Ride of the Week Goes to Actor Jonathan Banks for Heading to Wheels and Waves!

RIDE OF THE WEEK is Actor Jonathan Banks heading to Wheels and Waves!

It’s amazing how things happen in this town and how cars bring people together. 

Just the other day, a friend and I were getting coffee at a local Bu coffee joint where we ran into actor and professional bad guy, Jonathan Banks from “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul.” And not too prior were we talking about how villains in movies are actually really great people with immense senses of humor and a joy to be around. Case in point are a lot of my stunt friends, who constantly get killed in movies as bad guys. Love ‘em.

Well, here we were talking with Banks, ultimate bad guy who’s been offed so many times in movies and TV that God is having a hard time remembering if he’s passed on or not. And lo and behold, Johnny and his son love cars. So, one ride led to another and he graciously opted to be our guest for this up and coming Wheels and Waves at the Malibu Country Mart on Sunday, Feb. 19.

Now, if you don’t know who Johnny Banks is, crawl out from your rock and let me give you a skinny on his massive tour de TV destruction. I first cast eyes on Banks’ creepiness in “Beverly Hills Cop” against Eddie Murphy. Scary as hell with an inner passion for unraveling your psyche. But his career started way before … back in ‘74 (Hey, I made a rhyme!) Better still, here’s some highlights. 

From “Barnaby Jones” (which my dad wrote for at the time) to “The Waltons,” “Airplane!”, “Lou Grant,” “T.J. Hooker,” “48 Hrs,” “Simon & Simon,” “Jessie” (which was a show my dad created), “Walker, Texas Ranger” with my Uncle Chuck, and a heap of others. Finally landing some small insignificant rolls in two shows you’ve probably never heard of … “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul.” Whaaaa!!!!!?? A total so far of 163 projects and going strong. (Geez … that coffee really works brutha!)

So it’s with great honor (and a little fear) that Mr. Banks will be joining us for this weekend’s Wheels and Waves, barring a maelstrom of rain. Keep your tiny toes crossed, ’cause if it does rain, I’ll be sitting in Starbucks alone and cold. 

If the rain stays away (and it better or I’ll sick Banks on Mother Nature), then Sunday should be an awesome day for amazing cars at Malibu Country Mart.

And one last note to mention is that Starbucks has now stepped up to the plate to cast a latte shadow over the show as our go-to java joint for Wheels and Waves. Not only will they serve up the joe to the first 100 cars, but one of their baristas will be baking us a car cake just for Sunday. 

So, if you plan on attending this weekend’s Wheels and Waves, (car or no car) if it rains I’ll be buying coffee from the inside. If the sun peeks her head and doesn’t run for the hills from our guest, then we’ll be whoopin’ it up with tons of four-wheeled contraptions. See you there!

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