The Big Picture After making his Hollywood debut in Black Hawk Down, Eric Bana embarked on an impressive run of work alongside A-list talent both in front of and behind the camera. On the heels of Ridley Scott's 2001 war film, Bana landed the titular role in Hulk, Ang Lee's comic book adaptation that was initially met with a mixed reception but has since garnered reappraisal as one of the most ambitious and underappreciated in the genre.
Chopper RCrimeDramaThrillerBiography Mark "Chopper" Read's life, from his rise in the Australian criminal underworld to his time in prison, is portrayed through a series of brutal and darkly comedic vignettes. The film explores Chopper's complex personality, capturing his charm, volatility, and notorious reputation.
According to the cited piece from The Guardian, while incarcerated, Read's infamous profile steadily rose thanks to his scuffles with fellow inmates. One such incident saw Read ask another prisoner to cut his ears off to facilitate his transfer to a safer population. Some have claimed this stunt led to the nickname "Chopper," while others have posited different theories. Shortly after, Read was nearly killed when gang members he ran with stabbed him multiple times.
Eric Bana Gives His Greatest Performance in 'Chopper' Close Though he has played a variety of characters, spoken in a variety of accents, and tried his hand at multiple genres since his portrayal as Mark "Chopper" Read, Eric Bana's turn as the menacing Australian criminal in Chopper remains his most powerful and striking performance.