Favorite Hunk of the Day: March 28, 2008

Simon Baker
From: Favorite Hunks & Other Things

 The hottie from down under, the underrated actor, Simon Baker

 Simon Baker (born 30 July 1969) is an Australian actor and director. In his television acting career, he is best known for his lead role in the CBS television series The Mentalist as Patrick Jane and as Nicholas Fallin in The Guardian.

 In his film acting career, he is best known for the lead role of Riley Denbo in Land of the Dead and Christian Thompson in the film adaptation of The Devil Wears Prada, based on the 2003 novel of the same name.

 Simon Baker was born to a high school English teacher, Elizabeth Labberton, and a groundskeeper/mechanic, Barry Baker, on 30 July 1969, in Launceston, Tasmania. He was raised as a Roman Catholic. His parents divorced while he was still young. His mother later married Tom Denny, a butcher. Simon Baker also has a sister, currently a doctor in Australia, and three younger half brothers. By 1972, the family had moved from Launceston to Ballina, New South Wales, where Baker's parents hoped to secure better paying jobs. In 1986, he graduated from Ballina High School as Simon Baker-Denny, after completing his primary school education at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School, also in Ballina.

 In 1998, Baker married Australian actress Rebecca Rigg after five years of living together. They have three children: Stella Breeze (born 8 August 1993), Claude Blue (born 1998), and Harry Friday (born 19 September 2001). Fellow Australian, actress Nicole Kidman, is godmother to Harry while actress Naomi Watts is godmother to Claude. Baker and his family resided in Malibu, California, before moving back to Sydney; they then returned to Los Angeles so Simon could appear on Smith, and later on The Mentalist. He also owns property in Australia, near Byron Bay.

 In January 2009, Baker told Parade Magazine that he and his wife were interested in becoming American citizens.Baker has been a dual U.S./Australian citizen since 2010.

 Baker and his sons are fans of the Parramatta Eels in the Australian NRL. His name first appeared in Who's Who in Australia in 2011. In July 2009, Baker told PopMatters that he is an agnostic.