Simon Baker
Simon Baker is an Australian actor and director, born on July 30, 1969, in Launceston, Tasmania. He grew up in New South Wales, where he developed a passion for swimming and surfing. Before pursuing acting, Baker held various jobs, including working as a brick laborer and in hospitality, experiences that he credits with helping him develop his acting skills. Baker's career began in Australian television, notably with roles in soap operas such as "E Street" and "Home and Away."
He achieved significant success in Hollywood, starring in the acclaimed series "The Mentalist" from 2008 to 2015, where he portrayed Patrick Jane, a role that garnered multiple award nominations. Baker has also appeared in a variety of films, including "The Devil Wears Prada" and "Margin Call." He was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2013. Off-screen, Baker is married to actress Rebecca Rigg and they have three children. His journey reflects a versatile career marked by both dramatic and comedic roles, showcasing a blend of charisma and complexity.
Subject Terms
Simon Baker
Actor
- Born: July 30, 1969
- Birthplace: Launceston, Australia
Contribution: Simon Baker is an Emmy Award– and Golden Globe–nominated Australian actor best known for his lead roles on the CBS dramas The Guardian (2001–4) and The Mentalist (2008–15).
Background
Simon Baker was born on July 30, 1969, in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia, to Barry Baker and Elizabeth Labberton. His parents divorced when he was a child, and his mother married Tom Denny. The family moved to New South Wales, where Baker developed a love of swimming and the ocean, and he picked up surfing.
Baker was raised Catholic by a domineering stepfather, but he later stopped practicing the religion. Before he became an actor, he worked in an array of odd jobs. He spent time as a brick laborer, mixing cement for masons. He also washed dishes, mowed lawns, and worked in various positions at Australian pubs. Baker later said that the wide range of jobs helped him get into character when he first became an actor.
After high school, Baker moved to Sydney to pursue an acting career. While there, he landed several minor roles and appeared in a music video.
Career
Baker’s early acting roles included several Australian television movies and series, stage work, and short films. In 1992 he was cast on the Australian soap opera E Street, where he stayed until the show ended the following year. Next, he made guest appearances on several shows, including A Country Practice (1993) and the soap opera Home and Away (1993–94). Baker then landed a recurring role on the popular Australian teen drama Heartbreak High (1996–97).
Although Baker had not done any serious film work in Australia, he decided to move to Hollywood to expand his résumé. Soon after moving to Los Angeles, the actor landed a small supporting role in the 1997 crime film LA Confidential, which starred fellow Australians Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce. He then appeared in Most Wanted (1997) and the 1998 independent films Restaurant and Judas Kiss.
In 1999 Baker had a main role in the western film Ride with the Devil, directed by Ang Lee. He then made a minor appearance in the 2000 science-fiction film Red Planet. He followed this with the role of the cunning French soldier and womanizer Retaux de Villette in the French Revolution–era The Affair of the Necklace (2001).
Around this time, Baker turned to television work, landing the lead role of Nick Fallin on the CBS series The Guardian (2001–4). In the series, Baker plays a corporate lawyer who is convicted of drug charges and sentenced to work as a legal child advocate. The Guardian aired for three seasons and earned Baker a Golden Globe nomination for best actor.
Baker then returned to film, appearing in the little-seen films Book of Love (2004) and Something New (2006). In 2005, he played the lead in the George Romero zombie film Land of the Dead and had a significant role in The Ring Two. The following year, he played opposite Anne Hathaway in The Devil Wears Prada (2006).
After the failed television series Smith (2006), in which he played a main character, Baker starred in the dark comedy Sex and Death 101 (2007). He then had another big break in 2008, when he began appearing in the lead role in CBS’s police procedural The Mentalist. Baker plays Patrick Jane, a fraud psychic who, after the murder of his family, works as a consultant to crime investigators. Baker’s Jane was a big hit among critics and fans alike, and in 2009 and 2010, Baker was nominated for Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild Awards, all for best lead actor in a drama series.
In addition to his work on The Mentalist—in which he starred for seven seasons until it was canceled in 2015—Baker continued to appear in films. In 2011, he appeared in the independent film Margin Call as a dirty financial executive, and in 2013, he starred in the British romantic comedy I Give It a Year. On February 14, 2013, he was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, an honor presented to him by Mentalist creator Bruno Heller and The Ring Two costar Naomi Watts.
Baker next starred as a surfing mentor to two teenagers in the 2017 drama Breath, before costarring alongside Renée Zellweger and Sarah Jessica Parker in the romantic drama Here and Now (2018). In 2019, he starred in the Australian action thriller High Ground.
Impact
Baker has come a long way since his early days in Australian soap operas of the 1990s. He appeared in numerous films before breaking into American television with The Guardian and then finding explosive success with The Mentalist, bringing to both roles the peculiar mix of arrogance and charm that has made this versatile actor famous.
Personal Life
Baker married actress Rebecca Rigg in 1998. The couple have three children, daughter Stella Breeze and sons Claude Blue and Harry Friday. Fellow Australian actor Nicole Kidman is Harry’s godmother, and Watts is Claude’s.
Principal Works
Film
LA Confidential, 1997
Ride with the Devil, 1999
The Affair of the Necklace, 2001
Land of the Dead, 2005
The Ring Two, 2005
The Devil Wears Prada, 2006
The Lodger, 2009
Not Forgotten, 2009
Margin Call, 2011
I Give It a Year, 2013
Breath, 2017
Here and Now, 2018
High Ground, 2019
Television
E Street, 1992–93
Home and Away, 1993–94
The Guardian, 2001–4
Smith, 2006
The Mentalist, 2008–15
Bibliography
Baker, Simon. “‘Mentalist’ Simon Baker Still Has His First Wife, Three Kids and a Yawning Disregard for Stardom.” Interview by Debbie Little. New York Post. NYP Holdings, 18 Oct. 2010. Web. 2 Aug. 2013.
Lee, Luaine. “TV Note: Guardian’s Simon Baker Refocuses Anger of Youth into Busy Career.” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. PG, 2 Jan. 2003. Web. 2 Aug. 2013.
Logan, Michael. “Spoiler Alert: Simon Baker Talks about The Mentalist’s Shocking Season Finale.” TV Guide. CBS Interactive, 20 May 2011. Web. 1 Aug. 2013.
“The Mentalist Actor Simon Baker Receives Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame.” AceShowbiz. AceShowbiz.com, 15 Feb. 2013. Web. 2 Aug. 2013.
“Mentalist Star Simon Baker: The Charm Is No Act.” CBS News. CBS Interactive, 6 May 2012. Web. 2 Aug. 2013.