Simon Baker

Biography: Simon Baker was born to Catholic parents, high school English teacher Elizabeth Labberton and groundskeeper/mechanic Barry Baker, on July 30, 1969, in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia. His parents divorced while he was still young and his mother later remarried butcher Tom Denny. Simon also has a sister, currently a doctor in Australia, and three younger half siblings. By 1972, they had moved from Launceston, Tasmania to New Guinea, hoping to secure better paying jobs. In 1986, he graduated from Ballina High School. Growing up, Simon took to surfing and water polo. He began surfing at age 8 and later became a state champion. He also dabbled with nursing when he was 17. He has also worked in a pub and as a bricklayer. He entered the entertainment world, in 1991, with his appearance in a couple of music videos, including Melissa Tkautz's "Read My Lips" and Euphoria's "Love You Right." He then moved onto television series, working in E Street, Home and Away, and Heartbreak High. He has continued to work in various television series as of late, playing leads in The Guardian, Smith, and, in the upcoming Fall 2008 series, The Mentalist. He has held supporting and lead roles in the big screen as well, nabbing roles in L.A. Confidential (1997), Red Planet, The Affair of the Necklace (2001), Land of the Dead, Book of Love (2004), The Devil Wears Prada, Sex and Death 101, and Something New. Baker has also earned various accolades from various magazines for his looks and acting. On a personal note, he has been married to Rebecca Rigg since 1998, a woman he met and began dating in 1991. They have three children, named Stella, Claude, and Harry. Since their move to the United States, they have spent time in Malibu, California, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and back again to Los Angeles.… Expand