It presumably took years for Mike Ehrmantraut to gain his reputation in the “Breaking Bad” universe for being a reliable individual who can be trusted with a substantial role and get the desired results while making it look easy. Banks has a lot in common with his on-screen counterpart in that manner, and both have worked very hard to garner the experience needed to excel at being a terrific tough guy.
When the AV Club interviewed Banks, they most likely put it best when summing up him up overall as “the quintessential bad guy and the quintessential ‘that guy.'” In the same discussion, Banks revealed that his earlier work gave him enough street cred to be the heavy favorite for the infamous “Breaking Bad” role. “Vince [Gilligan] and Tom [Schnauz] and … I don’t know who else was there at NYU with them, but they were big ‘Wiseguy’ fans when they were in school, and they knew me from … whatever else I’d done,” the actor said. “Whatever paltry crap has come up over the years. [Laughs.]”
Banks’ efforts throughout his career didn’t go unnoticed by the “Breaking Bad” creators, but while some from the show revere his intimidating on-screen actions, others cannot hesitate to mention how he is anything but menacing on set. Giancarlo Esposito confirmed what fans suspected by discussing his co-star’s lighter side, saying, “I contend that Jonathan is a really soft human being underneath his gruff exposure.” While Banks’ reputation for playing characters like Mike Ehrmantraut, Bobby Jensen, or Oscar Duarte certainly precedes him, it’s comforting to find out he is known for being a nice guy in real life.