imdb star trek nero

• Broadcast Film Critics Association Award nominees
• Scream Award nominees
• Teen Choice Award nominees
• Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Award nominees
• View history
• 1 Early life and comedy career
• 2.1 1997–2008
• 2.2 Star Trek
• 2.3 Post- Trek films
• 3 Television Roles
• 4 Personal life
• 5 References
• 6 External links

Early life and comedy career [ ]

He was born Eric Banadinović in Melbourne, Australia, to a Croatian father and a German-born mother. His affinity for performing surfaced when he was six or seven years old, when he began to imitate members of his family. He even mimicked his teachers at school in order to get out of trouble. Bana decided he wanted to become an actor after watching the 1979 film Mad Max as a teenager, but it was not until 1991 when he began doing stand-up comedy that he started to seriously consider a career in performing.

After performing on the late night talk show Tonight Live , Bana was invited by the producers of the sketch comedy program Full Frontal to join their show as a writer and performer. One sketch Bana did on this show was a parody of Star Trek: The Next Generation , in which he portrayed Worf , with a crab in place of the character's signature ridges. [1]

In 1996, after three years on Full Frontal , Bana created his own television special, called Eric , which was followed by a sketch comedy series of his own, The Eric Bana Show . Although this show was canceled after only eight episodes due to low ratings, it earned him a Logie Award as Most Popular Comedy Personality.

Having become a successful film actor, Bana currently has no interest in returning to comedy. Bana stated that, by the time he made the transition to film, he was "kind of burnt out" from his comic performances and that he "had had enough of it." [2]

Film career [ ]

1997–2008 [ ].

Bana made his film debut in the 1997 Australian comedy The Castle , but first earned wide recognition as an actor for his starring role as legendary criminal Mark Brandon "Chopper" Read in the 2000 film Chopper . Bana's performance in this film earned him critical acclaim and several awards, including the 2000 Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actor.

Impressed with Bana's performance in Chopper , director Ridley Scott cast Bana as "Hoot" in the war film Black Hawk Down without an audition. Also starring in Black Hawk Down was Tom Hardy , who played Shinzon in Star Trek Nemesis (the film immediately preceding Bana's Trek film), Jason Isaacs , as well as Glenn Morshower and Enrique Murciano . Afterward, Bana starred as Dr. Bruce Banner in Hulk , the 2003 film adaptation for the Marvel Comics character. Although the film was not a critical or financial success, Bana's performance was lauded and earned him a nomination from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films as "Cinescape Genre Face of the Future Award".

Bana's voice can be heard as the hammerhead shark named Anchor in Disney/ Pixar Animation Studios 's 2003 CG-animated hit Finding Nemo ; Star Trek: The Next Generation guest star Stephen Root also had a voice-over role in the film. In 2004, Bana played Prince Hector in Troy . The following year, he starred in Munich (2005), his performance in which earned him a nomination from the Australian Film Institute, again for Best Actor. Bana then starred with Drew Barrymore in the 2007 romantic comedy Lucky You .

Coincidentally, before donning the role of a Romulan, Bana played the title role of the 2007 drama Romulus, My Father . He received his second Best Actor Award from the Australian Film Institute for his performance in this film. [3] In 2006 and 2007, he played the role of Henry VIII of England in The Other Boleyn Girl opposite Benedict Cumberbatch , an historical drama released in February 2009.

Bana's participation in Star Trek led to a delay in another project, The Time Traveler's Wife with David Cowgill , a romantic science fiction story in which he played a man who suffers from uncontrollable jumps in time. Although principal photography for the film occurred before Star Trek , New Line Cinema determined they needed to shoot a new scene. By that time, Bana had shaved his head for the role of Nero. They needed to wait not only for him to regrow his hair, but for seasons to change again for the desired environment. This pushed the film's release back from Fall 2008 to August 2009. [4]

Star Trek [ ]

Star Trek promotional poster featuring Bana as Nero

Bana has stated he was a fan of Star Trek: The Original Series when he was a child, but his appreciation for the show was not the reason he signed on to do the movie. Bana said he accepted the role after reading the script (written by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman ), which he called "awesome" and said he could not resist being a part of the movie. Another factor was his friendship with the film's director and producer, J.J. Abrams . He and Abrams have the same agent, which allowed them to meet several times before the film was in production. [5] [6] [7] [8]

His casting in Star Trek was announced on 9 October 2007 . He was filming The Time Traveler's Wife when the announcement was made. [9] [10] Before Bana's casting, it was reported that Paramount Pictures were seeking Academy Award-winning actor Russell Crowe to play the role of Nero. [11] Bana was the first of three Star Trek cast members with a strong connection to comedy; his co-stars John Cho ( Sulu ) and especially Simon Pegg ( Scotty ) are also known for their comedic works.

Despite being the film's primary villain, Bana described his role as a "cameo," stating Nero to be "a great character" and that he "couldn't say no." [12] However, sources revealed to TrekMovie.com that Bana's characterization of the role as being a "cameo" was an understatement, and that Nero was much more than that. [13] Bana later clarified his statements in an interview with Cinematical :

Bana began filming his part on Star Trek sometime between 20 February and 28 February 2008. He had to miss the New York premiere of The Other Boleyn Girl due to his work on Trek . [15] For the role of Nero, Bana was required to shave his head bald, as were all other actors portraying Romulans. [16] [17] [18] His work on the film was completed by 27 March 2008 , when principal photography wrapped. [19]

Reflecting on the role in 2013, Bana noted most people did not realize he played Nero. "I still get people today who just saw Star Trek and had no idea. Someone just told me yesterday, 'You're in Star Trek , and when it came out I had no idea it was you.' That's a huge kick. No, I love that." He added he did not receive any backlash for destroying Vulcan . [20]

The 2013 virtual collectible card battle game Star Trek: Rivals is using his picture for card #104 "Romulan Captain Nero".

Post- Trek films [ ]

After finishing his work on Star Trek , Bana played the supporting role of Clarke in Funny People , a comic drama set in the world of stand-up comedy. This film also featured Andy Dick and Sarah Silverman , who appeared as themselves.

In 2009 Bana produced, directed, and starred in the documentary film Love the Beast , a "biopic" of his 1974 Ford XB Falcon, which he purchased at age 15 and has kept ever since. The film became the second-highest grossing documentary film in Australia's history. A 1973 Falcon is the signature vehicle of "Mad" Max Rockatansky, the franchise character recently played by Tom Hardy .

He then co-starred in the 2011 film Hanna as an ex-CIA operative who raises and trains his daughter to be a skilled assassin. This film's action designer, fight choreographer and stunt coordinator was Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country stuntman Jeff Imada .

Bana went on to star in Deadfall (2012), Closed Circuit (2013), Lone Survivor (2013, produced by Akiva Goldsman ) and Deliver Us from Evil (2014, co-starring Édgar Ramírez , who was considered for the role of the villain in Star Trek Into Darkness ).

He co-starred in the 2016 film The Finest Hours reuniting with Chris Pine .

In 2022, Bana provided the voice of Monterey Jac]" in Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers alongside Alan Oppenheimer and Tim Robinson .

Television Roles [ ]

Bana's latest project is the true crime series playing real life criminal John Meeehan, the title character of "Dirty John".

Personal life [ ]

Bana has been married to publicist Rebecca Gleeson since 2 August 1997. They have two children together, Klaus (born August 1999) and Sophia (born April 2002).

Bana is a motor racing enthusiast and once even considered dropping out of high school to become a full-time mechanic. He participates in various motor racing competitions in Australia.

He is also a fan of Australian rules football and is an advocate for the Mental Illness Fellowship .

References [ ]

• ↑ Pascale, Anthony. "Eric Bana To Be Star Trek Villain." [1] TrekMovie.com, 9 October 2007.
• ↑ "No more funny business, says Bana." [2] The Daily Telegraph , 27 February 2008.
• ↑ McWhirter, Eric. "Eric Bana the best with two AFI awards." [3] The Daily Telegraph , 7 December 2007.
• ↑ Topel, Fred. "How Eric Bana's shaved Trek head held up Time Traveler's Wife ." [4] SciFiWire, 27 March 2009.
• ↑ Rich, Katey. "Bana Says Nero Is The Main Trek Villain." [5] CinemaBlend.com, 11 February 2008.
• ↑ Fischer, Paul. "Exclusive Interview: Eric Bana for The Other Boleyn Girl . [6] Dark Horizons via the Internet Archive, 20 February 2008.
• ↑ Pascale, Anthony. "Bana Spoofs Star Trek Plot Details." [7] TrekMovie.com, 6 February 2008.
• ↑ "Bana calls Star Trek role irresistible." [8] United Press International, 29 February 2008.
• ↑ "Eric Bana Cast as Villain 'Nero' in New Movie." StarTrek.com, 9 October 2007. (X)
• ↑ Siegel, Tatiana. "Eric Bana set as Star Trek villain." [9] Variety , 9 October 2007.
• ↑ Stax. "Exploring The Next Star Trek ." [10] IGN Movies, 8 August 2007.
• ↑ Sutherland, Claire. "Eric Bana happy to stay on couch" [11] The Daily Telegraph , 5 February 2008.
• ↑ Pascale, Anthony. "Bana Talks A Little About Trek ." [12] TrekMovie.com, 4 February 2008.
• ↑ Stewart, Ryan. "Eric Bana Talks About Playing Nero in Star Trek " [13] Cinematical , 11 February 2008.
• ↑ Pascale, Anthony. "Eric Bana Thinks Trek Is Going To Be Fun." [14] TrekMovie.com, 2 March 2008.
• ↑ Pascale, Anthony. "Bana Shaves Head For Nero + Pegg Loses The Blond." [15] TrekMovie.com, 26 February 2008.
• ↑ TrekMovie.com staff. "Yelchin, Cho & Bana Video Interviews [UPDATED: 2 new videos]." [16] TrekMovie.com, 27 February 2008.
• ↑ Pascale, Anthony. " Star Trek Villain Spoilers." [17] TrekMovie.com, 16 May 2008.
• ↑ Pascale, Anthony. " Star Trek Wraps." [18] TrekMovie.com, 27 March 2008.
• ↑ Ryan, Mike. "Eric Bana, 'Closed Circuit' Star, Is A Lot Different Than You Probably Think He Is." [19] The Huffington Post, 26 August 2013.

External links [ ]

• Eric Bana at Wikipedia
• Eric Bana at the Internet Movie Database
• Eric Bana at Lauren Bergman Management
• Eric Bana at StarTrek.com
• 3 USS Antares (32nd century)

Star Trek: Nero #1 Review

Idw explores what happens in the years before nero met kirk..

In This Article

More Reviews by Jesse Schedeen

Ign recommends.

Why Eric Bana's Nero Is The Most Dangerous Villain In Star Trek History

When J.J. Abrams rebooted the original characters of "Star Trek," it kicked off an interesting era for the brand. His trilogy of films came before Paramount+ streaming created a monopoly on content all things Trek and had a universe all its own. To use our favorite Vulcan's iconic quote, it was fascinating. Starring Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto as the beloved duo of James T. Kirk and Spock, the films use an alternate timeline that created a series of movies all its own. This alteration allowed die-hard fans to not feel their legacy had been tarnished while also helping attract new fans.

Abrams also did this by introducing the Romulan villain, Nero (Eric Bana). After a supernova destroys his entire planet, a black hole created by Red Matter pulls Nero and his ship back in time to the day of Kirk's birth. This singular change creates a domino effect that permanently affects the course of events. Regardless if it was purposeful or not, Nero's actions do something almost unprecedented in "Star Trek" history, making him one of the most formidable villains.

Nero changed Star Trek canon forever

For almost 60 years, "Star Trek" has had some of the most legendary villains that will live on in infamy. The Borg Queen is one who never gets old because of the existential dread she inspires. As the leader of the Borg hive, her only interest is in simulating people into her extensive network and erasing all sense of identity. Captain Jean-Luc Picard's (Patrick Stewart) temporary assimilation causes residual trauma that never leaves him. Khan reappears in "Star Trek: Into Darkness" and "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," because of his relevance to the Eugenics Wars. But no matter how singular these villains are, Nero has done something they have not.

Nero traveling back in time and destroying Vulcan is so savage and permanent that other villains pale in comparison. Not only does he enact genocide against the Vulcans, but his damage to the "Star Trek" timeline can never be corrected. The timeline in the reboot has changed the course of Kirk and Spock forever. Kirk has to live with the death of his mentor Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood), even though he lives on in the prime timeline. This change was so severe that in "Into Darkness," Kirk is the one who dies from radiation, and not Spock as portrayed in "The Wrath of Khan." This substantial change can only be compared to another antagonist in "Star Trek" history –  Q (John de Lancie) is a villain who returns time and again after being introduced in "Star Trek: The Next Generation."

Only Q has had as much of an impact

John de Lancie has only appeared in "Star Trek" a dozen or so times as Q, but that is the beauty of his character. As an omnipotent god-like being, he can come and go as he pleases, and there is no way to defeat him. He is such a hallmark of the series, that he even returned for Paramount+'s "Star Trek: Picard" as a touchstone for the former captain. As soon as de Lancie heard the plan for his character, he was on board. "I asked how they were going to deal with the age and that type of stuff. And [showrunner Terry Matalas] said, 'We will [make it happen] and more importantly, we want you how you are now,'" de Lancie told The Hollywood Reporter . 

No one could doubt that Q is a more endearing villain than Nero. The actor has been a part of the "Star Trek" universe for decades and is as welcome as "The Next Generation" crew. And that is why Nero is that much more insidious. Though Q can rewrite realities and play the Enterprise crew like pieces on a chessboard, he is ultimately a trickster figure. He never does anything that cannot be undone — even if it's just by the grace of his power. Nero has no such aspirations. He has no redemption. He only wants to cause suffering, and in a universe that values its utopian society, there is nothing worse than that.

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Published Oct 25, 2010

Scottie Thompson Interview

Vulcan died for Scottie Thompson – sort of. In Star Trek (2009) , Nero (Eric Bana) sought vengeance against Spock (Leonard Nimoy/Zachary Quinto) – and ultimately destroyed the Vulcan’s home world -- because he blamed Spock for the death of his beloved, pregnant wife. Thompson played the unnamed spouse in a brief but pivotal Nero-Kirk (Chris Pine) sequence in which she appeared as a holographic image that Nero showed to Pike (Bruce Greenwood); the character did have a name, Mandana, in the comic book Star Trek: Countdown. The actress, who hails from Virginia, count among her credits several episodes of Brotherhood, a recurring role on NCIS , a regular stint as Diana on Trauma , and her latest project, the sci-fi film Skyline . StarTrek.com caught up with Thompson on the Skyline promotional trail and chatted with her about the November 12 release, as well as Star Trek, additional films on the way and her career in general.

Your role in Star Trek was small but important. How did it come about?

Thompson: I just went in and I knew that (the character) hadn’t seen Nero in a while and I got to be in my own little Romulan land. It was so funny when I got the job. I said to the producer, “I just want to thank you because I’ve gone through my whole life identifying myself over the phone for restaurant reservations, saying ‘Scottie Thompson.’ And they’d say, ‘Dottie?’ And I’d say, ‘Scotty; like beam me up.’ So when I found out they were doing Star Trek I was like, “I have to be in this movie. I don’t care what my role is.’ ” The producer was like, “You have an alien look to you,” and he meant it in a good way, like otherworldly. So I guess it was meant to be.

Take us to shooting your scene…

Thompson: Working with J.J. Abrams, he’s amazing. He’s just so positive and has so much energy. The scene I did was more like a photo shoot in that I was just kind of floating about in this almond grove. I remember him saying, “Oh, you’re really good.” He’d give me these little stories and I’d just go into my head. He said, “Have you done this before?” because it was like modeling, the way I was dealing with the camera. I said, “No. I guess I’m really good at my little world that I like to float around in.”

How surprised were you that Abrams didn’t leave the scene to a second unit director?

Thompson: He was there and knew what he wanted, and he got it very efficiently. It was so exciting for me.

You must’ve been pleased your scene made the final cut…

Thompson: I was very excited. I was slightly green. I was surprised because I knew they were cutting things out. Up until the last minute I was checking on IMDB to see if it’d end up being (“Scenes Deleted”). I remember somebody sending me a Facebook message and saying, “Hey, I just saw you in the movie,” because they saw it before I did. I was like, “Yeah!” That’s a whole awesome world, the Star Trek world, and it’s exciting to be a part of that.

Skyline will open on November 12. You and Eric Balfour play a New York couple visiting L.A. just as an alien invasion begins. Is your character, Elaine, a hero, in need of saving or something in between?

Thompson: She’s kind of an alien herself. She doesn’t feel at home in the environment she’s in in L.A., with the people she’s with there. That’s why I say she’s an alien herself. She feels alone in how she interprets how to handle the situation, whether or not to stay put. She’s struggling with a personal issue as well. There is a little relationship problem going on that’s making her feel out of her own skin. But she is someone who knows what she wants by the end. Knowing what she wants helps her gain a lot of strength. She’s probably more certain of herself than most of the other people throughout the film, but she’s weighing a lot of factors and loses her footing at certain points, then finds it by the end.

How much running, jumping and screaming was required of you?

Thompson: There was a ton of running, jumping and screaming. I hadn’t done a lot of sci-fi filming before, and definitely not on this scale. I did a lot of viewing of sci-fi to study it and gained a greater appreciation for it going into Skyline, but actually filming it, I didn’t realize it’d be such an emotional experience. You’re running, screaming, crying, and your life is about to end in at least one shot you do a day, if not more than that. But at least once a day I was contemplating the threat of death. There were two weeks that involved a whole lot of physical activity, which I thoroughly enjoyed doing. Usually you’re sitting around on a set, even if you’re shooting, so it was an amazingly exciting experience to be able to run around and scream and run away from aliens.

You’ve been working your way up the Hollywood food chain. How happy are you with your progress?

Thompson: I like the term roller coaster. It’s not as easy as it looks once you’re inside the beast. I’m so happy about Skyline and now I’m in the middle of nowhere, in Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia, doing Lake Effects . It’s a dramedy, I guess you’d call it, and a character-driven piece. That’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time, and I’m playing the lead. Television has been really nice to me. I had a fun run on Trauma. I’ve definitely had my dry spells, so I can’t complain at all. I’m excited about what I’ve going on now, and I’ve yet to work with someone I didn’t like and I’ve yet to have a bad experience. I’ve met inspiring people and I’ve enjoyed the process, so…

You’ve also completed Porn Star and Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda. What can you tell us about those films?

Thompson: Porn Star, not the greatest title. I play the only non-porn person in it. I play the wife of a porn director. So I’m a struggling actress in L.A. Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda is a romantic-comedy set in London, and I play the lead. But I don’t really know the status of that, of either of them.

Let’s end with a Star Trek edition of Six Degrees of Separation. You were in Center Stage, which co-starred Zoe Saldana, and Diora Baird, who played an Orion slave in Star Trek , is with you in Porn Star …

Thompson: When I did Center Stage I was actually in New York because I was on my way to doing professional ballet at the time. They randomly picked a few of us to be extras. So I literally walked down the street in Center Stage. And, yes, Diora is in Porn Star. It was funny when I ran into her and we’d both been cast in Star Trek. I think she’d already filmed her work and I hadn’t done mine. She was covered in green the whole time. I think she actually had a larger speaking role than I did (before the final editing was done, in which Baird’s scene was cut).

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• Space Exploration

Screen Rant

Star trek's 2009 movie hid the full power of nero's ship (& its borg connection).

The Narada, Nero's ship in the 2009 Star Trek film, had a much deeper history than fans initially thought - including a tie to the Borg!

Nero, the villain of 2009’s Star Trek film, had a powerful ship - but the movie obscured just how dangerous it was. The ship, called the Narada , was the instrument of Nero’s vengeance against Spock and the Federation, but as revealed in Star Trek: Countdown (the comic prequel to the movie), it was far deadlier than anyone realized, easily rivaling anything in the 23rd - and even the 24th - centuries.

By the early 2000s, the Star Trek franchise was seemingly running out of gas, and Paramount decided to completely reboot the franchise, creating an alternate timeline (called the Kelvin timeline) that allowed the studio to recast the iconic roles of Kirk and Spock. However, writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman needed a way to create this timeline. Enter Nero and the Narada. Thrown back to the 23rd century by a singularity, the Narada attacked the USS Kelvin , thus creating a new timeline. The Narada was a massive and awe-inspiring ship, but its origins were not revealed in the film. However, IDW Publishing released a special, four-issue miniseries, Star Trek: Countdown that bridged the gap between the Prime and Kelvin timelines - and readers learned the Narada ’s shocking origin.

Related: Star Trek Officially Names the Best Ship in the Federation's Fleet

The Narada Was the Romulans' Greatest Accomplishment

Star Trek: Countdown #3 is written by Mike Johnson and Tim Jones, working from a story by Kurtzman and Orci, and was drawn by David Messina. The Romulan home world has just been destroyed by a supernova, and Nero blames both Spock and the Federation for his loss. A miner, Nero takes his ship to a secret Romulan facility, whose existence is known only to a few. The station’s commander welcomes him and gives him a tour of the facility. She reveals the existence of a new, Romulan super-ship, one created from Borg technology, which has been adapted to Romulan designs. This innovation will give Romulan ships superior firepower, warp and cloaking capabilities; furthermore, the weapon can identify and adapt to various threats. The commander feels the Narada would be an excellent choice to be fitted with the weapon.

Nero Was Using Borg Technology

This issue reveals the Narada’s backstory, and it runs far deeper than movie fans realized. The Narada was a unique looking ship, not conforming to any known Romulan designs. The reason: it was made from Borg technology , and upon a closer look, fans can see subtle hints of the Borg in the superweapon fitted onto the Narada . A centerpiece of Borg tech is the ability to adapt to any attack, and the Narada has this feature as well. Perhaps a true testament to the Narada’s power and strength came when Captain Kirk’s father piloted the Kelvin directly into the enemy ship; while it disabled the Narada , it failed to destroy it. Nero repaired it and embarked on a crusade of revenge.

As stated earlier, the Narada was light years ahead of anything else seen in the 24th century, outside a Borg cube. By traveling back to the 23rd century, Nero and the Narada far outclassed any other Federation vessel, but it still was not enough to save him from defeat at the hands of the Enterprise crew. The Narada was lost at the end of the movie, marking an end for one of Star Trek ’s most powerful ships.

Star Trek: Nero

From wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Star Trek: Nero is a four-issue comic book prequel to the 2009 film Star Trek and sequel of the previous book Star Trek: Countdown , both by IDW Publishing . It follows the character of the Romulan Nero and his crew in the time between the destruction of the USS Kelvin and the kidnapping of Spock .

• by Shaun Corley
• ScreenRant.com

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