Jonathan Banks

Jonathan Ray Banks is an American actor best known for his dramatic roles in film and television. He gained widespread acclaim for playing hitman and fixer Mike Ehrmantraut in the crime drama series Breaking Bad, its spin-off series Better Call Saul, and the feature film El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie. Earlier in his career, he achieved a major breakthrough portraying FBI Special Agent Frank McPike in the television series Wiseguy.

Banks was born on January 31, 1947, in Washington, D.C., and raised in Chillum, Maryland. His father was a civil servant, and his mother worked in various federal offices—including the Central Intelligence Agency and as a secretary to high-ranking Naval officers—before becoming a university professor. Banks attended Indiana University Bloomington, where he acted alongside Kevin Kline in theatrical productions. He left the university without graduating to work as a stage manager for a touring production of the musical Hair in Australia and New Zealand.

Moving to Los Angeles in 1974, Banks began his professional screen career with minor parts and public service appearances. During the late 1970s and 1980s, he established himself as a versatile supporting actor in films such as The Rose, Airplane!, 48 Hrs., Frances, Beverly Hills Cop, Gremlins, and Armed and Dangerous. On television, he appeared in series such as The Gangster Chronicles and played the primary antagonist in the science fiction show Otherworld.

From 1987 to 1990, Banks starred as Frank McPike in Wiseguy, a pivotal role that earned him widespread recognition. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, he maintained a steady screen presence with film roles in Under Siege 2: Dark Territory, Foolish, Dark Blue, and Reign Over Me. He also guest-starred on television shows including Matlock, Highlander: The Series, Walker, Texas Ranger, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and Dexter.

Banks achieved renewed prominence when he joined Breaking Bad in 2009 as Mike Ehrmantraut, becoming a series regular through its conclusion in 2013. He reprised the character as a main cast member in Better Call Saul from 2015 to 2022, appearing in 61 episodes, and made a cameo in El Camino. His other acting credits from this period include the comedy series Community, feature films such as Identity Thief, Horrible Bosses 2, Mudbound, and The Commuter, and voice work for projects like Batman: Arkham Knight, F Is for Family, and Invincible.

Over his career, Banks has earned six Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his roles in Wiseguy, Breaking Bad, and Better Call Saul. He married his first wife, Marnie Fausch, in 1968, and they had one daughter before divorcing in 1970. He married Gennera Gonzalez Cebian in 1990, with whom he raised fraternal twins and a stepdaughter. Indiana University awarded him an honorary doctoral degree in 2016. In 2018, his home was destroyed in the Woolsey Fire.