Who is Simon Baker?
Simon Baker is an Australian actor, born in 1969 in Launceston, Tasmania, best known for playing Patrick Jane in the American crime series The Mentalist, which ran from 2008 to 2015.
Baker grew up mainly in New South Wales, including Lennox Head, where he became a keen surfer. He began acting in Australian television, appearing in E Street and Home and Away in the early 1990s.
His Hollywood film career began with L.A. Confidential in 1997. He later starred in the television series The Guardian before landing The Mentalist.
The Mentalist
In The Mentalist, Baker played a former fake psychic who uses his sharp observation skills to help the California Bureau of Investigation solve crimes, while hunting the serial killer Red John. The show was a global hit.
Baker also appeared in The Devil Wears Prada and Margin Call. In 2017, he made his directing debut with Breath, a film based on Tim Winton's novel about surfing in Western Australia, in which he also acted.
He received a Golden Globe nomination for The Mentalist and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2013. He returned to live in Australia and continues to act in local films.
Did You Know?
Breath, Baker's directing debut, was filmed around Denmark on Western Australia's south coast.