A Golden Globe nominated actor, Australian-born Simon Baker has an impressive background that spans both the stage and screen. He was born on July 30, 1969 in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia to an English teacher and a mechanic. He was raised a Catholic and moved to the United States in 1995. Baker is also a champion sportsman, known for competing at state level surfing and water polo. Simon Baker was known in the Australian entertainment industry as Simon Baker Denny, a name he used on television during the late 1980s. His first appearances included a music video clip for Melissa Tkautz's "Read My Lips" and Euphoria's "Love You Right" in 1991. He next appeared on the successful series E Street, and was in Home and Away and Heartbreak High. It was when he moved to America that he found more success. He was given a small but important role in L.A. Confidential, which led him to be cast in films. Baker was in 2000's Red Planet, as an astronaut opposite Val Kilmer, Carrie Anne Moss and Benjamin Bratt. In 2001, he was given the male lead role in the series The Guardian, which ran for three seasons. His next role was as Rétaux de Vilette in The Affair of the Necklace, and he was subsequently cast in George A. Romero's Land of the Dead. In 2004, he played a distressed husband in Book of Love. He was also in Something New and Sex and Death 101. In 2006, he was given a lead role in the series Smith as Jeff, the firepower manager of a crew of professional thieves. He was also seen on films like The Devil Wears Prada, The Ring 2, Sunset Strip, Judas Kiss, Love from Ground Zero and Ride With the Devil. Baker was also cast in the CBS series The Mentalist, as Detective Patrick Jane.