Simon Says

From:Los Angeles Confidential
Date:March 2004


You know his name is Simon Baker, but did you also know he's a devoted family guy, a mediocre nurse, an avid surfer, a photographer, and on his way of becoming one of the hottest names working in Hollywood?

With acting smarts galore, a penchant for challenging roles, a sensitive nature, and matinee-idol looks, this wonder from Down Under has been thrilling audiences for years.

Since he landed Stateside from his native Australia in 1995, Simon Baker is hard not to notice. Already a star in Oz for his TV work, his film debut as a doomed actor in L.A. Confidential was small but memorable. Diverse roles followed in The Affair Of The Necklace and Ride With The Devil, and then came his Golden Globe nominated starring turn in the gritty TV drama The Guardian. This month he stars in The Ring Two opposite Naomi Watts and Sissy Spacek. Next, he will appear in George Romero's latest zombie installment, Land Of The Dead. "They are not horror movies; they're George Romero movies. The .. of the dead films are a whole genre within themselves," says Baker, who lives in Malibu with his wife, actor Rebecca Rigg, and their 3 children (ages 3,5, and 11).

Los Angeles Confidential: Did you like seeing films when you were little?

Simon Baker: As a kid I grew up with literally two TV stations. I watched movies with my mum and loved getting lost in them. I was so involved; I didn't want them to end. The closest cinema to where we lived in northern New South Wales was 45 minutes away, so I didn't get to go that often.

LAC: Any that stand out?

Simon Baker: Old Yeller had an enormous effect on me. I showed it to my kids, and they were bored out of their minds.

LAC: So you studied nursing?

Simon Baker: I studied it in Sydney for three months. It wasn't my career choice; it was a strategic move to get out of where I lived and have my parents accept that.

LAC: Why?

Simon Baker: My parents wanted great things for me. I was afraid to reveal to them that I wanted to be an actor. It's not the kind of thing you tell your parents when they've struggled for every cent.

LAC: Can you suture a wound?

Simon Baker: I don't know how to suture a wound. In hindsight, I would have made a terrible nurse because I hate the sight of blood, and I can't stand needles or people that complain.

LAC: What inspired you to leave Australia?

Simon Baker: The fear of being an old man saying " I could have gone to America and made the big time, but I never did because I was afraid." My wife and I have always been adventurous people. It was liberating to be a free spirit. That's what acting's about.

LAC: Your film was L.A. Confidential.

Simon Baker: It was like having dessert before eating the cabbage. That was my first introduction to Hollywood and the success and love this town can show you.

LAC: What's your passion?

Simon Baker: I love surfing, photography, and deconstructing films. I'm a homemaker now and I've been renovating our house. I'd love to learn more about architecture- working out how to use space, creating energy in a room. I'd love to build a house from the ground up and design it with my wife- one that is integrated into the environment and is sustainable. I mean, I drive a Prius.

LAC: Do your kids realize you are famous?

Simon Baker: My 5 and 3- year old sons are completely oblivious to it, but my daughter is 11 and she's cool with it. She's grown up around famous people{ Nicole Kidman and Naomi Watts are close family friends}. When she's in the supermarket and sees the cover of a magazine she doesn't say "Oh, my God, it's Nicole, or it's Naomi!" She's pretty down to earth about it.

LAC: What do you like doing with your kids?

Simon Baker: It was awesome skiing with them recently: it was the first time my 3 year old was on skis. They were tiny babies grasping for the nipple....now they're skiing! There's joy watching them be full of joy. If you can focus and observe your children, you can see that a million times a day.