Born as Eric Banadinovic in Melbourne, Australia to immigrants parent father, Croatian and mother German. Growing up in suburban Melbourne, Eric simply made easier for people by saying "Eric Bana" the 'dinovic' bit seem too difficult for some.
While in his teens, Mel Gibson was an idol and inspired him to pursue acting. S o Bana moved to Sydney and worked odd jobs to support himself. In 1991, he returned to Melbourne and began a career as a stand-up comedian, while working as a barman at Melbourne's Castle Hotel. In 1993, Bana made his television debut on Steve Vizard's talk show, "Tonight Live with Steve Vizard" (1990); then joined the "Full Frontal" (1993) TV comedy series.
He made his film debut in "The Castle" (1997), in a supporting comic role. That same year, he was cast to portray Mark "Chopper" Read, the notorious Australian underworld figure. "Chopper" (2000) became an international success and would propel Bana into international stardom.
