ACT Dance Model Sing Magazine Issue 28 | Page 8

DAVID BANKS From Heavy Metal Man to Funny Man David Banks is an American film and television actor and musician. He has appeared in more than 100 television commercials in roles of leading man, boyfriend, son, husband, father, the regular guy/common man, poor sap, the dorky guy, complaining idiot and more. In 2004, David Banks made his film debut in the drama DOING HARD TIME with Steven Bauer, Boris Kodjoe, Michael Kenneth Williams, and Giancarlo Esposito. David studied and performed at The Groundlings in Los Angeles. Alumni include John Lovitz, Will Farrell, Chris Katan, and Lisa Kudrow. David has appeared in commercials for Coors Light, Samsung, Eastwood, Reebok, Motorola, Best Buy, Hoover, Elephant Insurance, Little Caesar’s, Comcast, Red Robin, Mitsubishi, EA Games, Ditech, Milk, and Citibank, among others. He was selected to join Lisa Kudrow, Janeane Garofalo, and Fred Willard in the new cartoon LOVESICK FOOL, directed by Dominic Polcino (The Simpsons, Family Guy, and King of the Hill). David Banks is also a writer and co-wrote the film CUT! in 2014, about an ex-con and an aspiring filmmaker who set out to make a film; however, when it goes too far –– someone actually dies –– the pair decide that killing for real on film is the way to make a truly terrifying movie. David just finished shooting alongside Heather Graham in her directorial debut HALF MAGIC with Chris D'Elia, Molly Shannon, Thomas Lennon, and Stephanie Beatriz. In addition to acting, David plays drums for The 3 Heads. His band has shared the stage with Sara Bareilles, Five for Fighting, The Crash Kings, Dishwalla, Gary Jules, and DaDa. Whenever I need a good laugh or feel like having coffee squirt out of my nose, I look up David Banks. He calls himself an actor, but in reality, he has no reality, so he can call himself whatever he wants and it fits perfectly for whatever mood he’s in that day. Watch David Bank’s 2016 commercial reel (on ACT's Facebook page or www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=188&v=-2cE0bttz8A) , or read the interview then you MUST view on the video. As soon as I saw MTV exchange the heavy hitting bands like Def Leppard and Whitesnake, for Alice & Chains and Pearl Jam, I knew I was doomed. I traded in my drums sticks and cans of Aqua Net for a suit and some silly Groundlings classes. Were you in bands growing up? I always had a few bands at any given time. I think its a typical ADHD drummer thing. We can never really focus on just one thing at a time. David Banks made the move to Los Angeles right after high school to attend Musicians Institute and be in the next heavy metal super group. That's because the day he made that decision, he'd also decided he was a rock star. I was driving my parents nuts with eight hours a day of drumming and having several band practices throughout the week in our music room. I would only leave the room for an occasional bathroom break and a few fig newtons from the kitchen. I blame my mom for blasting Fleetwood Mac so loud as a child. That was your life plan? When did you find out you were funny? Well that was the plan until what I call the Nirvana phase took over. I was never a fan of the sad, suicidal Seattle scene. Plus I never looked good in flannel shirts. ActDanceModelSing.com Well, I still don’t see it. But I tend to look for the odd, quirky, offbeat side of anything. I’m usually the guy laughing at things that aren’t supposed Page 8