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.
86 movies · 80 shows
Saul Goodman America’s 250th
2026·6.5
Catwoman: Hunted
2022·5.8
The Road to El Camino: Behind the Scenes of El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie
2019·6.8
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie
2019·7.0
The Wolf: True Alpha
2018·6.7
Redbad
2018·6.5
Incredibles 2
2018·7.5
The Commuter
2018·6.4
Mudbound
2017·7.4
Term Life
2016·6.0
Robot Chicken DC Comics Special III: Magical Friendship
2015·7.4
I'm Brave!
2015·0.0
Horrible Bosses 2
2014·6.2
Advanced Television Production - 5 Days, 2 Scripts, No Sleep
2014·0.0
Authors Anonymous
2014·4.7
Bullet
2014·4.3
Identity Thief
2013·5.8
Watercolor Postcards
2013·5.8
Proud American
2008·6.0
Reign Over Me
2007·7.2
Murder 101: College Can be Murder
2007·7.1
Puff, Puff, Pass
2006·5.7
Circadian Rhythm
2005·4.0
Dark Blue
2002·6.3
R.S.V.P.
2002·4.2
Proximity
2001·4.3
Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles
2001·5.2
Downward Angel
2001·4.3
Millennium Man
1999·8.0
Trash
1999·4.9
Foolish
1999·6.0
Outlaw Justice
1999·6.6
Let the Devil Wear Black
1999·4.2
Dollar for the Dead
1998·5.7
A Thousand Men and a Baby
1997·6.0
Dark Breed
1997·4.6
Harvey
1996·5.2
Flipper
1996·5.6
Wiseguy
1996·5.9
Last Man Standing
1995·5.2
Under Siege 2: Dark Territory
1995·5.9
Walker Texas Ranger 3: Deadly Reunion
1994·7.3
Shadow of Obsession
1994·10.0
Body Shot
1994·3.3
Marilyn & Bobby: Her Final Affair
1993·7.5
Boiling Point
1993·4.9
Perry Mason: The Case of the Skin-Deep Scandal
1993·7.2
Blind Side
1993·5.5
There Goes the Neighborhood
1992·5.5
Freejack
1992·5.5
Don't Touch My Daughter
1991·4.7
For Better or for Worse
1989·5.2
Pin : A Plastic Nightmare
1988·6.8
Cold Steel
1987·5.0
Wiseguy: Pilot
1987·9.0
Perry Mason: The Case of the Lost Love
1987·7.5
Downpayment on Murder
1987·6.3
Who Is Julia?
1986·7.4
Armed and Dangerous
1986·5.7
Assassin
1986·5.1
The Fifth Missile
1986·5.5
Beverly Hills Cop
1984·7.2
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension
1984·6.0
Nadia
1984·6.7
Gremlins
1984·7.1
Murder Me, Murder You
1983·7.3
The Invisible Woman
1983·7.5
48 Hrs.
1982·6.7
Frances
1982·6.9
Gangster Wars
1981·8.3
Stir Crazy
1980·6.5
Desperate Voyage
1980·7.3
Rage!
1980·8.0
Airplane!
1980·7.3
She's Dressed to Kill
1979·5.7
The Rose
1979·6.7
Ike
1979·6.8
The Ordeal of Patty Hearst
1979·6.5
Who'll Stop the Rain
1978·6.5
The Cheap Detective
1978·6.4
Coming Home
1978·7.0
The Night They Took Miss Beautiful
1977·5.6
The Girl in the Empty Grave
1977·7.1
Alexander: The Other Side of Dawn
1977·5.5
The Macahans
1976·6.7
Linda's Film on Menstruation
1974·5.4