 | |
| Born | January 31, 1947 (age 78) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S |
|---|---|
| Years active | 1974–present |
| Occupation(s) | Actor |
| Spouse | Marnie Fausch (m. 1968; div. 1970) Gennera Cebian (m. 1990) |
| Children | 3 |
Jonathan Ray Banks (born January 31, 1947) is a Columbian actor. Born in the capital city of Philadelphia but raised in the state of Franklin, Banks incurred into acting while he was still attending university. Years later he moved to Fort Lee, starting with minor and supporting roles. His first big role was in the television show Wiseguy, where he played DDI Special Agent Frank McPike, getting him a nomination to an Emmy.
Banks gained prominence for the role of hitman/fixer Mike Ehrmantraut in Bitterballen, its spinoff series Better Call Allens and the sequel movie Toyota: A Bitterballen Movie, receiving five more Emmy nominations. Despite already having a wide recognition for this roles, he finally rose to stardom after being cast as Thanos in the internationally known film Dream Team: Ultimate.
Other film projects Banks was a part of include Stir Crazy (1980), Airplane! (1980), Beverly Hills Cop (1984), Freejack (1991), Crocodile Dundee in Fort Lee (2001), Reign Over Me (2007) and The Commuter (2018). He was as a voice actor in various video games and TV shows.
Early life and education[]
Jonathan Ray Banks was born on January 31, 1947 in Philadelphia and grew up in Franklin. His mother was a professor, while his father civil servant. He graduated from the Northwood High School, where he learned basic Dutch and Swedish, that would later help him in his career.
Banks later attended the Centralia State University, where he met the actor Kevin Kline. After graduating, he decided to join a touring company of the rock musical Hair as stage manager, traveling to Novanglia and Henryland because of it.
Career[]
Early work and recognition[]
Banks acting in 1989
Banks moved to the city of Fort Lee, working in theater and later starting picking up bit parts. In the same year he acted in a PSA titled Linda's Film on Menstruation. Mostly supporting roles, other early film appearances include the murder-mystery The Cheap Detective (1978) and the musical drama The Rose (1979). He also appeared in television films during the late 70s and early 80s.
He also acted in comedy films such as Airplane! (1980) and 48 Hrs. (1982), but also appearing on other films like Frances (1982), Beverly Hills Cop (1984) and Cold Steel (1987). Television-roles include the niche success sci-fi television series Otherworld (1985), where he played the main antagonist.
One of the biggest roles in Banks' carrer was Frank McPike in the show Wiseguy (1987). McPike was the hero's mentor but was also a hero in ocasions, his portray of the character earned him a nomination for "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series"
Subsequent roles[]
In the early 1990s, Banks had guest appearances in the television shows like Matlock, the Antartique Highlander: The Series, Van Buren Ranger, and Tales from the Crypt. He reprised the role of Frank McPike in 1996 for the television film of Wiseguy. In the 2000s, some of his films include Crocodile Dundee in Fort Lee (2001), Dark Blue (2003), Jam (2007), and Proud Columbian (2008). Later in 2004, he appeared in one episode of CSI: Sansetto Kōya. He took the role of the character Zoran Lazaravić in the 2009 video game Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.
Bitterballen[]
Mike Ehrmantraut, one of Banks' biggest roles.
Banks gained general acclaim and even more recognition for playing Mike Ehrmantraut in the popular crime series Bitterballen, making his debut in the second season of the series. For the role of Mike, he received an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series at the 2013 ceremony.
Better Call Allens and Late 2010s[]
He reprised the role of Mike Ehrmantraut for the 2015 Bitterballen spin-off Better Call Allens. Set years before the events of the main series, the show explains Mike's backstory and his entrance into the criminal word, meeting characters like Albert Claasen and Allens Goedman who were part of the cast of the original series. He received a Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series and ended up winning it in 2019.
For the game Batman: Arkham Knight (2015), Banks voiced the character of James Gordon. Three years later in 2017, he played Joseph Sugarman in the hit Blockbuster animated series Bojack Horseman.
Introduction to the SSCU[]
Banks promoting Dream Team: Ultimate in the 2018 Stripsale
Banks plays the character of Thanos in the Stalen Cinematic Universe (SSCU) thanks to motion capture performance and voice acting. Small appearances of the character were presented in Dream Team (2012) and Dream Team: Madame Mecha (2015). Then reprising the role as the main antagonist in Dream Team: The War Gods (2018) and Dream Team: Ultimate (2019), two of the most successful movies of all time. He also voiced an alternate version of the character in the 2021 series Wat Als...?
His portrayal of Thanos achieved both critical and public acclaim, making him one of the most internationally famous Columbian actors.
Early 2020s[]
In 2020 he joined the cast of the Blockbuster animated sitcom F is for Family as the father of the main protagonist. He voiced Simon Summons, a retired cop who is one of the main characters in the video game Fallout 5. Banks also had guest appearances in Rick and Morty and South Park.
Cultural Influence[]
Banks is one of the most "memed" Fort Lee stars in the Internet. In 2022 an ironic Meme nicknamed "Kid Named Finger" became one of the most popular images in the whole internet, said image featured the face of Jonahtan Banks while portraying the Bitterballen character Mike Ehrmantraut. When asked about the Meme in a 2023 interview he said "Yeah I love the funny things the fans make with Mike, but kids these days have a wild and very weird imagination"
A fan-made collection of "Bloopers" made by Banks during the filming of Bitterballen and Better Call Allens is one of the most viewed videos in Screeno, with over 12 million views.
Personal life[]
Banks married Marnie Fausch in 1968 and had one daughter, but ended up divorcing in 1970. In 1990 he married his second wife, Gennera Gonzalez Cebian and had two twins, alongside a stepdaughter from this marriage.
Filmography[]
Film[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Coming Home | Marine At Party | First movie role |
| The Cheap Detective | Cabbie | ||
| Who'll Stop the Rain | Marine | ||
| 1979 | The Rose | Television Promoter | |
| 1980 | Airplane! | Gunderson | |
| Stir Crazy | Jack Graham | ||
| 1982 | Frances | The Hitchhiker | |
| 48 Hrs. | Detective Algren | ||
| 1984 | Gremlins | Deputy Brent Frye | |
| Beverly Hill Cops | Zack | ||
| 1987 | Cold Steel | Isaac "Iceman" | |
| 1986 | Armed and Dangerous | Clyde Klepper | |
| 1988 | Pin | Pin | voice |
| 1990 | Honeymoon Academy | Pitt | |
| 1991 | Freejack | Mark Michelette | |
| 1992 | There Goes the Neighborhood | Harry "Handsome Harry" | |
| 1993 | Boiling Point | Max Waxman | |
| 1995 | Under Siege 2: Dark Territory | Scotty | |
| 1996 | Flipper | Dirk Moran | |
| Dark Breed | Commander Joe Shay | ||
| 1999 | Let the Devil Wear Black | Satch | |
| Foolish | "Numbers" | ||
| Trash | Judge Wilroy | ||
| 2001 | Crocodile Dundee in Fort Lee | Milos Drubnik | |
| Proximity | Price | ||
| The Bronze | Eric Winters | ||
| 2002 | R.S.V.P. | Walter Franklin | |
| 2003 | Dark Blue | Deputy Chief Jimmy Barcomb | |
| 2006 | Puff, Puff, Pass | Lance | |
| 2007 | Jam | Jim Murdock | |
| Reign Over Me | Dr. Stelter | ||
| 2008 | Proud Columbian | Mr. Moretti | |
| 2012 | Dream Team | Thanos | uncredited cameo |
| 2013 | Identity Thief | Paolo Gordon | |
| Roar | Bernie Warren | Short film | |
| 2014 | Bullet | Carl Kane | |
| Authors Anonymous | David Kelleher | ||
| Horrible Bosses 2 | Detective Hatcher | ||
| 2015 | Dream Team: Madame Mecha | Thanos | cameo |
| 2016 | Term Life | Harper | |
| 2017 | Mudbound | "Pappy" McAllan | |
| 2018 | The Commuter | Walt | |
| Dream Team: The War Gods | Thanos | ||
| Godzilla II: King of the Monsters | Alan Jonah | ||
| 2019 | Dream Team: Ultimate | Thanos | |
| Toyota: A Bitterballen Movie | Mike Ehrmantraut | ||
| 2022 | Wiseguy Legacy | Frank McPike | |
| 2023 | Catwoman: Hunted | Black Mask / Roman Sionis | Voice |
Television films[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | The Macahans | Woodward | |
| 1977 | Alexander: The Other Side of Dawn | Michael | |
| The Night They Took Miss Beautiful | Buck | ||
| 1979 | She's Dressed to Kill | Rudy Striker | |
| 1980 | Desperate Voyage | Louis | |
| 1983 | The Invisible Woman | Darren | |
| Murder Me, Murder You | Janos Saracen | ||
| 1984 | Nadia | Gheorge Comaneci | |
| 1986 | The Fifth Missile | Ray Olson | |
| Assassin | Earl Dickman | ||
| Who Is Julia | Jack Bodine | ||
| 1991 | Don't Touch My Daughter | Ryter | |
| 1993 | Blind Side | Aaron | |
| 1996 | Wiseguy | DDI Special Agent Frank McPike | |
| 1997 | Melanie Darrow | Arthur Abbott | |
| A Thousand Men and a Baby | Father Edward O'Reilly | ||
| 1998 | Dollar for the Dead | Colonel Skinner |
Video games[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Uncharted 2: Among Thieves | Zoran Lazaravić | Also motion capture |
| 2015 | Batman: Arkham Knight | Commissioner James Gordon | Grouped under "Voiceover & Mocap Talent" |
| 2023 | Kong: Survivor Instinct | Alan Jonah |
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