Simon Baker

Simon Lucas Baker is an Australian actor and director born on 30 July 1969 in Launceston, Tasmania. His mother, Elizabeth, was a high-school English teacher, and his father, Barry, worked as a mechanic and school caretaker. After his parents' marriage ended when he was two years old, Baker spent part of his childhood living in the suburbs of Sydney, but he primarily grew up in the coastal town of Lennox Head, New South Wales. He attended Ballina High School and Trinity Catholic College, and he has been an avid surfer since his youth.

Baker began his acting career in a commercial after being asked to audition while waiting for a friend. From 1992 until its cancellation in 1993, he played Constable Sam Farrell on the Australian soap opera E Street, earning the Logie Award for Most Popular New Talent in 1993. He then took on guest roles in Australian television, appearing as mechanic Stewart Waterman in A Country Practice, filming an appearance in G.P., playing teacher James Hudson in Home and Away for eight weeks in late 1993, and portraying Tom Summers in Heartbreak High in 1996.

After relocating to the United States in the mid-1990s, Baker made his American film debut playing Matt Reynolds in a supporting role in the 1997 film L.A. Confidential. The role marked a pivotal turning point in his career and established his presence in the international film industry. He subsequently appeared in the 1998 film Restaurant.

Baker gained widespread television recognition as Nick Fallin in the CBS legal drama The Guardian from 2001 to 2004, earning a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Television Series – Drama in 2002. From 2008 to 2015, he starred as Patrick Jane in the drama-thriller series The Mentalist alongside Robin Tunney. His performance earned him a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 2009. By 2010, Baker was making US$350,000 per episode for the series before signing a new contract that delivered US$30 million.

Baker's film work includes playing Max Rourke in the remake of The Ring Two, Riley Denbo in Land of the Dead, Christian Thompson in The Devil Wears Prada, and a role in Margin Call. He made his directorial debut with the 2017 film Breath, based on the novel by Tim Winton, which he also co-wrote, co-produced, and starred in. In 2026, Baker won the Logie Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama for his performance in the 2025 television miniseries The Narrow Road to the Deep North.

Baker was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in June 2012, and he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6352 Hollywood Blvd on 14 February 2013. He married Australian actress Rebecca Rigg on 2 October 1998, and they have three children, including a daughter named Stella and two sons. The couple separated in April 2020.

Baker became a global star as the charming detective Patrick Jane in the CBS hit The Mentalist (2008–2015), for which he received Golden Globe and Emmy nominations, having earlier led the drama The Guardian and appeared in films such as The Devil Wears Prada and L.A. Confidential. After several years focused on film and directing in Australia, he returned to leading American television in 2026 as FBI profiler Benton Wesley — Kay Scarpetta's husband — opposite Nicole Kidman in Prime Video's Scarpetta, adapted from Patricia Cornwell's bestselling novels. The series became a hit and was quickly renewed for a second season, now in production.