Simon Baker (raised Simon Denny, also known as Simon Baker-Denny; born 30 July 1969) is an Australian film and television actor. He is currently the star of the CBS television series The Mentalist.

Early life

Baker was born in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia, the son of Elizabeth Labberton, a high school English teacher, and Barry Baker, a groundskeeper and mechanic. Baker, then known as Simon Denny, grew up in the Northern NSW village of Lennox Head and attended Ballina High School, graduating in 1987. He moved to Sydney to study nursing; however, didn't complete his degree as he made the decision to pursue an acting career. [1] Baker was raised a Roman Catholic.[2] He emigrated to the United States in 1995.[1]

Career

Baker was a champion sportsman who competed at state level in surfing and water polo. He began acting on Australian television during the late 1980s using the name "Simon Baker Denny". He first appeared in music video clips for Melissa Tkautz ("Read My Lips") and Aussie dance outfit Euphoria ("Love You Right") in 1991 before appearing in the successful series E Street and Heartbreak High. Baker relocated to the United States where he was occasionally known by his stepfather's surname (as Simon Baker-Denny or Simon Denny).

He was cast in a small but important part as a young would-be actor in L.A. Confidential, which led to further opportunities in supporting roles in films. In 1998 he starred in a small, independent film by filmmaker Stephen Grynberg titled "Love from Ground Zero". In 2000 he played an astronaut in Red Planet with Val Kilmer, Carrie Anne Moss and Benjamin Bratt. He played the male lead in the television series The Guardian for three seasons beginning in 2001, and also appeared in The Affair of the Necklace. He played a distressed husband in 2004's Book of Love. In 2005, he starred as an altruistic hero in George A. Romero's Land of the Dead.

In 2006, he played Brian Kelly in the film Something New, writer Christian Thompson in The Devil Wears Prada and had a leading role as Jeff in the short-lived television series Smith. That following year, he was cast as Roderick Blank in Sex and Death 101.

In 2008 Baker received the lead role in the CBS television series The Mentalist in which he plays a consultant to the California Bureau of Investigation (CBI), skilled in picking up the details of body language and visual clues of suspects' appearances. His character is further darkened by a history of mental trauma following the murder of his wife and child, which drives him in his work.

Personal life

Baker is married to Australian actress Rebecca Rigg, and they have three children: Stella Breeze (b. 1993), Claude Blue (b. 1998) and Harry Friday (b. 19 September 2001). According to a recent interview with David Letterman on the Late Show with David Letterman, Baker made mention of the fact that fellow Australian actors Nicole Kidman and Naomi Watts are godparents to two of his children. Until recently Simon and his family resided in Malibu, California, before temporarily moving back to Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. They have since returned to Los Angeles.

In February 2009, Baker appeared on the The Ellen DeGeneres Show and said he was applying to become a United States citizen. [3]

Filmography

1997    L.A. Confidential    Matt Reynolds    
Most Wanted    Stephen Barnes    
1998    Restaurant    Kenny    
Judas Kiss    Junior Armstrong    
Love from Ground Zero    Eric    
1999    Ride with the Devil    George Clyde    
2000    Sunset Strip    Michael Scott    
Red Planet    Chip Pettengill    
2001    The Affair of the Necklace    Rétaux de Villette    
2004    Book of Love    David Walker    
2005    The Ring Two    Max Rourke    
Land of the Dead    Riley    
2006    Something New    Brian Kelly    
The Devil Wears Prada    Christian Thompson    
2007    Sex and Death 101    Roderick Blank    
The Key to Reserva    Roger Thornberry    Short film
2009    The Lodger    Malcolm    
Not Forgotten    Jack Bishop    
Last Man       pre-production
Television
Year    Title    Role    Notes
1987    Midnight Magic       CHCH-TV Television movie
1992-93    E Street    Constable Sam Farrell    
1994    Which Way to the War    Pvt Stan Hawke    Episode: Pilot
Home and Away    James Healey    
1995    Naked    
1995–1996    Heartbreak High    Mr. Thomas 'Tom' Summers    
1996    Naked: Stories of Men    Gabriel    Episode: Blind-Side Breakaway
Sweat    Paul Steadman    Episode: 1.3
1999    Secret Men's Business    Andy Greville    ABC TV-Movie
2001-2004    The Guardian    Nick Fallin    
2006-2007    Smith    Jeff Breen    
2008-present    The Mentalist    Patrick Jane    

Awards and nominations

Australian Film Institute Awards

    * 2000: Nominated, "Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Telefeature or Mini-Series" - Secret Men's Business

Family Television Awards

    * 2002: Won, "Best Actor" - The Guardian

Golden Globe Awards

    * 2002: Nominated, "Best Performance by an Actor in a Dramatic Television Series" - The Guardian

Logie Awards

    * 1993: Won, "Most Popular New Talent" - E Street
    * 2004: Nominated, "Most Popular Overseas Star"

Prism Awards

    * 2005: Nominated, "Best Performance in a Drama Series Storyline" - The Guardian

Izvor: Wikipedia