SOUTH AFRICA'S TV WEBSITE
SIGN IN SEARCH MENU
SOUTH AFRICA'S TV WEBSITE


Simon Baker (1)

Full / Real Name: Simon Baker-Denny
Born: 30 July 1969 (54 years old)
Gender: Male

Rate:

8.4

Add to Actor Favourites

Bio

Simon Baker is an Australian actor best known for his television roles as Nick Fallin in The Guardian (2001-2004) and as Patrick Jane in The Mentalist, from 2008-2015.

As Nick Fallin in The Guardian, Baker won widespread critical praise for his portrayal of a hardened corporate lawyer who was sentenced to work as a legal child advocate after being found guilty of drug possession. In the first season, Baker was recognized by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association with a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Drama Series.

Baker was first recognised in 1992, when he received Australia's prestigious Logie award for Most Popular New Talent. Upon relocating to Los Angeles with his family, Baker was immediately cast in the Academy Award winning film L.A. Confidential (1997).

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 in 2001.

He played an altruistic hero in George A. Romero's Land of the Dead.

2007 saw Baker transition from a television star to big screen leading man with two diverse roles. In the critically acclaimed feature, The Devil Wears Prada, Baker starred opposite Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway as the dashing Christian Thompson.

In the feature film Something New, a romantic comedy starring opposite Sanaa Lathan, Baker played a working class landscaper who falls in love with an uptight professional black woman.

Baker first gained attention in the Academy Award winning film L.A. Confidential, following it up with a string of memorable performances in films such as An Affair of the Necklace, Red Planet, Sunset Strip, Judas Kiss, and the horror sequel The Ring 2, opposite Naomi Watts and Sissy Spacek.

Baker won great acclaim for his turn in the independent film Book of Love, which screened in competition at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival.

He was part of the all-star cast for Ang Lee's critically acclaimed Ride With the Devil, which screened at the 1999 Deauville Film Festival and was also a gala presentation at the 1999 Toronto Film Festival.

He also had lead roles in two independent films. In The Lodger, he stars opposite Hope Davis, Alfred Molina, and Philip Baker Hall. The story follows a couple who rents out a room to a mysterious young man, who may or may not be guilty of a series of grisly neighbourhood murders. The film is based on Alfred Hitchcock's 1927 thriller of the same name.

In Not Forgotten, a psychological thriller, Simon plays a bank manager in a US/Mexico border town haunted by the death of his daughter. He and his wife approach a Latina soothsayer to find out what happened to the girl, but the old woman's visions threaten to dredge up secrets from their tortured pasts.

Baker's other film credits include Sex and Death 101 starring opposite Winona Ryder, and Land of the Dead, a critically acclaimed thriller co-starring Dennis Hopper, John Leguizamo and Asia Argento; as well as the indies Restaurant and Love from Ground Zero.

A native of Australia, Baker now lives in Los Angeles with his wife and three children. In his spare time, he likes to surf.


Television Roles


LATEST ARTICLES

New on TV today: Tuesday 19 March 2024

Curiosity documents the demise of Napoleon and "FBI night" returns to M-Net with three shows.


BET's Queendom companion pack

Pix, vids, production credits and who's who in BET's new local 18h30 or 21h30 show.


e.tv documentary investigates the Joshlin Smith tragedy

Shahan Ramkissoon goes to Middelpos, Saldanha Bay where Joshlin went missing on 19 February.


Muvhango Teasers - April 2024

Ring-ring. Manditi gives Matshidiso a chilling call and he wants more money. 500K should do it.


New on TV today: Monday 18 March 2024

Netball drama Obstruction shoots hoops on Mzansi Magic and S3 gets you to Ready Steady Cook.


New on TV today: Sunday 17 March 2024

HISTORY delves into Royal Murder Mysteries and SABC2 asks you to Listen to My Song.


Why Yolanda got disqualified from Big Brother Mzansi 4

Another housemate drowns in alcohol promoted by Big Brother, while Big Brother looks on and moralises.


New on TV today: Saturday 16 March 2024

The only new show tonight is the drama Sullivan's Crossing on M-Net.


Uzalo Teasers - April 2024

How do you detect an enemy? Mondli’s quest to find the mastermind brings out the worst in him.


New on TV today: Friday 15 March

Manhunt on Apple TV+ is a true story, as is The Sixth Commandment on M-Net and Death by Fame 2 on ID.

LATEST SITE ACTIVITY


More activity at TVSA Central



LATEST SOAPIE TEASERS



LATEST SOAPIE TEASERS





×
×

You browser doesn't have Flash, Silverlight, Gears, BrowserPlus or HTML5 support.