Born: January 31, 1947
Age: 77
Birthplace: Washington, D.C., United States
Jonathan Ray Banks (born January 31, 1947) is an American actor. His first notable film roles were in the films Airplane!, 48 Hrs., and Beverly Hills Cop. He has received critical acclaim for his role as Mike Ehrmantraut in the television series Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, as well as Frank McPike in Wiseguy.
Banks was born in Washington, D.C. His mother, Elena (Adams) Banks, worked for the CIA and was a professor at Indiana State University. He attended Indiana University Bloomington, where he was a classmate of Kevin Kline. During that time, they participated in a production of The Threepenny Opera together. Banks dropped out of the university to join a touring company as a stage manager. He went to Australia with the company and continued working with them there.
In 1974, Banks moved to Los Angeles, California and performed on stage before picking up bit parts on television. He notably starred in the 1974 sex PSA Linda's Film on Menstruation, which was referenced by John Oliver in an episode of his show Last Week Tonight with John Oliver focusing on sex education. The episode aired on August 9, 2015, and Banks appeared at the end of the segment, condemning the content of said PSA. He co-starred in 48 Hrs. and Beverly Hills Cop, which are among his best known roles. Other film roles include appearances in Armed and Dangerous, Buckaroo Banzai, Freejack, Flipper, Airplane!, Gremlins, Murder Me, Murder You, Under Siege 2: Dark Territory, and Identity Thief. Banks' big break on television came in 1987 with the series Wiseguy, in which he played Frank McPike for four years, a role which led to a Primetime Emmy Award nomination. Although his character was primarily the hero's mentor, stories occasionally featured McPike as hero. In 1981, he appeared as Dutch Schultz on the NBC series the Gangster Chronicles. He also starred on the short-lived science fiction series Otherworld, as Kommander Nuveen Kroll, and in the sitcom Fired Up.
In the second season of Breaking Bad, Banks appeared as Mike Ehrmantraut. He became a series regular for the third, fourth, and fifth seasons. For the fifth season, he received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. He also made guest appearances on several TV shows. In 2014, he had a recurring role as Buzz Hickey in the fifth season of the NBC sitcom Community. Banks reprised his role as Mike Ehrmantraut as a regular in the Breaking Bad spinoff series Better Call Saul, for which he earned his third Emmy nomination in season 1. In April of 2016, he was awarded an honorary doctoral degree from Indiana University.
He also played the voice of James Gordon in the 2015 video game Batman: Arkham Knight. In 2015, Banks made a special guest appearance on the Mythbusters episode "Supernatural Shooters".
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1976 | The Macahans | Woodward | Television film |
1977 | Alexander: The Other Side of Dawn | Michael | Television film |
1978 | Coming Home | Marine at Party | |
1978 | The Cheap Detective | Cabbie | |
1978 | Who'll Stop the Rain | Marine | |
1979 | She's Dressed to Kill | Rudy Striker | Television film |
1979 | The Rose | Television Promoter | |
1980 | Desperate Voyage | Louis | Television film |
1980 | Airplane! | Gunderson | |
1980 | Stir Crazy | Jack Graham | |
1981 | Gangster Wars | Dutch Schultz | |
1982 | Frances | Hitchhiker | |
1982 | 48 Hrs. | Algren | |
1983 | The Invisible Woman | Darren | Television film |
1983 | Murder Me, Murder You | Janos Saracen | Television film |
1984 | Gremlins | Deputy Brent | |
1984 | Nadia | Gheorge Comaneci | Television film |
1984 | The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension | Lizardo Hospital Guard | |
1984 | Beverly Hills Cop | Zack | |
1986 | The Fifth Missile | Ray Olson | Television film |
1986 | Assassin | Earl Dickman | Television film |
1986 | Armed and Dangerous | Clyde Klepper | |
1986 | Who Is Julia | Jack Bodine | Television film |
1987 | Cold Steel | Iceman | |
1988 | Pin | Pin (voice) | |
1990 | Honeymoon Academy | Pitt | |
1991 | Don't Touch My Daughter | Ryter | Television film |
1992 | Freejack | Michelette | |
1992 | There Goes the Neighborhood | Handsome Harry | |
1993 | Blind Side | Aaron | Television film |
1993 | Boiling Point | Max Waxman | |
1994 | Walker Texas Ranger 3: Deadly Reunion | Shelby Valentine | |
1995 | Under Siege 2: Dark Territory | Scotty | |
1996 | Flipper | Dirk Moran | |
1996 | Dark Breed | Joe Shay | |
1998 | Dollar for the Dead | Col. Skinner | Television film |
1999 | Let the Devil Wear Black | Satch | |
1999 | Foolish | Numbers | |
1999 | Trash | Judge Callum | |
2001 | Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles | Milos Drubnik | |
2001 | Proximity | Price | |
2002 | Dark Blue | James | |
2002 | R.S.V.P | Walter Franklin | |
2006 | Puff, Puff, Pass | Lance | |
2007 | Reign Over Me | Stelter | |
2008 | Proud American | Mr. Moretti | |
2012 | Watercolor Postcards | Ledball | |
2013 | Identity Thief | Paolo | |
2013 | Roar | Bernie Warren | Short film |
2014 | Bullet | Carlito Kane | |
2014 | Authors Anonymous | David Kelleher | |
2014 | Horrible Bosses 2 | Detective Hatcher | |
2016 | Term Life | Harper |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1976 | Barnaby Jones | Vince Gentry | Episode: "Dead Heat" |
1977 | Family | Attendant | Episode: "Taking Chances: Part I" |
1977 | Barnaby Jones | Car Salesman | Episode: "Duet for Dying" |
1977 | Carter Country | Bob Phillips | Episode: "The Fireside Burnside Budget Chat" |
1979 | Lou Grant | Clay Starkes | Episode: "Kidnap" |
1979 | The Waltons | Jeb Sanders | Episode: "The Wager" |
1979 | Lou Grant | Cyrus | Episode: "Sweep" |
1980 | Little House on the Prairie | Jed | Episode: "Darkness Is My Friend" |
1981 | Lou Grant | Intruder | Episode: "Rape" |
1981 | Sanford | Al | Episode: "Cal the Coward" |
1981 | The Gangster Chronicles | Dutch Schultz | 13 episodes |
1981 | Best of the West | Hombre | 2 episodes |
1982 | Report to Murphy | Vinny | Episode: "Papillon" |
1982 | T.J. Hooker | Danny Scott | Episode: "The Witness" |
1983 | T.J. Hooker | Freddy Baker | Episode: "The Hostages" |
1983 | Hill Street Blues | Reggie | 2 episodes |
1983 | Whiz Kids | Episode: "Programmed For Murder" | |
1984 | Jessie | Ernie Ross | Episode: "Pilot" |
1984 | Cagney & Lacey | Keith Edsin | Episode: "Old Debts" |
1985 | Otherworld | Kommander Nuveen Kroll | 8 episodes |
1985 | Hunter | Detective Gary Krewson | Episode: "The Big Fall" |
1987 | Falcon Crest | Kolinksi | 8 episodes |
1987 | Designing Women | Eldon Ashcroft IV | Episode: "101 Ways to Decorate a Gas Station" |
1987-1990 | Wiseguy | Frank McPike | 74 episodes |
1993 | Star Trek: Deep Space Nine | Shel-la | Episode: "Battle Lines" |
1994 | Highlander | Mako | Episode: "Under Colour of Authority" |
1994 | Matlock | Jack Starling | Episode: "The P.I." |
1994 | Walker, Texas Ranger | Shelby Valentine | Episode: "Deadly Reunion" |
1994 | Tales from the Crypt | William | Episode: "The Assassin" |
1995 | Due South | Garret | Episode: "Heaven and Earth" |
1995 | Women of the House | Jim Sugarbaker | 2 episodes |
1994-1995 | SeaQuest 2032 | Maximillian Scully | 2 episodes |
1996 | Diagnosis: Murder | Commanding Officer Max Jupe | Episode: "Murder by Friendly Fire" |
1997-1998 | Fired Up | Guy Mann | 28 episodes |
2000 | Diagnosis: Murder | Bruce Locatelli | Episode: "Murder by Remote" |
2000-2001 | The Trouble With Normal | Dr. Lowell | 2 episodes |
2001 | The District | Monya Pastov | Episode: "Fools Russian: Part I" |
2003 | Alias | Frederick Brandon | 2 episodes |
2003 | Strong Medicine | Frank Hardwyck | Episode: "Skin" |
2004 | Joan of Arcadia | Sheriff Mike Rakowski | Episode: "Jump" |
2004-2006 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Bobby Jensen | 2 episodes |
2005 | E-Ring | Adm. Cooper | 4 episodes |
2006 | Ghost Whisperer | Lyle Chase | Episode: "Friendly Neighborhood Ghost" |
2006 | Without a Trace | Sal Marcello | Episode: "Check Your Head" |
2006-2007 | Day Break | Shadow Man | 7 episodes |
2007 | Dexter | FBI Deputy Director Max Adams | 2 episodes |
2008 | ER | Robert Truman | Episode: "Atonement" |
2008 | Shark | Jason Normandy | 2 episodes |
2008 | Life | Nathan Gray | Episode: "Crushed" |
2008 | Eli Stone | Agent Johnathan Maine | Episode: "Owner of a Lonely Heart" |
2009 | Lie to Me | Ex-FBI Agent Bitcher | Episode: "Sacrifice" |
2009 | Cold Case | John Clark | Episode: "Jackals" |
2009 | Castle | Bruce Kirby | Episode: "Hell Hath No Fury" |
2009-2012 | Breaking Bad | Mike Ehrmantraut | 25 episodes |
2011 | Modern Family | Donnie Pritchett | Episode: "The Musical Man" |
2011 | Two and a Half Men | Pawn Broker | Episode: "A Fishbowl Full of Glass Eyes" |
2011 | CSI: Miami | Oscar Duarte | Episode: "Long Gone" |
2012 | Ringer | Remy Osterman | 2 episodes |
2012 | Parks and Recreation | Steve Wyatt | Episode: "Ben's Parents" |
2012 | Vegas | Angelo LaFlatta | 2 episodes |
2013 | Bloodline | Leo Killpriest | Pilot |
2013 | Body of Proof | Glenn Fitz | Episode: "Daddy Issue" |
2013-2015 | Axe Cop | Various voices | 3 episodes |
2014 | Community | Buzz Hickey | 11 episodes |
2014 | Mike Tyson Mysteries | The Wizard (voice) | Episode: "Is Magic Real?" |
2015-present | Better Call Saul | Mike Ehrmantraut | 20 episodes |
2015 | The Lizzie Borden Chronicles | Mr. Flowers | 3 episodes |
2015 | Last Week Tonight | Himself | Season 2, Episode 24 (Sex education in the United States segment) |
2015 | Major Lazer | The Law (voice) | Episode: "Escape from Rave Island" |
2015 | Gravity Falls | Filbrick Pines (voice) | Episode: "A Tale of Two Stans" |
2015 | Robot Chicken | Composite Superman (voice) | Episode: "Robot Chicken DC Comics Special III: Magical Friendship" |
2015 | The Expanse | Executive Officer | Episode: "Dulcinea" |
2015 | Mythbusters | himself | Episode: "Supernatural Shooters" |
Year | Title | Role |
---|---|---|
2015 | Batman: Arkham Knight | James Gordon (voice) |
2016 | Tom Clancy's The Division | Joe Ferro (voice) |
Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1989 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | Wiseguy | Nominated |
1990 | Viewers for Quality Television | Best Supporting Actor in a Quality Drama Series | Nominated | |
2012 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Breaking Bad | Nominated |
2013 | Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | Nominated | |
Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | Nominated | ||
Saturn Awards | Best Supporting Actor on Television | Won | ||
Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Nominated | ||
2015 | Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | Better Call Saul | Won |
Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | Nominated | ||
2016 | Satellite Awards | Best Supporting Actor - Series, Miniseries or Television Film | Nominated |