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Simon Baker
Australian actor and director From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Simon Lucas Baker (born 30 July 1969) is an Australian actor and director. He first gained prominence on the Australian soap opera E Street (1992–1993). He later starred in the CBS legal drama The Guardian (2001–2004), for which he received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Television Series – Drama in 2002. From 2008 to 2015, he portrayed Patrick Jane in the drama series The Mentalist, earning a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 2009. Baker has also appeared in several films, including L.A. Confidential (1997), Restaurant (1998), The Devil Wears Prada (2006), and Margin Call (2011).
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Early life
Simon Lucas Baker[3] 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.[1][4] He has an older sister, two half-brothers and a half-sister.[5] 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.[1][2] His mother remarried to Tom Denny, a butcher, but Baker did not get on well with his stepfather.[6][1] His mother and stepfather later divorced.[3]
Baker spent part of his childhood living in the suburbs of Sydney,[7][8] but he mainly grew up in the Northern Rivers coastal town of Lennox Head, New South Wales.[1] He attended high school at Ballina High School and Trinity Catholic College.[9] 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.[1]
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Career
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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.[1] 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).[10] In 1993, Baker won the Logie Award for Most Popular New Talent.[1]
Baker relocated to the United States in the mid-1990s.[1] In 1997, Baker appeared in a supporting role in L.A. Confidential.[10]
He is known for his portrayal of Patrick Jane in the television series The Mentalist, and Nick Fallin in The Guardian.[11]
In 2010, he was earning US$350,000 per episode of The Mentalist. Shortly after, he signed a contract that delivered a payment of US$30 million for his role as Patrick Jane.[12]
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.[10]
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Honours
In June 2012, Baker was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences along with 175 other individuals.[13]
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.[14]
Personal life
Baker married Australian actress Rebecca Rigg on 2 October 1998, after five years of living together.[10] Baker told The Ellen Degeneres Show that one of their two weddings was held on the beach at Carmel.[15] They have a daughter, Stella, and two sons.[11] Baker and Rigg separated in April 2020.[16]
Baker was raised Catholic, but became agnostic.[5]
Baker follows the rugby league club the Parramatta Eels in the National Rugby League.[17]
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Filmography
Film
Television
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Awards and nominations
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References
External links
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