He reprised the role as a lead character in the spin-off series Better Call Saul (2015–2022) and its sequel film, El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019).

He also appeared prominently in the fifth season of Community (2014) and provided the voice of Commissioner Jim Gordon in the video game Batman: Arkham Knight (2015).

[5] Banks graduated from Northwood High School in Silver Spring,[6] and attended Indiana University Bloomington,[7] where he was a classmate of actor Kevin Kline.

[14] During the late 1970s and early 1980s, he appeared in television films such as The Girl in the Empty Grave (1977),[15] Alexander: The Other Side of Dawn,[16] The Ordeal of Patty Hearst (1979),[17] She's Dressed to Kill (1979),[18] Rage (1980),[19] Desperate Voyage (1980).

[23] Banks also acted in numerous films such as Frances (1982),[24] Beverly Hills Cop (1984),[25] Gremlins (1984),[26] Buckaroo Banzai (1984),[27] Armed and Dangerous (1986),[28] Cold Steel (1987),[29] and Honeymoon Academy (1990).

[51] In 1994, Banks had guest appearances in the television shows Matlock,[52] Highlander: The Series,[53] Walker, Texas Ranger,[54] and Tales from the Crypt.

[67] In 2009, Banks gained acclaim for his portrayal of Mike Ehrmantraut in the AMC crime series second season of Breaking Bad starring Bryan Cranston.

[68] His films in the 2010s include Identity Thief (2013),[69] Bullet (2014),[70] and Horrible Bosses 2 (2014),[71] Banks had a recurring role as Buzz Hickey in the fifth season of the NBC sitcom Community.

[74] Set several years before the events of Breaking Bad, the show greatly expanded Ehrmantraut's character and backstory, and Banks ultimately appeared in 61 of the series' 63 episodes.

[76] In 2015, he voiced James Gordon in the video game Batman: Arkham Knight,[77] and was a guest on the MythBusters episode "Supernatural Shooters".

[84] In 2020, Banks joined the cast of the Netflix animated series F Is for Family in its fourth season as Bill Murphy, father of the main character.