Jonathan Banks Net Worth

Jonathan Banks has brought his uncompromising talents to acclaimed shows like Breaking Bad and films like Beverly Hills Cop. He now boasts a net worth reflecting his seasoned industry success. 

From early on, he has established himself as a commanding character actor adept at complex, three-dimensional roles rather than just stock villains.

This versatility earned him new generations of fans in the 2000s with his turn as Mike Ehrmantraut in Better Call Saul and voice roles in shows like Skylanders Academy.

With over 160 acting credits amassed in a career spanning over 40 years across mediums, Jonathan Banks sits comfortably on a massive net worth. Today, this article aims to discuss just that.

Jonathan Banks’ net worth and career

Banks has built an impressive nearly 50-year career as a prolific character actor across television and film. Thanks to consistent bookings and pragmatic career choices rather than pursuing movie stardom, he has accrued a very comfortable net worth of $8 million. 

Though he may not be a household name like some A-list movie stars, his uncompromising talents and grizzled on-screen presence have made him a highly sought-after performer since the 1970s.

He got his start on the stage before transitioning to screens, big and small. Some of his earliest breakthroughs were on hit shows like Wiseguy in the late ’80s and blockbuster films like Beverly Hills Cop and Gremlins during the ’80s. 

Steady work has flowed ever since, with especially memorable turns as Mike on Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul exposed him to new generations of viewers.

Jonathan Banks in Beverly Hills Cop (Source: IMDb)

Now in his mid-70s, JBanks has amassed over 160 acting credits spanning a remarkable range of genres and mediums.

While not at the ultra-elite levels of eight-figure payouts for A-listers, he has made a nice living pursuing his artistic passions on his terms for over four decades. 

With his patented gravitas and authenticity on display, whether embodying heroes or villains, lawmen or criminals, Jonathan Banks’ career is an inspiring model for character actors everywhere. 

He has carved out a niche and reputation for disappearing into any role while leaving an indelible mark on the viewer.

As he continues acting well into his later years, his net worth will likely only keep appreciating right alongside the audience’s and critics’ appreciation of his talents.

Jonathan Banks awards and nominations

Over his illustrious career, venerable character actor Jonathan Banks has earned various awards and nominations recognizing his consistently superb work. 

While he has yet to take home an Emmy despite multiple nominations, his talents have been validated by other prominent organizations. 

His initial brush with significant awards attention came pretty early on when he was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor at the 1989 Primetime Emmys for his role on the hit show Wiseguy. 

Though he didn’t win, this first Emmy nom validated him as a gifted actor worth watching.

Banks wouldn’t earn another Emmy nomination for over 20 more years when his turn as the stoic hitman Mike Ehrmantraut on Breaking Bad finally got him back in the conversation. 

Jonathan Banks with his Best Support Actor in a Drama Series Award (Source: Heisenberg Chronicles)

He followed up with four more consecutive Outstanding Supporting Actor Emmy nominations for playing Ehrmantraut on the Breaking Bad spinoff Better Call Saul. 

Between those two acclaimed shows, Banks won overdue recognition for his talents. This included winning Saturn Awards for Best Supporting Actor on Television for Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul in 2013 and 2022, respectively. 

In 2015, he won the Critics Choice Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his nuanced performance in Better Call Saul’s first season. Banks also shared two SAG Awards for Outstanding Ensemble alongside his Better Call Saul costars.

Now entering the sixth decade of his acting career, his mantle must be complete with all the awards and nominations from appreciative audiences and critics.

And at his age, he shows no signs of slowing down or phoning in performances, likely meaning even more accolades celebrating his talents lay ahead.

Jonathan Banks’ role in ‘Better Call Saul’

Banks played the role of Mike Ehrmantraut in Breaking Bad and its prequel spinoff, Better Call Saul. Mike is described as a “calm and calculating” career criminal with extensive knowledge of operating on both sides of the law. 

He works as a private investigator, head of security, cleaner, fixer, and hitman throughout the two shows. In Better Call Saul specifically, more background is provided on Mike’s past as a former Marine and Philadelphia cop. 

Mike then got mixed up in police corruption. After his police officer son was killed for hesitating to go along with corrupt cops, he murdered those responsible officers and then fled to Albuquerque. 

Banks reflects pride on having played Mike for over a decade across the two shows, stating, “Mike is mine.” He believes taking on the role has changed him as an actor, making him “a little more silent” and better at listening and being patient. 

Portraying the elderly hitman with quiet wisdom left an impression on Banks. The expansion of Mike’s story in Better Call Saul took a risk in potentially ruining a beloved Breaking Bad character. 

But the gamble paid off, humanizing him further and detailing how he became the ruthless yet principled right-hand man to drug kingpin Gus Fring. 

Jonathan Banks house

One of Banks’ primary residences is in the Malibu hills of California, where he has owned a home since 1990. 

The report indicates that he originally paid $1.185 million when he purchased the property over three decades ago.

Given rising property values in the area, the home is now said to be worth between $5 to $7 million – significantly more than the initial purchase price.

Jonathan Banks in ‘Better Call Saul’ (Source: IMDb)

Unfortunately, the devastating Woolsey Fire that burned through parts of Los Angeles in November 2018 impacted his long-time Malibu house. 

Banks have likely reinvested funds to renovate or rebuild the damaged house since then, though details confirming that work still need to be provided in the information shared. 

Regardless, sources point to Banks’ reported current address remaining the same as the Malibu residence he originally bought in 1990.