In profile
Tom Baker
IMAGE: Professional eccentric.
BEST KNOWN FOR: Dr Who
EARLY LIFE: Born Thomas Stuart Baker on January 20. 1934, the eldest of three children born to a Jewish father and Catholic mother In Liverpool. He did not excel at school and, following a visit from a monk. towed the Brothers of Ploermel on the Isle of Wight A sudden urge to break all the Commandments prompted him to leave six years later Began acting training after discovering an ability to make people laugh during National Service In the Medical Corps.
CAREER: Appeared in obscure plays in regional theatre. working in pubs lo make ends meet. Made his film debut in 1968's A Winter's Tale and on TV in dramas such as Dixon Of Dock Green. A year later he joined Laurence Olivier's National Theatre, where his contemporaries included Anthony Hopkins. Left in 1971 to star as Rasputin in the Oscar-winning Nicholas and Alexandra. Also appeared in The Canterbury Tales and The Golden Voyage of Sinbad. By 1974. roles had dried up and he was working on a building site when offered the chance to replace Jon Pertwee as Dr Who. Baker became the longest-running Time Lord, quitting in 1981. Since then, he's worked on stage. TV and in film. most notably in Medics. Dungeons And Dragons and Randall And Hopkirk (Deceased) Published an autobiography in 1997
LOVE LIFE: Named Anna Wheatcroft in 1961. Two sons before divorang in 1967. Was wed to Dr Who co-star Lalla Ward fora year in the 1980s. Now happily settled with Sue Jenard, whom he married in 1986.
DON'T MENTION: His first marriage. Baker regards it as a disaster and felt forced to leave the family home. Was estranged from his now grown-up children for many years as a result
QUOTE: "The Old Testament is my favourite science fantasy reading"
CAN BE SEEN: Blackadder II. BBC1, 9.30pm tonight
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