Eric Bana: From Comedian to Dramatic Star

By Zack Mandell 

Though he's only been exposed to American audiences a short time, Eric Bana is no newcomer to the entertainment industry. His star had been on the rise for quite some time in his native land of Australia before he made his debut in front of US audiences in the 2001 action film "Black Hawk Down." With his success in American films, Bana has become an even bigger name, leading many to wonder about the history behind this particular Australian import.

Bana was born in 1968 in the Australian city of Melbourne. Originally named Eric Bandinovic-he's of Croatian descent-Bana was the second son of father Ivan, a worker at an American tractor company, and mother Eleanor, a hairdresser. His early years were spent in the Melbourne suburb of Tullamarine, and though he had early hopes of becoming an actor, he didn't actually begin performing until his early twenties. As a barman at a Melbourne hotel, he began to perform stand-up comedy at many of the city's pubs, sharpening his comedic timing. While it wasn't the acting he dreamt of doing, he was following in the footsteps of one of his earliest entertainment influences, Richard Pryor.

Though his pub earnings were slim, the performances managed to get him the notice he needed to earn an invitation to perform on "Tonight Live," a late-night talk show. From there, things began to look up as far as his comedy career was concerned. Producers from "Full Frontal," a comedy sketch series, saw his talk-show performance and inviting him to join. His job at "Full Frontal" was twofold, requiring him to appear as a performer as well as write for the series. It was during his run on the show that Bana started his rise to fame, with a mix of original characters and impressions serving to show off his comedic range. His popularity was widespread enough that he was able to release his first comedy album, "Out of Bounds," in 1994. This was quickly followed by a 1996 comedy special on television and the launch of his sketch series, "The Eric Bana Show," in 1997.

It wasn't all work and no play for Bana during this period though. While performing on "Full Frontal," he met his future wife, Rebecca Gleeson. She had worked as a publicist at the same network where he worked. After two years of dating, the two married in 1997. Since then, they have had two children, a son born in 1999 and a daughter in 2002. He also began to participate in several charitable endeavors during the same period, including a yearly motorcycle event that collects toys and money to help children during the Christmas season. His riding isn't limited to motorcycles, though, as he also began motor sport racing in 1996. This passion for cars didn't start with his television success; he very nearly became a mechanic during his teen years instead of completing his schooling.

The cancellation of his show didn't slow Bana down. What it did was change his focus to movies instead. His film debut was a supporting role in 1997's "The Castle." His performance was considered a critical success, increasing his recognition and helping his reputation to recover from his show's difficulties. The biggest thing to come from his film debut, however, was the opportunity to perform the title role in the film "Chopper." The new movie was a departure from his earlier work, a dramatic role that would greatly stretch his acting ability. Bana was up to the task at hand, gaining thirty pounds through a junk-food diet and shaving his head to more closely resemble the character he was portraying, Chopper Read. He even spent several days with the Australian criminal Read, learning how to move and talk like the man. His efforts did not go unnoticed, as the film was nominated for Best Film in the 2001 Australian Film Institute Awards, and Bana himself managed to walk away from the awards with the Best Actor win.

After his Best Actor win in 2001, it was no surprise that Bana was approached by American filmmakers, including director Ridley Scott. Scott cast Bana in "Black Hawk Down" as a Delta Force soldier. As with his role in "Chopper," Bana went through great lengths to prepare for the part. He lost the weight he'd gained for his previous role and did a bit of training with actual Delta Force soldiers. The result was a memorable character who caused American audiences to clamor for more of the Australian actor. From there, Bana's work was largely Hollywood based, with roles in films such as Ang Lee's "Hulk" as Bruce Banner, "Troy" with Brad Pitt, Steven Spielberg's "Munich," and the first film of the recent "Star Trek" reboot. He's even been back to Australia for the occasional part that's managed to strike his particular interest.

Stardom hasn't seemed to change Eric Bana much though. He still resides in Melbourne with his family, still enjoys motor sports, and spends as little time in Hollywood as possible. For Bana, acting is a job worth pursuing, but his passions still remain in his Australian homeland.

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