Jonathan Banks facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jonathan Banks
|
|
|---|---|
Banks at the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con
|
|
| Born |
Jonathan Ray Banks
January 31, 1947 Washington, D.C., U.S.
|
| Alma mater | Indiana University Bloomington |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1974–present |
| Spouse(s) |
|
| Children | 3 |
Jonathan Ray Banks (born January 31, 1947) is an American actor. He is well-known for playing tough and serious characters. His big break came when he played FBI Special Agent Frank McPike in the TV show Wiseguy (1987–1990). For this role, he was nominated for a top acting award.
Banks became even more famous for his role as Mike Ehrmantraut in the TV series Breaking Bad (2009–2013). Mike is a character who solves problems and sometimes works as a hitman. Jonathan Banks played Mike again as a main character in the spin-off show Better Call Saul (2015–2022) and the movie El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019). He received many nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for playing Mike.
Jonathan Banks has also appeared in many movies like The Rose (1979), Airplane! (1980), Beverly Hills Cop (1984), and Identity Thief (2013). He was also in the TV show Community (2014) and voiced Commissioner Jim Gordon in the video game Batman: Arkham Knight (2015).
Contents
Jonathan Banks: Early Life and Education
Jonathan Ray Banks was born on January 31, 1947, in Washington, D.C.. He grew up in Chillum Heights, Maryland. His father worked for the government, and his mother was a professor at Indiana State University. Banks shared that his mother also worked as a secretary for different government offices, including the CIA. She was also a private secretary for important Navy officers.
Banks went to Northwood High School in Silver Spring. Later, he studied at Indiana University Bloomington. There, he was classmates with actor Kevin Kline. They even acted together in a play called The Threepenny Opera. Banks also acted in "The Devil's Disciple," which he says changed his life. After college, he worked as a stage manager for a touring musical called Hair. This job took him to Australia and New Zealand.
Jonathan Banks' Acting Career
Starting His Acting Journey (1974–1990)
In 1974, Jonathan Banks moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting. He started by working in theater and then got small roles in movies. One of his first appearances was in a public service announcement (PSA) about menstruation. He had supporting roles in films like Who'll Stop the Rain (1978) and The Rose (1979). He also appeared in TV movies during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Banks acted in comedies like Stir Crazy (1980) with Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder. He was also in Airplane! (1980) and 48 Hrs. (1982). Other films from this time include Beverly Hills Cop (1984) and Gremlins (1984). On TV, he played Dutch Schultz in the Gangster Chronicles (1981).
His career really took off when he played Frank McPike in the TV series Wiseguy from 1987 to 1990. His performance earned him a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award for "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series". His character, McPike, was often the hero's mentor, but sometimes he became the main focus of the story.
More Roles and Breaking Bad (1991–2012)
In the 1990s, Banks continued to act in many films. These included Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (1995) and Flipper (1996). He also made guest appearances on popular TV shows like Matlock and Walker, Texas Ranger in 1994. In 1996, he played Frank McPike again in a Wiseguy TV movie.
In the 2000s, Banks appeared in films such as Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles (2001) and Dark Blue (2003). He also had roles in TV shows like CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2004) and Dexter (2007).
A major turning point came in 2009 when he joined the cast of Breaking Bad. He played Mike Ehrmantraut, a character who quickly became a fan favorite. Banks became a regular cast member for the show's later seasons. His performance as Mike earned him another Primetime Emmy Award nomination in 2013.
After Breaking Bad, Banks appeared in movies like Identity Thief (2013) and Horrible Bosses 2 (2014). He also had a recurring role as Buzz Hickey in the fifth season of the sitcom Community.
Better Call Saul and Beyond (2015–2022)
In 2015, Jonathan Banks returned to his famous role as Mike Ehrmantraut in Better Call Saul. This show is a spin-off from Breaking Bad and takes place before the events of that series. Better Call Saul allowed viewers to learn much more about Mike's past. Banks appeared in almost all of the show's episodes.
For his work on Better Call Saul, he received four more Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. This made him the only actor to be nominated as a main cast member for three different shows in this category, with two of those nominations being for the same character (Mike Ehrmantraut).
In 2015, he also voiced James Gordon in the video game Batman: Arkham Knight. He continued to act in films like The Commuter (2018) and lent his voice to Incredibles 2 (2018). In 2017, Banks played a main bad guy in the film Mudbound. He and his co-stars were nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for their performance. In 2020, Banks joined the voice cast of the animated series F Is for Family.
Jonathan Banks' Life Off-Screen
Jonathan Banks married his first wife, Marnie Fausch, in 1968. They had one daughter and later divorced in 1970. In 1990, Banks married his second wife, Gennera Gonzalez Cebian. They have two children together, and Banks also has a stepdaughter from this marriage.
In April 2016, Jonathan Banks received an honorary doctoral degree from Indiana University. This is a special award given to people who have achieved great things.
Sadly, Banks' home was destroyed in the 2018 Woolsey Fire, a large wildfire in California.
Images for kids
-
Banks at the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con
-
Banks in 1995
See also
In Spanish: Jonathan Banks para niños
