Simon Baker: biography, filmography and personal life of the actor (photo)

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Simon Baker is one of the most famous Australian actors today. He actively acts in films and TV shows, works as a director and brings up three children. And today, when the series "The Mentalist" with the participation of the actor is very popular, fans are increasingly interested in the biographical data of the artist.

Simon Baker: biography and childhood

The actor was born on July 30, 1969 in the town of Launceston, in the Australian state of Tasmania. His mother was a teacher at a school where she taught English. And Barry Baker's father was a gardener and mechanic. When the boy was two years old, his parents divorced. And some time later, the mother remarried the butcher Tom Denny. By the way, the famous actor has a sister and half-brother. And at the beginning of his acting career, Simon often used the name of his stepfather.

In the early 1970s, the family moved to the city of Ballina, which is located in New South Wales. Here is Simon Baker andfinishes school. By the way, not all fans know that the now famous actor was an athlete in his school years. He often won prizes in water polo and surfing competitions, and spent his free time on the ocean coast.

After graduating from high school, the guy moved to Sydney, where he entered a medical college - he planned to become a nurse. But he never completed his education, as he became seriously interested in acting.

The beginning of an acting career

Simon got on television quite by accident. As some sources confirm, while studying at a medical school, he went with a friend to a casting just for “moral support”, since he was not going to participate in the tests. But the good-looking guy was noticed and offered a job.

In the late 1980s, Simon Baker appears on Australian television, though under the name of Simon Denny. First, he starred in several videos. In particular, he worked with Melissa Tkautz on the song Read My Lips. He can also be seen in Trio Euphoria's video for the song Love You Right. And in 1991, he made his debut - he played James Healy in the popular Australian TV series Home and Away. He went on to star in several more soap operas, including Heartbreak School.

First hits in Hollywood

In 1995, the actor moved to Los Angeles and attended auditions from time to time. Luck smiled on him. In 1997, the first American film appeared, starring Simon Baker. His filmography was replenished with the famousa picture called "LA Confidential", where he played a small role of Matt Reynolds. By the way, this picture received two Oscar statuettes. Although Simon's role was not very important, his work in a popular film gave "weight" to his portfolio.

In 2000, two films with his participation were released at once. He starred as Michael Scott in Sex, Drugs and the Sunset Strip and also played Chip Pettengill in the sci-fi film Red Planet.

A year later, the actor appears as Reto de Villette in the historical drama based on the true events "The Story of the Necklace".

The Protector series and the long-awaited recognition

On September 25, 2001, the first episode of The Protector was released, where Simon Baker played the main role. Here he appeared before the audience in the form of arrogant and arrogant corporate lawyer Nick Fallin.

Successful lawyer sentenced to community service for possession of drugs. Now, in addition to his main activity, he must work for free in the public legal service of Pittsburgh, protecting the interests of low-income families and minor children.

Without a doubt, this role has become one of the brightest in the career of an actor. In 2002, he received the Family Television Awards as "Best Actor". In the same year, he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Television Drama Series.

Simon Baker Filmography

After the end of the seriesthe actor began acting in films of various genres. In particular, he is present in one of the episodes of the popular series Grey's Anatomy. In 2005, he starred in the horror film Ring 2, playing Max Rourke.

The same year, he appeared on screen as Riley Danbo fighting zombies in the fantasy horror film Land of the Dead. In 2006, another fairly well-known comedy, The Devil Wears Prada, was released, where Simon played the handsome writer Christian Thompson. In 2006, he also got the role of Brian in the film Something New. And from 2006 to 2007, the actor entertained the audience with his wonderful performance in the TV series Extra Class Thieves.

The Mentalist series and worldwide fame

In 2008, the first episode of the series was released, starring Simon Baker. The actor's filmography was replenished with the Mentalist project, which quickly captivated viewers from all over the world and firmly entered the ratings of the most popular TV series in the world.

Here, Simon perfectly played the arrogant and selfish Patrick Jane, a consultant to the California Bureau of Investigation. This person, who has charm, magnetism and a penetrating look, is an excellent manipulator. At one time he was a scammer, assuring clients that he had psychic abilities. Today, he helps the police in solving crimes and is waiting in the wings, as he sincerely wants to catch the killer of his wife and child.

The role of the charming Patrick, who seems to know in advance all the thoughts and intentions of the interlocutor, brought the actor moreseveral awards. In 2009, the series was awarded the People's Choice Award for Best Cast. Baker himself was nominated for another Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Series.

New films with Simon Baker

Following the astounding success of The Mentalist, new films starring Simon Baker began to appear on the screen. The actor's filmography was replenished in 2009 with the film "Disappearance", where he played Jack Bishop. In the same year, a picture appeared called "The Tenant", in which Baker got the role of Malcolm Slate.

He also played a small role as Travis in Women in Need, which premiered at the 2009 Texas Film Festival. And a year later, Baker gets the role of Howard Hendrix in a fairly successful thriller called The Killer Inside Me.

In 2011, fans could once again enjoy playing the beloved actor who played Jared Cohen in the thriller Risk Limit. By the way, this film was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Original Screenplay category. And in 2013, Simon got the role of Guy in the film "Give me a year".

Participation in other projects

Simon Baker tried himself as a director several times, and his work was very successful. Of course, there is no legendary film on his list. However, as a director, he worked on one episode of The Defenders.

In addition, the actor was the director of several episodes of the famous series "The Mentalist". And since the fifth seasonSimon is the producer of this project.

Actor Simon Baker has been the "Ambassador of Elegance" and the face of the famous Swiss watch brand Longines since 2012. With his appearance, the actor perfectly complements the main idea of the advertising campaign that "elegance is a lifestyle." In addition, not so long ago he became the face of Gentlemen Only, a new fragrance from the prestigious Givenchy brand. By the way, the actor has repeatedly noted that his faithful wife always helped him to create his own style and choose clothes.

Actor's personal life

If you are interested in questions about who Simon Baker is, the actor's personal life is probably also of interest to you. He met his future chosen one while participating in his first series, in 1991. The actor himself mentioned more than once that they did not work together very well, because Simon had just started his acting career, and his partner, Rebecca Rigg, was already an experienced actress, as she had been working on television since she was 11.

However, young people started dating. And after seven years of relationship, the couple nevertheless announced their marriage - in 1998, Simon Baker also became a married man. His wife, by the way, is also a fairly well-known Australian actress. She played Felicia Scott in The Mentalist. There is a version that love at first sight broke out between the actors. Simon himself says that relationships and a happy marriage are hard work, in which he and his wife have achieved perfection, because after 22 years they still love each other.

Soon the couple had a daughterStella, and then sons Claude and Harry. A loving husband and caring father is Simon Baker. The actor's children are already old enough, and the daughter is in college. Until recently, the family lived in California, but then the actor was forced to return to Sydney. Today, the Bakers are back in the US, in Los Angeles.