Jonathan Banks
Acting • Born 1947-01-31
Biography
Jonathan Banks (born January 31, 1947) is an American character actor in film and television. Banks dropped out of Indiana University to join a touring company as a stage manager. He went to Australia with the company and stayed on working in theatre there. In 1974, he moved to Los Angeles and performed on stage before picking up bit parts on television. Probably his best-known movie roles are in two films starring Eddie Murphy: 48 Hrs. and Beverly Hills Cop. In 48 Hrs. he plays a character who is a friend of the lead and is killed by the villain, beginning the lead characters' story. In Beverly Hills Cop, he plays a villain who kills the lead characters' friend and begins his story. Other movie roles include appearances in Armed and Dangerous, Freejack, Flipper, Airplane!, Gremlins, Murder Me, Murder You, and Under Siege 2: Dark Territory. His biggest break on television, came with the series Wiseguy, in which he played Frank McPike for four years, a role which led to an 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 TV series Otherworld, as Kommander Neveen Kroll and in the sitcom Fired Up. Banks has also made guest appearances on TV shows including Alias, CSI, Day Break, Highlander: The Series, Matlock, SeaQuest DSV, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Women of the House and Walker Texas Ranger. Most recently, Banks appeared in the final Season Two episodes of Dexter, and in episodes of ER, Cold Case, and Shark, Modern Family. In the second season finale of Breaking Bad, Banks appeared as a mysterious character named Mike. Banks was made a series regular for the third season.
Filmography
168 credits
Beverly Hills Cop
Movie • 1984
Zack
48 Hrs.
Movie • 1982
Algren
Airplane!
Movie • 1980
Gunderson
Reign Over Me
Movie • 2007
Stelter
Frances
Movie • 1982
Hitchhiker
Armed and Dangerous
Movie • 1986
Clyde Klepper
Walker Texas Ranger 3: Deadly Reunion
Movie • 1994
Shelby Valentine
Boiling Point
Movie • 1993
Max Waxman
Puff, Puff, Pass
Movie • 2006
Lance
Cold Steel
Movie • 1987
Iceman
Freejack
Movie • 1992
Mark Michelette
Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles
Movie • 2001
Milos Drubnik
Foolish
Movie • 1999
Numbers
Flipper
Movie • 1996
Dirk Moran
Don't Touch My Daughter
Movie • 1991
Charles Ryter
Nadia
Movie • 1984
Gheorge Comaneci
Blind Side
Movie • 1993
Aaron
Proximity
Movie • 2001
Price
Coming Home
Movie • 1978
Marine At Party
Dollar for the Dead
Movie • 1998
Col. Skinner
The Road to El Camino: Behind the Scenes of El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie
Movie • 2019
Self
Last Man Standing
Movie • 1995
Doc
Let the Devil Wear Black
Movie • 1999
Satch
Dark Breed
Movie • 1997
Joseph Shay
Downpayment on Murder
Movie • 1987
Det. McKenzie
Identity Thief
Movie • 2013
Paul
A Thousand Men and a Baby
Movie • 1997
Father O'Riley
Murder Me, Murder You
Movie • 1983
Janos Saracen
The Fifth Missile
Movie • 1986
Ray Olson
Harvey
Movie • 1996
C.J. Lofgren
Bullet
Movie • 2014
Carlito Kane
The Girl in the Empty Grave
Movie • 1977
Courtland Gates
Wiseguy
Movie • 1996
Frank McPike
Authors Anonymous
Movie • 2014
David Kelleher
Term Life
Movie • 2016
Harper
Body Shot
Movie • 1994
Simon Devereaux / Blake Donner
Stir Crazy
Movie • 1980
Jack Graham
Desperate Voyage
Movie • 1980
Louis
Marilyn & Bobby: Her Final Affair
Movie • 1993
Joe Scoman
Honeymoon Academy
Movie • 1989
Pitt
Trash
Movie • 1999
Judge Callum
There Goes the Neighborhood
Movie • 1992
Handsome Harry
Horrible Bosses 2
Movie • 2014
Detective Hatcher
Pin
Movie • 1988
PIN (voice)
The Ordeal of Patty Hearst
Movie • 1979
Pato
Shadow of Obsession
Movie • 1994
Trevor Keegan
Ike
Movie • 1979
1st Sergeant
Watercolor Postcards
Movie • 2013
Ledball
Robot Chicken DC Comics Special III: Magical Friendship
Movie • 2015
Composite Superman (voice)
Dark Blue
Movie • 2002
James Barcomb
Proud American
Movie • 2008
Mr. Moretti
R.S.V.P.
Movie • 2002
Walter Franklin
Who'll Stop the Rain
Movie • 1978
Marine
The Commuter
Movie • 2018
Walt
Mudbound
Movie • 2017
Pappy McAllan
Linda's Film on Menstruation
Movie • 1974
Johnny Stanton
Wiseguy: Pilot
Movie • 1987
Frank McPike
Gangster Wars
Movie • 1981
Dutch Schultz
Perry Mason: The Case of the Lost Love
Movie • 1987
Luke Dickson
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension
Movie • 1984
Lizardo Hospital Guard
She's Dressed to Kill
Movie • 1979
Rudy Striker
Who Is Julia?
Movie • 1986
Jack Bodine
Gremlins
Movie • 1984
Deputy Brent
Murder 101: College Can be Murder
Movie • 2007
Det. Frank Chambers
Redbad
Movie • 2018
Pepijn
Incredibles 2
Movie • 2018
Rick Dicker (voice)
The Invisible Woman
Movie • 1983
Darren
Under Siege 2: Dark Territory
Movie • 1995
Scotty
Rage!
Movie • 1980
Resident #2
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie
Movie • 2019
Mike
Alexander: The Other Side of Dawn
Movie • 1977
Michael
The Night They Took Miss Beautiful
Movie • 1977
Buck
Assassin
Movie • 1986
Earl Dickman
The Cheap Detective
Movie • 1978
Cabbie
I'm Brave!
Movie • 2015
Fire Engine
Outlaw Justice
Movie • 1999
Sheriff Conklin
Perry Mason: The Case of the Skin-Deep Scandal
Movie • 1993
Dr. William Shell
Millennium Man
Movie • 1999
Downward Angel
Movie • 2001
Herod
The Wolf: True Alpha
Movie • 2018
The Fixer
Catwoman: Hunted
Movie • 2022
Roman Sionis / Black Mask (voice)
The Rose
Movie • 1979
Television Promoter
The Macahans
Movie • 1976
Woodward
Circadian Rhythm
Movie • 2005
Trejo
Advanced Television Production - 5 Days, 2 Scripts, No Sleep
Movie • 2014
Self
Batman: Arkham Knight - The Voices of Arkham (Behind the Scenes)
Movie • 2015
Self
Lou Grant
TV • 1977
Falcon Crest
TV • 1981
Frank Kolinski
Hardcastle and McCormick
TV • 1983
Eli Stone
TV • 2008
Agent Jonathan Maine
Castle
TV • 2009
Bruce Kirby
Modern Family
TV • 2009
Donnie Pritchett
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
TV • 2000
Bobby Jensen
The District
TV • 2000
Monya Pastov
Shark
TV • 2006
Jason Normandy
T. J. Hooker
TV • 1982
Freddy Baker
Due South
TV • 1994
Garret
Joan of Arcadia
TV • 2003
Sheriff Mike Rakowski
Otherworld
TV • 1985
Kroll
Little House on the Prairie
TV • 1974
Jed
Alias
TV • 2001
Frederick Brandon
E-Ring
TV • 2005
Matlock
TV • 1986
Jack Starling
Simon & Simon
TV • 1981
seaQuest DSV
TV • 1993
Maximillian Scully
Sanford
TV • 1980
Tales from the Crypt
TV • 1989
William
Walker, Texas Ranger
TV • 1993
Shelby Valentine
Life
TV • 2007
Nathan Gray
Hill Street Blues
TV • 1981
Without a Trace
TV • 2002
Sal Marcello
Diagnosis: Murder
TV • 1993
Bruce Locatelli
Cagney & Lacey
TV • 1982
Ghost Whisperer
TV • 2005
Lyle Chase
Hunter
TV • 1984
Det. Gary Krewson
The Waltons
TV • 1972
Wiseguy
TV • 1987
Frank McPike
ER
TV • 1994
Robert Truman
Community
TV • 2009
Professor Buzz Hickey
Crazy like a Fox
TV • 1984
Vice Squad Captain Hawkins
Lie to Me
TV • 2009
Bitcher
Gravity Falls
TV • 2012
Filbrick Pines (voice)
Diagnosis: Murder
TV • 1993
Max Jupe
Hollywood Beat
TV • 1985
Carter Country
TV • 1977
Fired Up
TV • 1997
Guy Mann
Matt Houston
TV • 1982
The Word
TV • 1978
Young LeBrun
The Gangster Chronicles
TV • 1981
Dutch Schultz
Dexter
TV • 2006
Max Adams
Breaking Bad
TV • 2008
Mike Ehrmantraut
Show Me More
TV • 2021
Self - "Mike Ehrmantraut"
Talking Saul
TV • 2016
Self - Guest
Better Call Saul
TV • 2015
Mike Ehrmantraut
A Tale Dark & Grimm
TV • 2021
Johannes (voice)
Two and a Half Men
TV • 2003
Sid
Dr. Ken
TV • 2015
Dr. Erwin
MythBusters
TV • 2003
Self
The Yard
TV • 2016
Narrator
The Expanse
TV • 2015
Executive Officer
Cold Case
TV • 2003
John 'Shameless' Clark (2009)
Skylanders Academy
TV • 2016
Eruptor (voice)
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
TV • 2014
Self
Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure
TV • 2017
Quirin (voice)
Parks and Recreation
TV • 2009
Steve Wyatt
Kite Man: Hell Yeah!
TV • 2024
Noonan (voice)
Constellation
TV • 2024
Henry Caldera / Bud Caldera
Major Lazer
TV • 2015
The Law (voice)
Day Break
TV • 2006
Shadow Man
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
TV • 1993
Shel-la
Highlander: The Series
TV • 1992
Mako
Women of the House
TV • 1995
Jim Sugarbaker
Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur
TV • 2023
Silvermane (voice)
Better Call Saul Employee Training
TV • 2017
Mike Ehrmantraut
Strong Medicine
TV • 2000
Frank Hardwhyck
Best of the West
TV • 1981
The Comey Rule
TV • 2020
James Clapper
Harvey
TV • 1999
C.J. Lofgren, Cab Driver
Designing Women
TV • 1986
Invincible
TV • 2021
Brit (voice)
Phineas and Ferb
TV • 2007
Driving Instructor (voice)
Lou Grant
TV • 1977
Cyrus
The Beast in Me
TV • 2025
Martin Jarvis
Day Break
TV • 2006
Conrad Detweiler
CSI: Miami
TV • 2002
Oscar Duarte
Ike
TV • 1979
Sergeant
Talking Bad
TV • 2013
Self
Shut Eye
TV • 2016
Linda's Father