He might be a Hollywood heavy hitter these days, but Melbourne-born actor Eric Bana is happiest in his role as a husband to Rebecca and father of two gorgeous kids – Klaus, 26, and Sophia, 23.
Eric, who first caught our attention in the Aussie sketch series Full Frontal, is, at heart, an introvert who doesn’t parade his family. In the past he wasn’t one to take his children along to premieres, or to expose them to the limelight that surrounds him since Hollywood came calling.
But one of his two children is now keen on following Eric’s footsteps into the spotlight…
Here’s everything to know about his wife and children.
Eric married his wife, publicist Rebecca Bana (née Gleeson), in 1997. (Credit: Getty)
HOW ERIC BANA MET HIS WIFE REBECCA
It was while working on Full Frontal in 1995 that Eric Bana – born Eric Banadinović – met and fell in love with Seven Network publicist Rebecca Gleeson.
The following year he was awarded the highly coveted title of Cleo‘s Bachelor of the Year, and as such was awarded a trip to America as part of the prize. In a sweet twist, it was on this trip that he proposed to Rebecca, and the lovebirds were wed in 1997, farewelling the bachelorhood that won him the trip in the first place!
The pair are one of Hollywood’s most stunning couples, known for supporting each other through parenthood and their careers. Rebecca Bana is an extremely talented portrait photographer, and Eric has proudly shared her work on his social media.
And it sounds like, when it comes to marriage, Eric is an old-fashioned kinda guy.
“For whatever reason, every Australian publication gets my wife’s name wrong,” he previously shared in an interview with the Daily Telegraph. “It’s Rebecca Bana, not Rebecca Gleeson. Always has been, ever since we married.”
Eric Bana, daughter Sophia and wife Rebecca Bana on the premiere of The Dry: Force of Nature in 2024. (Credit: Getty)
ERIC BANA’S TWO CHILDREN
In August 1998 the couple welcomed their first child, Klaus. He was joined by younger sister Sophia in April 2002.
Marriage and parenthood are what bring Eric the greatest joy, and while he doesn’t say too much about it, he confessed to the Daily Telegraph that he sees himself as “an ordinary dad with an extraordinary job”.
He described being a parent as: “the best job, the most rewarding job; it’s the one that takes the most amount of thought and energy, but it’s worth every bit of energy you put into it. It’s the best thing.”
But he has been keen to point out that he will not give too many details about his private or family life.
“I’m good about keeping that stuff to myself,” he revealed.
Mini-me. Klaus bears a strong resemblance to his famous father. (Credit: Instagram/@rebecca_bana_photography)
In a 2022 interview with the Herald Sun, Sophia revealed that she was following her famous father’s footsteps and pursuing her passion for acting.
”I’ve been trying to audition for anything and everything that I can, as much for the experience as for anything else,” Sophia said.
”I’m really enjoying getting to spend time working on acting as another craft away from modelling and dancing.
”Acting has always been something I am passionate about and hoped to pursue. I am really looking forward to having a bit more time available next year to take acting classes and put more energy into it since full time (dancing) is over.
”However, I’m not putting pressure on myself to launch into it and instead am focusing on enjoying the process and learning.”
In the interview, Sophia also wanted to make it clear that she doesn’t rely on the star power of her parents for industry opportunities.
”I don’t ask my parents for much advice when it comes to these things as I can be quite stubborn, but the main things that they have taught me this year as a whole is to keep going with my Uni degree, to nurture all my passions and to throw as many balls in the air as possible and the right opportunities will land,” she said.
Sophia has since become a model, making her runway debut at Melbourne Fashion Week in 2024.
Sophia wowed at the 2022 NGV Gala. (Credit: Getty)
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