Jonathan Banks

Jonathan Banks plays Mike Ehrmantraut in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. His dry voice and economical reactions make Mike look like a man who would prefer everyone to stop complicating the job. The humour is often in how little patience he has left, rather than in any attempt to tell a joke.

Banks had a long career before Mike, including Frank McPike in Wiseguy and film roles in Beverly Hills Cop and 48 Hrs. He brings that experience to a character whose history feels present even when it isn't being discussed.

He also plays Buzz Hickey in Community, where the same blunt delivery works in a very different comic world. Banks can suggest weariness without losing alertness: you believe the character is tired of the conversation, not that he has stopped paying attention.