Eric Bana thinks it is more "interesting" when his characters are killed off in movies
The Time Traveller's Wife star, whose career spans Hollywood blockbusters and independent dramas, opened up about how he would rather die in his films than be a leading man until the finale in a chat with The Independent
22 July 2025
He said: "I'm very happy to die, you know? I'm happy to be killed off in something. I'm happy to support (other actors) - it's just more interesting.
-I don't want the audience to see me and think he's going to be the main guy until the end credits roll."
Australian Eric, best known for roles in Troy, Munich, and Ang Lee's Hulk, was born and raised in Melbourne, and made a name for himself as a comedian before transitioning into acting.
He has cultivated a reputation for playing anti-heroes and supporting roles that bring depth and nuance to his projects.
Married to his wife Rebecca since 1997 and a father of two, Eric also prefers staying grounded in Melbourne despite his international success, The Independent's profile on the actor revealed.
His latest project, the Netflix series Untamed, exemplifies this approach.
Set in Yosemite National Park, Eric plays Kyle Turner, a taciturn park ranger investigating the murder of a young woman.
He said about the project: "It's not often that your lead character is allowed to get away with being so uncharming.
"'And we got to lean into the gruffness, the darkness and the uncomfortable (areas.)"
His co-star Sam Neill, who plays a senior park ranger and the only person to crack his character Kyle's tough exterior, was someone Eric had never met before filming.
He said: "I really felt like I knew Sam, and Sam felt like he knew me.
"But we'd not only never met, we'd never even been at the same function together - just nothing"'
Eric attributes his discerning approach to scripts partly to his background in comedy.
He said: "When you're writing, if an idea doesn't fly in the room with other writers and we're not laughing, you can't expect the audience to make the joke better.
"So you have to be forensic about it - working in comedy always felt like being an X-ray machine, you know?"
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