Simon Baker

Simon Baker (born 30 July 1969) is an Australian actor and director. In his television acting career, he is best known for his lead role in the CBS television series The Mentalist as Patrick Jane and as Nicholas Fallin in The Guardian. In his film acting career, he is best known for the lead role of Riley Denbo in Land of the Dead and Christian Thompson in the film adaptation of The Devil Wears Prada, based on the 2003 novel of the same name. --- Simon Baker was born to a high-school English teacher, Elizabeth Labberton, and a groundskeeper/mechanic, Barry Baker, on 30 July 1969, in Launceston, Tasmania. He was raised as a Roman Catholic. His parents divorced while he was still young. His mother later married Tom Denny, a butcher. Simon Baker also has a sister, currently a doctor in Australia, and three younger half brothers. By 1972, they had moved from Launceston to Ballina, New South Wales, hoping to secure better paying jobs. In 1986, he graduated from Ballina High School as Simon Baker-Denny, after completing his primary school education at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School, also in Ballina. Baker began acting on Australian television during the late 1980s using the name "Simon Denny". He first appeared in music video clips for Melissa Tkautz ("Read My Lips") and Australian dance outfit Euphoria ("Love You Right") in 1991 before appearing in the successful series E Street, Home and Away and Heartbreak High. As "Simon Baker Denny" he was a co-star of the David Croft/Jeremy Lloyd sitcom pilot, Which Way to the War, which was not developed into a series. In 1995, he was in an episode of the Australian television (ABC TV) series Naked (episode title: Blindside Breakaway) in the role of a rugby player. His character was an easy going mummy's boy until he met a girl who challenged his safe existence. He called the role "physically demanding" due to the fact most of the extras were actual rugby players. At the time he referred to this role as an important opportunity as well as being "the best job I've had in my life". He went on to say it was going to be hard afterwards to want to do anything offered. He relocated to the United States, where he was cast in a small part 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", and in 1999 appeared in Ang Lee's Ride with the Devil. In 2008, Baker received the lead role of Patrick Jane, a consultant to the California Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in CBS's The Mentalist. In 2009, Baker was nominated for an Emmy Award for The Mentalist. In late 2009, Baker was also nominated for his second Golden Globe Award (for The Mentalist) and his first SAG Award for his work. --- In 1998, Baker married Australian actress Rebecca Riggafter five years of living together. They have three children: Stella Breeze (born 8 August 1993), Claude Blue (born 1999), and Harry Friday (born 19 September 2001). Fellow Australian, actress Nicole Kidman, is godmother to Harry while actress Naomi Watts is godmother to Claude. Baker and his family resided in Malibu, California, before moving back to Sydney; they then returned to Los Angeles so Simon could appear on Smith, and later on The Mentalist. He also owns property in Australia, near Byron Bay. In January 2009, Baker told Parade Magazine that he and his wife were interested in becoming American citizens. Baker has been a dual U.S./Australian citizen since 2010.