Tom Baker Biography

QUICK FACTS
Activities Actor , Screenwriter
Real name Thomas Stewart Baker
Nationality Great Britain

BIOGRAPHY
Thomas Stewart Baker was born on January 20, 1934 in Liverpool, England, United Kingdom. Baker was born in 1934 in Ireland, into a poor, Catholic community. His mother was a cleaner, a waitress, and a devout Catholic; His father was a Jewish sailor who rarely appeared at home. At the age of 15, he abandoned his studies and became a monk in the Ploemel Brotherhood, on the island of Jersey. Six years later, he abandoned the contemplative life to do National Service in the Royal Army Medical Corps. It was there that he first felt an interest in acting.

He served at Queen Mary for seven months, and then won a scholarship to the Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama in Kent. Until the late 1960s, he worked for the well-known repertory theaters of Great Britain, until he became part of the National Theatre. At 37 years old, Tom Baker made it to the big screen. He played Rasputin in Nicolas and Alexandra , earning two Golden Globe nominations – one for Best Supporting Actor and one for Breakthrough Star of the Year.

Previously, his only appearance in film had been in The Winter’s Tale (1968). His career is marked by his nine-year portrayal of Doctor Who . From 1974 to 1981, thanks to his great ingenuity and his wool scarf, Doctor Who challenged all the monsters in the universe and the evil cybernetic forces, achieving great popularity. During his period as its star, the series was distinguished by the large audience reached and many stories that became classics. He remains one of the most recognizable incarnations of the character.

He continued to earn regular television roles later in his career, most notably in the series Medics and Monarch of the Glen . In addition to acting roles, Baker has narrated commercials, video games, audiobooks, and television series.

In a poll for BBC Homes and Antiques magazine in January 2006, Baker was voted the world’s fourth most eccentric star. He was defeated by Björk, Chris Eubank and David Icke.

He has been married three times, the second marriage was to his Doctor Who co-star , Lalla Ward. Baker has two children from his first marriage.