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Simon Baker: Thesp wins at mind games
Walk of Fame Honors: Simon Baker

by Susan Young

 

Simon Baker's hardscrabble youth in rural Australia gave little hope that he could aspire to become a Hollywood actor -- much less have his name sparkling on a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

"I felt a little unworthy," says Baker of his reaction when he first heard about the honor.

The multihyphenate recalls first walking down Hollywood Boulevard, reading each name on the iconic stars.

"It was inspiring. One of the biggest hurdles in my career was having confidence in myself. I was surrounded by people who had more belief in me than I had in myself," he says. "You think probably a lot of people (with stars) weren't necessarily confident they could make a career of it, and that encouraged me to think that maybe I could do it."

The fetching Tasmanian known for his tousled blond-surfer look flashes his devilish charm each week on the CBS hit series "The Mentalist," and co-stars in the current film "I Give It a Year." "The Mentalist" averages 11.36 million viewers in the U.S. and more than 49 million people watching per week worldwide and in syndication.

As a star, director and producer, Baker's a man known for his strong work ethic and family devotion to wife Rebecca Rigg and their three children.

"He's an organized, methodical guy who really thinks about everything," says "Mentalist" co-star Robin Tunney. "He's directing even when he's not directing. He carries the show, looks out for the other actors and does movies every year on his hiatus. It must be that strong Australian constitution. And he's got a great wife and family. He charms everyone, even my parents."

Baker started in Australian TV, where he was honored with a prestigious Logie Award for new talent before coming to the U.S. and landing a small role in the 1997 film "L.A. Confidential" and Ang Lee's 1999 "Ride With the Devil."

He gained moderate success with the 2001-04 drama series "The Guardian" and a few films like "The Devil Wears Prada" before hitting it big in 2008 with "The Mentalist."

"I always had a family to support from the time I was 24, so I measured success by whether I could support my family," says the pragmatic Baker. "But I found 'The Guardian' a difficult slog and didn't want to do TV again."

He went on to do several films before being coaxed into coming back to TV as the tortured but endearingly selfish man who works as a police consultant while tracking down the man responsible for murdering his wife and young daughter.

"I enjoyed every one, but none of the movies popped for me," Baker says. "Then I came back to TV and happened to pop there. As hard as 'The Guardian' was, it taught me how to approach a series that could go on for quite some time. And I'm very grateful for that experience."

Producer-creator Bruno Heller praises Baker for making the series a hit.

"It's easy to give one great performance, but to keep delivering each week is a gift," Heller says. "He's never gotten arrogant, never laid back. He has a generosity of spirit and stamina that is the essence of what a genuine star is."

Baker, who played a chilling killer on the short-lived series "Smith," brings a layer of danger to the smooth-talking Jane.

"Simon Baker makes Patrick Jane the role of a lifetime. His performance is sly and playfully witty, yet with a melancholy undercurrent," says TV Guide Magazine Critic Matt Roush. "He's establishing his leading man bona fides in this role with such ease and grace that we're eager to see what he'll tackle next in drama or comedy."

 

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Ecrit par Totallyfan 
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