Simon Baker

Early life

Simon Lucas Baker was born on 30 July 1969 in Launceston, Tasmania. His father, Barry, was a mechanic and school caretaker, and his mother, Elizabeth, was a high-school English teacher. He has an older sister, two half-brothers and a half-sister. Baker's family moved to New Guinea when Baker was nine months old. His parents' marriage ended when he was two, and his father did not get in touch until Baker was an adult. His mother remarried to Tom Denny, a butcher, but Baker did not get on well with his stepfather. His mother and stepfather later divorced.

Baker spent part of his childhood living in the suburbs of Sydney, but he mainly grew up in the Northern Rivers coastal town of Lennox Head, New South Wales. He attended high school at Ballina High School and Trinity Catholic College. Baker has been an avid surfer since his youth, and he considers surfing and the relationships with his surfing friends an important part of his upbringing.

Career

Baker's first acting role was in a commercial. He got the role while waiting for a friend to audition when he himself was asked to audition for it. Before working in Hollywood, he acted in various Australian television shows such as E Street (as Sam Farrel: 1992–1993), Home and Away (as James Hudson: 1993–1994), and Heartbreak High (as Tom Summers: 1996). In 1993, Baker won the Logie Award for Most Popular New Talent.

Baker relocated to the United States in the mid-1990s. In 1997, Baker appeared in a supporting role in L.A. Confidential.

He is known for his portrayal of Patrick Jane in the television series The Mentalist costarring with Robin Tunney. In 2010, he was earning US$350,000 per episode of the show. Shortly afterwards, he signed a new contract that delivered a payment of US$30 million for his role of the title character.

He potrayed Nick Fallin in The Guardian.

In film, he is known for his roles as Max Rourke in the remake of the Japanese horror film The Ring Two, Riley Denbo in Land of the Dead, and Christian Thompson in the film adaptation of The Devil Wears Prada.

Baker made his directorial debut with the 2017 film Breath, in which he also starred, co-wrote, and co-produced. The film is based on the Tim Winton novel.

Honours

In June 2012, Baker was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences along with 175 other individuals.

On 14 February 2013, Baker was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contribution to the entertainment industry. Baker's star can be found at 6352 Hollywood Blvd.

Personal life

Baker married Australian actress Rebecca Rigg on 2 October 1998, after five years of living together. Baker told The Ellen Degeneres Show that one of their two weddings was held on the beach at Carmel. They have a daughter, Stella, and two sons. Baker and Rigg separated in April 2020.

Baker was raised Catholic, but became agnostic.

Baker follows the rugby league club the Parramatta Eels in the National Rugby League.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

References

References

1. Hooton, Amanda. (2 July 2015). "Beach boy Simon Baker's biggest role yet".
2. Delaney, Brigid. (20 June 2022). "'I didn't know he was my dad': Simon Baker shares his remarkable family story". [[The Guardian]].
3. Lee, Luaine. (22 July 2009). "Simon ('The Mentalist') Baker snapped back just at the right time".
4. Tulich, Katherine. (20 March 2005). "The Fabulous Baker Boy". Herald Sun.
5. CBS News. (6 May 2012). "Simon Baker, more than "The Mentalist"".
6. Curtis, Maree. "The Fabulous Baker Boy". [[Herald Sun]].
7. Thorp, Charles. (1 June 2018). "How Simon Baker's Lifetime of Surfing Helped Him Make New Surf Movie 'Breath'".
8. Grady, Pam. (13 June 2018). "'Breath' a labor of love for 'Mentalist' star Simon Baker".
9. Broome, Hamish. (11 May 2016). "Famous people who call the Northern Rivers home".
10. Michael Essany. (28 December 2010). "'The Mentalist' Star Simon Baker Inks New $30 Million Deal".
11. (12 April 2011). "The Mentalist star Simon Baker on wife Rebecca Rigg and the children in Los Angeles". [[The Daily Telegraph (Sydney).
12. Purdon, Fiona. (28 April 2018). "Hollywood star Simon Baker said he had no acting ambitions at first".
13. (9 June 2012). "2012 new AMPAS members - Documents". [[Los Angeles Times]].
14. Lombardi, Ken. (14 February 2013). "Simon Baker receives star on Hollywood Walk of Fame".
15. (12 October 2010). "Simon Baker Shares His Wedding Stories". [[YouTube]].
16. Henderson, Cydney. (29 January 2021). "'The Mentalist' star Simon Baker, wife Rebecca Rigg split after 29 years of marriage".
17. Vella, Joanne. (6 May 2019). "The Mentalist Star Simon Baker at Parramatta Eels v St George Dragons Match". [[The Daily Telegraph (Sydney).
18. "35TH TV WEEK LOGIE AWARDS, 1993".
19. "Winners & Nominees".
20. "Winners & Nominees".
21. "46TH TV WEEK LOGIE AWARDS, 2004".
22. Morfoot, Addie. (10 March 2005). "EIC names 9th annual Prism noms". [[Variety (magazine).
23. "Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series - 2009".
24. "Winners & Nominees".
25. "The 16th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards".
26. "Winners & Nominees".
27. "Nominees & Winners".
28. "PAST RECIPIENTS OF 2011".
29. "WINNERS ANNOUNCED FOR 2012 FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS".
30. "Nominees & Winners".
31. "Winners & Nominees".
32. Keast, Jackie. (10 April 2018). "2018 ADG Award nominees unveiled, with female directors dominating in children's TV drama". [[IF Magazine.
33. Bedell, Amanda. (10 June 2018). "Eighth Grade, Won't You Be My Neighbor?, WIN TOP AWARDS AT THE 44TH SEATTLE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL".
34. "Winners & Nominees".
35. "2019 Awards".
36. "2018 Awards".
37. "Winners & Nominees".
38. "Winners & Nominees".
39. "2022 Awards Nominees and Winners".
40. "Winners & Nominees".
41. "2023 Award Nominees & Winners".
42. (18 August 2024). "Logies 2024 winners list: Larry Emdur wins gold, Rebecca Gibney honoured as Boy Swallows Universe cleans up".
43. "2024 Grand Final Winners".
44. "Winners & Nominees".