FILMOGRAPHY

2006] Romulus, My Father
2006] Lucky You
2005] Munich
2004] Troy
2003] Hulk
2003] Finding Nemo
2002] The Nugget
2001] Black Hawk Down
2000-01] "Something in the Air"
2000] Chopper
1997] "The Eric Bana Show"
1997] The Castle
1996] Eric (TV)
1993-96] "Full Frontal"

LINKS

Eric Bana Online Canada
the Eric Bana homepage
IMDB

POLL

Born 9 August 1968 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Born Eric Banadinovich. Eric has 2 children, Klaus and Sophia, with his wife Rebecca Gleeson.

He began his career as a comedian, while working as a barman at Melbourne's Castle hotel in 1991.

In 2000 Eric won an AFI [Australian Film Institute] award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for: Chopper

Bana's wife, Rebecca, is the daughter of the Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia, Murray Gleeson. She and Jackman's wife, Deborra-Lee Furness, are friends from the days when Rebecca worked in television public relations in Melbourne and Furness starred in the 1990s hit series Corelli. Rebecca was a publicist for The Eric Bana Show.

Bana on becoming a comedian:
"I desperately wanted to be a racing car driver or an actor. But somehow, I became a stand-up comedian instead. I was working as a barman in South Melbourne when one night, at the end of my shift, I decided to get up and try out a comedy routine. It was as simple as that. It was pure curiosity. I'd always mucked around at school with impersonations: people would always say, "Do him!", "Do her!" etcetera. But I wanted to see if I could make strangers laugh. So I decided to give it a go."

Bana on his love of motor sports:
"One of my most sacred possessions is a 1974 Falcon coupe, like the one Mel Gibson drove in Mad Max. I've had it for 12 years and although I ride my bike most of the time, nothing beats my car."

Bana on a move to LA:
"I've given no thought about moving to America at all. I think it is becoming less and less relevant. I see it is important that I spend certain periods of time in Los Angeles and after this I will go there for two weeks and do meetings and stuff. It's inevitable that I have to visit, but I am more than happy to keep Melbourne as home."

Bana on Ang Lee:
"I was pleased Ang wanted me and even more surprised that the studio let him cast me, considering it was a huge film. I thought they might want a star. But Ang tends not to cast a lot of true superstars in his movies. He tends to go for actors, which is flattering."

Bana on first meeting Hugh Jackman:
Rebecca and Bana were dating when Furness met Jackman on the set of Corelli. So Furness brought Jackman around for her friends' inspection. "We were with her during the day and she said,"'I've got this guy coming over this evening.' So, sure enough, and right on time, in walks this tall guy from Perth with a buzz cut because of the show. Rebecca and I scampered off and the rest is history."

Bana talking about his mate Hugh Jackman:
"Hugh and I go back quite a way. When we first met no one had heard of either of us in Australia. I was having a drink in a pub in London a few weeks back with him and we were having a good laugh about how he was Wolverine and I was Hulk."

Bana on American's not knowing his comedy background:
"Here, people say 'You don't look funny,' but [down under] they go, 'How do you get away with drama!'"

Bana on BHD:
"Black Hawk Down was my first big Hollywood film, and everything about it was amazing. There was a lot of boredom, a lot of huge excitement, a lot of homesickness, a lot of people complaining and whinging. It was an extreme period that will never be repeated. And I've gotten two or three lifelong friends out of it. Oh, and my wife as well."