaking Bad'' franchise, it is a spin-off of Gilligan's previous series, '' Breaking Bad'', and serves as a ...
'' (2015–2022), and its sequel film, ''
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie'' (2019). For this role, he has received Primetime Emmy Award nominations for
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (2013, 2015–2017, 2019) for his work on all three series, making him the only actor with nominations as a main cast member for three shows in this category, two of which feature him as the same character.
Since his beginnings, Banks appeared in a wide range of project. His film projects include
Sidney Poitier
Sidney Poitier ( ; February 20, 1927 – January 6, 2022) was an American actor, film director, and diplomat. In 1964, he was the first black actor and first Bahamian to win the Academy Award for Best Actor. He received two competitive Go ...
's
''Stir Crazy'' (1980),
Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker
Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker (abbreviated to ZAZ) were an American comedy filmmaking trio consisting of Jim Abrahams and brothers David and Jerry Zucker who specialized in writing slapstick comedy films during the 1980s.
History
David Zucker, ...
's ''
Airplane!
''Airplane!'' (alternatively titled ''Flying High!'') is a 1980 American parody film written and directed by the brothers David Zucker, David and Jerry Zucker, and Jim Abrahams in their directorial debuts, and produced by Jon Davison (film prod ...
'' (1980),
Walter Hill
Walter may refer to:
People
* Walter (name), both a surname and a given name
* Little Walter, American blues harmonica player Marion Walter Jacobs (1930–1968)
* Gunther (wrestler), Austrian professional wrestler and trainer Walter Hahn (born 1 ...
's ''
48 Hrs.
''48 Hrs.'' (pronounced 'forty-eight hours') is a 1982 American buddy cop action-comedy film directed by Walter Hill, who co-wrote the film with Larry Gross, Steven E. de Souza and Roger Spottiswoode. It stars Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy, the ...
'' (1982),
Martin Brest
Martin Brest (born August 8, 1951) is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer.
Education
Brest was born in the Bronx, New York, and graduated from Stuyvesant High School in 1969, from New York University's School of the Arts in ...
's ''
Beverly Hills Cop'' (1984),
Geoff Murphy's ''
Freejack'' (1991),
Simon Wincer
Simon may refer to:
People
* Simon (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name Simon
* Simon (surname), including a list of people with the surname Simon
* Eugène Simon, French naturalist and the genus ...
's ''
Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles
''Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles'' (also known as ''Crocodile Dundee III'') is a 2001 action comedy film directed by Simon Wincer and starring Paul Hogan. It is the sequel to '' Crocodile Dundee II'' (1988) and the third and final film of t ...
'' (2001),
Mike Binder's ''
Reign Over Me'' (2007),
Dee Rees's ''
Mudbound'' (2017), and
Jaume Collet-Serra's
''The Commuter'' (2018). He also had appearances on television in ''
The Gangster Chronicles'' (1981), ''
Otherworld
The concept of an otherworld in historical Indo-European religion is reconstructed in comparative mythology. Its name is a calque of ''orbis alius'' (Latin for "other Earth/world"), a term used by Lucan in his description of the Celtic Otherwor ...
'' (1985), ''
Highlander: The Series'' (1994), ''
Walker, Texas Ranger
''Walker, Texas Ranger'' is an American action crime television series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis. It was inspired by the film ''Lone Wolf McQuade'', with both this series and that film starring Chuck Norris as a member of the T ...
'' (1994),
''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'' (2004),
''Without a Trace'' (2006), and ''
Community
A community is a social unit (a group of living things) with commonality such as place, norms, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given geographical area (e.g. a country, villag ...
'' (2014). He has also been a voice actor, including in video games.
Early life and education
On January 31, 1947, Jonathan Ray Banks was born in
Washington, D.C. grew up in
Chillum Heights,
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; ...
. His father was a civil servant father and his mother a professor at Indiana State University.
Banks said his late mother was a secretary in various federal government offices including the
CIA
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...
and that she was also a private secretary to several top Naval officers, including Admiral
Chester Nimitz
Chester William Nimitz (; February 24, 1885 – February 20, 1966) was a fleet admiral in the United States Navy. He played a major role in the naval history of World War II as Commander in Chief, US Pacific Fleet, and Commander in ...
.
Banks graduated from
Northwood High School in
Silver Spring, and attended
Indiana University Bloomington
Indiana University Bloomington (IU Bloomington, Indiana University, IU, or simply Indiana) is a public research university in Bloomington, Indiana. It is the flagship campus of Indiana University and, with over 40,000 students, its largest camp ...
, where he was a classmate of actor
Kevin Kline
Kevin Delaney Kline (born October 24, 1947) is an American actor. He is the recipient of an Academy Award and three Tony Awards. In addition, he has received nominations for two British Academy Film Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and five ...
. During that time, they participated in a production of ''
The Threepenny Opera
''The Threepenny Opera'' ( ) is a " play with music" by Bertolt Brecht, adapted from a translation by Elisabeth Hauptmann of John Gay's 18th-century English ballad opera, ''The Beggar's Opera'', and four ballads by François Villon, with music ...
'' together.
After graduating, he joined a touring company of ''
Hair'' as a stage manager, and traveled to Australia and New Zealand.
Career
1974–1990: Early work and recognition
In 1974, Banks moved to Los Angeles, where he worked in theater before picking up bit parts.
Also in 1974, Banks acted in the
public service announcement
A public service announcement (PSA) is a message in the public interest disseminated by the media without charge to raise public awareness and change behavior. In the UK, they are generally called a public information film (PIF); in Hong Kong, ...
(PSA) ''Linda's Film on Menstruation.''
His early film appearances include ''
Who'll Stop the Rain'' (1978),' ''
The Cheap Detective'' (1978),
''Coming Home'' (1978), and ''
The Rose
A rose is a perennial plant of the genus ''Rosa'', or the flower it bears.
Rose may also refer to:
Colors
* Rose (color)
** RAL 3017 Rose
* Rose (heraldic tincture)
Arts, entertainment and media Film
* ''Rose'' (2011 film), a Polish film ...
'' (1979).
During the late 1970s and early 1980s, he appeared in television films such as ''The Girl in the Empty Grave'' (1977), ''
Alexander: The Other Side of Dawn'', ''The Ordeal of Patty Hearst'' (1979), ''
She's Dressed to Kill
''She's Dressed to Kill'' is a 1979 American television slasher film directed by Gus Trikonis and starring Jessica Walter, John Rubinstein, Connie Sellecca, Jim McMullan, Clive Revill, and Gretchen Corbett. Its plot follows a fashion design ...
'' (1979), ''Rage'' (1980), ''Desperate Voyage'' (1980).
From 1980 to 1990, Banks acted in the films
''Stir Crazy'' (1980), ''
Airplane!
''Airplane!'' (alternatively titled ''Flying High!'') is a 1980 American parody film written and directed by the brothers David Zucker, David and Jerry Zucker, and Jim Abrahams in their directorial debuts, and produced by Jon Davison (film prod ...
'' (1980), ''
48 Hrs.
''48 Hrs.'' (pronounced 'forty-eight hours') is a 1982 American buddy cop action-comedy film directed by Walter Hill, who co-wrote the film with Larry Gross, Steven E. de Souza and Roger Spottiswoode. It stars Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy, the ...
'' (1982),
''Frances'' (1982), ''
Beverly Hills Cop'' (1984), ''
Gremlins
''Gremlins'' is a 1984 American black comedy horror film directed by Joe Dante, written by Chris Columbus, and starring Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton, Polly Holliday, and Frances Lee McCain, with Howie Mandel providing the voice ...
'' (1984), ''
Buckaroo Banzai
''The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension'', often shortened to ''Buckaroo Banzai'', is a 1984 American science fiction film produced and directed by W. D. Richter and written by Earl Mac Rauch. It stars Peter Weller in the tit ...
'' (1984), ''
Armed and Dangerous'' (1986), ''
Cold Steel'' (1987), and ''
Honeymoon Academy'' (1990).
His television-roles of the 1980s include the
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters ...
series ''
the Gangster Chronicles'' (1981), where he played
Dutch Schultz
Dutch Schultz (born Arthur Simon Flegenheimer; August 6, 1901October 24, 1935) was an American mobster. Based in New York City in the 1920s and 1930s, he made his fortune in organized crime-related activities, including bootlegging and the ...
, and the short-lived
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imagination, imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, Paral ...
series ''
Otherworld
The concept of an otherworld in historical Indo-European religion is reconstructed in comparative mythology. Its name is a calque of ''orbis alius'' (Latin for "other Earth/world"), a term used by Lucan in his description of the Celtic Otherwor ...
'' (1985), where he portrayed the main antagonist.
Banks achieved a career breakthrough with the role of Frank McPike in the television series ''
Wiseguy'', which he starred in from 1987 to 1990. His performance led to a
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...
nomination, for "
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series". Although his character was primarily the hero's mentor and superior officer, stories occasionally featured McPike as hero.
1991–2008: Subsequent roles
Banks' films in the 1990s include ''
Freejack'' (1991), ''
Boiling Point'' (1993), ''
Under Siege 2: Dark Territory'' (1995),
''Flipper'' (1996), ''Dark Breed'' (1996),
''Last Man Standing'' (1996), ''A Thousand Men and a Baby'' (1997), ''
Melanie Darrow
Melanie Darrow is a 1997 American television film directed by Gary Nelson and starring Delta Burke, Brian Bloom and Christopher Birt.
Plot
A lawyer takes on the case of a man accused of murdering his wealthy wife.
Cast
* Delta Burke as Melanie ...
'' (1997),
''Harvey'' (1999), ''Millennium Man'' (1999), ''
Foolish'' (1999), ''
Let the Devil Wear Black'' (1999), ''Thrash'' (1999)'','' and ''Outlaw Justice'' (1999).
He also acted in television films such as ''Body Shot'' (1993) and ''Shadow of Obsession'' (1995).
In 1994, Banks had guest appearances in the television shows
''Matlock'', ''
Highlander: The Series'', ''
Walker, Texas Ranger
''Walker, Texas Ranger'' is an American action crime television series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis. It was inspired by the film ''Lone Wolf McQuade'', with both this series and that film starring Chuck Norris as a member of the T ...
,'' and
''Tales from the Crypt''.
In 1996, Banks reprised the role of Frank McPike in the television film
''Wiseguy''.
His films in the 2000s include ''
Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles
''Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles'' (also known as ''Crocodile Dundee III'') is a 2001 action comedy film directed by Simon Wincer and starring Paul Hogan. It is the sequel to '' Crocodile Dundee II'' (1988) and the third and final film of t ...
'' (2001), ''Face to Face'' (2001), ''Downward Angel'' (2001),
''Dark Blue'' (2003), ''
Jam'' (2007), ''
Reign Over Me'' (2007), and ''
Proud American
''Proud American'' is a 2008 biographical drama film released by Slowhand Cinema, in both conventional 35mm, and IMAX format. It features five stories that intend to capture the essence of the American spirit, two of them chronicling the foundin ...
'' (2008).
In 2004, he acted in one episode of
''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation''.
In 2006, he acted in one episodes of
''Without a Trace''.
According to voice actor
Nolan North
Nolan North (born October 31, 1970) is an American actor best known for his voice acting roles.
After his breakthrough role as Dr. Chris Ramsey on the ABC soap opera '' Port Charles'' in 1997, North moved into voice acting when the show ended ...
, Banks was originally considered to play the role of Zoran Lazaravić in the 2009 video game ''
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves'', but the role went to
Graham McTavish
Graham McTavish (born 4 January 1961) is a Scottish actor and author. He is known for his roles as Dwalin in ''The Hobbit'' film trilogy, Vlad Dracula Țepeș in the Netflix animated franchise ''Castlevania'', Loki in various Marvel animated pr ...
.
2009–present: ''Breaking Bad'', ''Better Call Saul'', and other work
In 2009, Banks began starring as
Mike Ehrmantraut
Michael Ehrmantraut () is a fictional character in ''Breaking Bad'' and its spinoff prequel ''Better Call Saul'', portrayed by Jonathan Banks. Mike is a former Philadelphia police officer who works for Gus Fring—and, on occasion, Saul Goodma ...
in the
second season of ''
Breaking Bad
''Breaking Bad'' is an American crime drama television series created and produced by Vince Gilligan. Set and filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the series follows Walter White ( Bryan Cranston), an underpaid, overqualified, and dispirited ...
''. He became a series regular for the
third
Third or 3rd may refer to:
Numbers
* 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3
* , a fraction of one third
* 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute''
Places
* 3rd Street (disambiguation)
* Third Avenue (disambiguation)
* Hi ...
,
fourth, and
fifth seasons. For his performance, he received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series at the 2013 ceremony. In 2015, he reprised his role as Mike Ehrmantraut as a member of the main cast in the ''Breaking Bad'' spinoff ''
Better Call Saul
''Better Call Saul'' is an American crime and legal drama television series created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould. Part of the ''Breaking Bad'' franchise, it is a spin-off of Gilligan's previous series, '' Breaking Bad'', and serves as a ...
.'' At the Emmy Awards, he was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series at their 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2019 ceremonies.
His films in the 2010s include ''
Identity Thief'' (2013), ''Bullet'' (2014), ''
Horrible Bosses 2'' (2014), ''
Term Life
''Term Life'' is a 2016 American action drama film based on the graphic novel of the same name. It is directed by Peter Billingsley from a screenplay by A.J. Lieberman. The film stars Vince Vaughn, who also produces the film, Hailee Steinfeld ...
'' (2016),
''The Commuter'' (2018), and ''
Incredibles 2
''Incredibles 2'' is a 2018 American computer-animated superhero film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Written and directed by Brad Bird, it is the sequel to ''The Incredibles'' (2004) and the second fu ...
'' (2018).
Banks had a recurring role as Buzz Hickey in the
fifth season of the
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters ...
sitcom ''
Community
A community is a social unit (a group of living things) with commonality such as place, norms, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given geographical area (e.g. a country, villag ...
''.
In 2015, he voiced
James Gordon in the video game ''
Batman: Arkham Knight,'' and was a guest on the ''
MythBusters
''MythBusters'' is a science entertainment television program, developed by Peter Rees and produced by Australia's Beyond Television Productions. The series premiered on the Discovery Channel on January 23, 2003. It was broadcast internation ...
'' episode "Supernatural Shooters".
Banks portrayed the main antagonist in the 2017 film
''Mudbound''. With his costars, he was nominated for
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture at the
Screen Actors Guild Awards
Screen Actors Guild Awards (also known as SAG Awards) are accolades given by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). The award was founded in 1952 to recognize outstanding performances in movie and ...
.
In 2020, Banks joined the cast of the
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
animated series ''
F Is for Family'' in its fourth season as Bill Murphy, father of the main character.
Personal life
Banks married his first wife, Marnie Fausch, in 1968. They had one daughter before divorcing in 1970. Banks married his second wife, Gennera Gonzalez Cebian, in 1990. They had
fraternal twins
Twins are two offspring produced by the same pregnancy.MedicineNet > Definition of TwinLast Editorial Review: 19 June 2000 Twins can be either ''monozygotic'' ('identical'), meaning that they develop from one zygote, which splits and forms two em ...
, and Banks has a stepdaughter from this marriage.
Banks was awarded an honorary doctoral degree from
Indiana University
Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana.
Campuses
Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI.
* Indiana Univers ...
in April 2016.
Banks's home was destroyed in the 2018
Woolsey Fire
The Woolsey Fire was a wildfire that burned in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties of the U.S. state of California. The fire ignited on November 8, 2018, and burned of land. The fire destroyed 1,643 structures, killed three people, and prompted th ...
.
Filmography
Awards and nominations
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Banks, Jonathan
1947 births
Living people
American male film actors
American male television actors
Male actors from Washington, D.C.
20th-century American male actors
21st-century American male actors
American male voice actors
People from Silver Spring, Maryland