Eric Bana began his career as a comedian in the sketch comedy series Full Frontal and gained critical recognition in the biopic Chopper (2000). After a decade of critically acclaimed roles in Australian television shows and films, Bana gained Hollywood's attention after landing the role of American Delta Sergeant Norm 'Hoot' Gibson in Black Hawk Down (2001), before his breakthrough in 2003 when he was featured in the lead role as Bruce Banner in the Ang Lee directed film Hulk (2003).

He has become both an accomplished dramatic actor as well as comedian, and has received Australia's highest film and television awards for his performances in Full Frontal and Chopper. Bana performs predominantly in leading roles in a variety of low-budget and major studio films, ranging from romantic comedies and drama to science fiction and action thrillers. His most popular films include Hulk (2003), Troy (2004), and Munich (2005).

In 1993, Bana was invited to perform on Steve Vizard's late night talk show, Tonight Live, making his television debut. His performance gained the attention of producers from the sketch comedy series, Full Frontal, who invited him to join the show as a writer and performer. His impressions of Columbo, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, and Tom Cruise made Bana popular with the show's audience. His increasing popularity on Full Frontal led to his own television special titled Eric in 1996. The show, a collection of sketches featuring everyday characters, was a success and the following year he launched his own sketch comedy series The Eric Bana Show. The series, written and performed by Bana, featured skits, stand-up and celebrity guests; but failed to attract a substantial audience and was cancelled due to low ratings.

In 1997, Bana made his film debut in the Australian movie The Castle, which told the story of a Melbourne-based family's struggles. He was featured in a supporting comedic role as Con Petropoulous, a kickboxing accountant. The Castle was a critical and financial success, but its humour was not well received by audiences outside of Australia. Also that year, Bana received the Logie Award for "Most Popular Comedian" for his work on The Eric Bana Show.

In 1997, Bana was approached by director Andrew Dominik to appear in the film Chopper (2000), a biopic based on the life of infamous Australian criminal Chopper Read. Dominik had been working on the project for five years and had been having a difficult time finding an actor to portray Read. It was only after Read himself suggested Bana, having seen him perform a skit on television, did Dominik consider him for the part, even though he had little experience in dramatic roles.

In 2001, director Ridley Scott cast Bana as an American soldier in the film Black Hawk Down (2001). Scott had been impressed by Bana's performance in Chopper, using the film as his audition tape. In the film he played Sergeant First Class Norm 'Hoot' Gibson, an elite Delta Force soldier, who has to fight his way out of a battle in Mogadishu, Somalia after a mission to capture two top lieutenants of a renegade warlord goes awry. Bana shed the weight he had gained for Chopper and began a strict exercise regime months before filming began. He also met and trained with Delta Force operatives at Fort Bragg, learning to fire weapons and clear rooms. The film was met with positive reviews and was number one at the American box office for four weeks after it opened.

In 2004, Bana co-starred with Brad Pitt in the big-budget film Troy. In the film based on Homer's epic poem Iliad, he played Prince Hector, leader of the Trojan forces battling against the Greek warrior Achilles. Director Wolfgang Petersen offered him a role in the film after meeting with Brad Pitt, who admired Bana for his work in Chopper. The film was a major success at the international box office, grossing $364 million since its release. In North America however, it was a commercial disappointment, grossing less than $133 million. After the commercial failure of Hulk the previous year and the American box office disappointment of Troy, critics questioned Bana's bank ability in big-budget films. He commented about the situation in Empire Magazine: "It's not like it [Hulk] was a flop. When you're on a long shoot it is a long personal investment. If I wasn't happy with the end result I'd be bloody upset, but in every case so far I've been happy. Troy could take $50 and I wouldn't regret it."

The following year, Bana co-starred with Daniel Craig and Geoffrey Rush in Steven Spielberg's controversial film Munich. In the film Bana played Avner, a Mossad agent, who is ordered to track down and kill the Black September terrorists thought to be responsible for the massacre of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Summer Olympics. Munich caused controversy and heated debates upon its release from both Israeli and Palestinian political leaders, who argued that the film did not take a political stance and humanized the members of Black September. The film was a critical success, and was nominated for five Academy Awards in 2006. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel wrote that Bana as Avner is "excellent as he's forced to come to grips with the morality of the task he's undertaken."

Lucky You, a romantic comedy Bana had worked on prior to filming Munich, is scheduled for release at the end of September 2006. In the film he plays Huck Cheever, a professional poker player who must overcome his personal problems to win a high stakes tournament in Las Vegas. He is currently filming Romulus, My Father in Australia.

In 2005, Bana narrated the documentary Terrors of Tasmania about the endangered Tasmanian Devil. The film was created to raise awarness about an incurable facial cancer which threatens the survival of the species. He has also worked with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, donating money to animal shelters in Berlin while filiming Troy in 2004.