Watts Impressed Ring's Baker

From:scifi.com
Date:25-FEBRUARY-05


Simon Baker, who co-stars with Naomi Watts in The Ring Two, told SCI FI Wire that the actress greatly impressed him. "She's one of my favorite people," Baker (Red Planet, the upcoming Land of the Dead) said in an interview. "I've actually known her forever, so it was a blast to work with her. As an actress, she's just so good."

Baker added, "When people get to a certain level they sometimes become self-conscious, and their work gets constricted. And with Naomi it's completely the opposite. The more successful she's gotten, the more risks she takes. She just commits to everything. So working with her was quite inspirational. It's harder to impress someone who's known you for 12 years. Sometimes that mystery isn't there anymore. But she impressed me."

Like its predecessor, The Ring Two revolves around journalist Rachel Keller (Watts) and her son, Aidan (David Dorfman). Having survived their first encounter with the evil spirit of Samara, Rachel and Aidan relocate to Astoria, Ore., where Rachel goes to work at a small-town newspaper owned and published by Max Rourke (Baker). It's not long before Rachel, Aidan and Max are swept up in new horrors relating to Samara and those cursed videotapes that spell doom for anyone who screens them.

Baker said that he believes Hideo Nakata—the Japanese director who launched the Ring series with the original Japanese film Ringu and who makes his English-language debut with The Ring Two—has crafted a worthy sequel. "I think it'll be frightening," Baker said. "It pushes the story to the next level. I think there's a lot of anticipation for this film. I liked the script. But I'm a realist. I'm the guy who errs on the side of 'We'll just wait and see.' But I did see a preview of the film. It was hard for me to watch it, because I worked on the film, but I still jumped out of my seat a few times and made a few noises." The Ring Two opens on March 18.

From Sci Fi Wire

The Making Of The Ring 2!

WIDENING THE RING


Apart from Aidan, the only person with whom Rachel shares any connection in her new town is her boss, Max Rourke, who owns the local Astoria paper, The Daily Astorian, where Rachel now works. Max knows nothing of her background, but becomes increasingly curious and concerned as Rachel's behavior becomes more suspicious.

Max is played by Australian actor Simon Baker, who admits that while he was not generally a fan of the horror genre, he had been impressed by "The Ring." "The first film was a wonderful marriage of a horror movie and a personal human drama. The horror side has the eerie curse of the videotape and the human side was the strength of the mother/son relationship. I thought it was very good, which was a major reason I was interested in doing the sequel."

In casting the role of Max, Parkes says, "We wanted somebody who could convey a kind of sensitivity to be open to what's going on in Rachel's life, as well as a certain strength so you could believe he might be able to protect them. Simon came in and read, and he intuitively had all of those qualities. I think he was also aided by the fact that he and Naomi are good friends, so there was an instant rapport, which translates on the screen."

Baker remarks, "We had never worked together, but we've been friends for years, so there is an easy unspoken trust between us, which made for a more comfortable set. Naomi's a lot of fun, which was good because it's kind of a heavy movie. It was nice to offset that between takes with a few lighter moments."

"It was really nice to be able to work with someone I knew so well," Watts attests. "Simon is a great actor and he was perfect for the part. He's a strong, manly guy, but there's a gentle spirit to him, and in order for Rachel to trust Max, she needs to feel he's a safe person. She senses he really doesn't belong in this small country town either, so you sort of have two lost souls connecting in these strange surroundings."

"Max and Rachel are both outsiders in the sense of this quiet, little town, even though my character was born there, moved away and came back," Baker reveals. "He's interested in why she's even there and why she is so secretive and closed off, so he pushes to find out more about her. When she finally starts to reveal what's going on, Max can't believe what she's telling him. It sounds like a lot of fantastical nonsense. It was hard to find that balance between, 'Okay, girlfriend, you're nuts,' and 'I care about you and I'm going to help you.'"

From Dream Works SKG Fansite

Simon Baker shows how to remain a rebel in a conservative situation

Devil in a dark suit
From:Best Life
Date:The April 2005
BY JOHN MATHER

Baker's Bite:
"Suits can take themselves seriously sometimes, as can people.
I always think it's nice to have a little bit of a sense of humor
within your style."

1. The actor
Simon Baker, 35, best known for playing the title role in
CBS' THE GUARDIAN. The Australian stars alongside Naomi Watts
in THE RING TWO, out in mid-March.

2. The challenge
Put on a dark suit and you run the risk of being mistaken for a
faceless, soulless salaryman. Your individuality can feel stifled.
How then do you remain true to yourself but not violate your
company's conservative dress code?

3. The solution
Take a tip from Clark Kent, who kept his secret identity hidden,
and look for a suit with a lining that's as witty, audacious,
or speeding-bullet fast as you are. Baker's first tuxedo upon
arriving in Los Angeles 9 years ago was a vintage Christian
Dior with a flame-red lining. Here he wears an Etro suit with
a whimsical dual-pattern lining. It's the equivalent of your
partner packing a black-lace push-up bra beneath her pinstripes
-- a secret that only you and the person undressing you will
ever know.

All clothing by Etro

HOT ON THE INSIDE:
Etro's brilliant silk lining provides an undercover splash of
stripes and polka dots