Eric Bana

I really enjoy working on small films.

I get inhabited by a character and then you mourn it. There's a period of mourning for me, definitely.

When I was a kid, I would do stupid things on my bike. I'd jump any ramp, I'd jump over people, I'd jump over things - always crashing, never hurting myself badly but always wanting to take physical risks.

I love being at home, being with friends and family. I'm of European stock, brought up in Australia. I'm a passionate guy. I just love life.

I've worked with some of the great cinematographers. So I'm always watching what they do and I'm watching how the director composes his shots, just because I find it interesting as an actor; you're trying to help them out as well.

I think love can come fairly easily and grow - but really liking the core essence of someone is a much harder thing to bottle. If you have both, you're in pretty good shape.

I love being at home being with friends and family. Im of European stock brought up in Australia. Im a passionate guy. I just love life.

I like the unknown. I like mystery.

When you're shooting a film, you really don't get to be a dad, and you don't really get to be a husband. You don't really exist at all. But I do drag my family with me on location whenever I can.

Stand-up came out of three things. Frustration, necessity and arrogance. I didn't have a great career ahead of me in anything. Someone literally said to me, 'You should try stand-up,' and took me to a venue.

The longer you have something, the stronger the bond. That's true with people as well as things.

By the time I finished comedy, I was really burnt out of it. I had had enough. I don't really have a strong desire to prove myself in that area, or to go back to it in any great way.

I'd say I'm the opposite of someone that has the urge to stand in front of strangers and make them laugh, but the idea of getting up and telling a story and people finding it amusing always appealed to me.

I think there are times when you walk onto a set you can potentially be either intimidated or distracted by what's going on around you.

I race historic muscle cars back in Australia, and that's my hobby. And I try to race home as soon as I've finished a movie but don't tell anyone.

I've always been attracted to cars, and driving is a completely measurable experience: if you qualify last on the grid, you're the slowest, and if you qualify first on the grid, you're the fastest. So no one can say you're slow if you're fast and no one can say you're fast if you're slow.

There wasn't a moment where I got into cars. It wasn't a conscience decision or something that came later, it was there since I was born. I just love it.

I used to lift very heavy weights in my mid-twenties - I used to bench press over 300lb. The most I ever lifted was 330lb; I couldn't do that today, no way.

A girl's got to be fun. It's the one bit of advice I always give to friends of mine who are thinking of getting married.

My background was producing and writing and performing in television when I started out, and I really missed that, that whole creative process that comes from sort of 'me' storytelling.

I never look at the size of the film when I'm looking for a part.

I wasn't going to be a college kid. The only subject I was interested in was English. I think I had a subconscious interest in analyzing story.

When I go on the plane to fly home, I'm literally capable of forgetting what I do for a job. That also comes about because I choose to take massive breaks between projects, and because I choose to do this ridiculous thing of keeping home, home.

I wanted to be a mechanic. When I was 14 I wanted to quit school and go work on my car. But my dad said Son, you shouldn't do that. You should stay in school until your education is finished, and when you're done, don't make your hobby your job.

I have a theory that I really want my kids to know - the only coloration that they make between dad being in films and reality is just a lot of people doing a lot of hard work.

I think luck gets you on to the stage. But it has nothing to do with keeping you there.

It's always bitterly disappointing to people to see how normally one can live.

I didn't study Greek mythology in school and I wish I had.

I would never say never to returning to comedy.

I'm always one time zone behind myself.

I've never been someone that's had a five-year plan, or a three-year plan. That just seems to lead to a lot of disappointment, and doesn't give you the chance to be flexible.

I've given no thought to moving to America at all.

I fell in love with many women at school who had no idea I existed. I'm a bit of a romantic.

I look my best when I take my helmet off after a long motorcycle ride. I have a glow and a bit of helmet hair.

The reason my kids come to the set is so I can actually see them.

I deliberately fly in and out of LA for as small a time as humanly possible.

I've always been a bit of a car freak.

I think I wasted a lot of my youth, falling for girls who were a couple of years older than me.

As an actor I've been attracted to the sort of films that I want to go and see. That tends to usually be drama-related.

You'll read things and say, this is a really good project and it's probably going to be a hit, but I can see 20 other people playing that part. You have to have some sense of ownership to do a good job and be married to it for ever.

The most serious film can be the most fun. The one that's supposed to be fun can be the most serious.

My wife and I really, really like each other as well as love each other.

My chosen exercise is cycling. I just love it.

I've always described parts as tattoos. For actors our tattoos are in the form of films.

I'm a bit of a romantic.

Technically speaking, you can build anything out of sand; it doesn't mean you do it.

It's always been my hope, as an actor, to reveal only what is relevant about myself to the work.

I'll give you a list of a hundred ways that I'm more likely to be injured than belting around a race track with people who know what they're doing. It's not a place where I feel I'm in unnecessary danger.

I think the beauty of working with young people is they remind you of the spirit of acting and it's just a big play.

I'm very much a bit of a ghost presence.

I'm always reading and looking around for the next thing.

I guess subconsciously that all the great people you work with have an influence on you.

I'm not into bikinis or other revealing clothing.