Baker Beach with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background.

Baker Beach is a public beach on the peninsula of San Francisco, California, U.S.. The beach lies on the shore of the Pacific Ocean to the northwest of the city. It is roughly a half mile (800 m) long, beginning just south of Golden Gate Point (where the Golden Gate Bridge connects with the peninsula), extending southward toward the Seacliff peninsula, the Palace of the Legion of Honor and the Sutro Baths. The northern section of Baker Beach is "frequented by clothing-optional sunbathers". As such it is considered a nude beach.^[1][2]

History[link]

Baker Beach is part of the Presidio, which was a military base from the founding of San Francisco by the Spanish in 1812 until 1997. In 1904, it was fortified with disappearing gun installations known as Battery Chamberlin, which can still be viewed today.^[3] When the Presidio was decommissioned as a U.S. Army base, it became part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which is administered by the National Park Service.

From 1986 to 1990, the north end of Baker Beach was the original site of the Burning Man art festival. In 1990, park police allowed participants to raise the traditional large statue but not to set it on fire, since the beach enforces a limit on the size of any campfires. Subsequent Burning Man events have taken place in Black Rock Desert, Nevada.^[4]

A fatal shark attack occurred on Baker Beach on May 7, 1959^[5] when 18-year old Albert Kogler Jr. was attacked by a great white shark while he was 15 feet deep in water.^[6] This was the only shark attack recorded on Baker Beach.

Large outcrops of serpentine cliffs occur along the Pacific coast near Baker Beach. When rising from the land surface, serpentine produces a low-calcium, high-magnesium soil that can allow for rare species of plants to develop in the vicinity.^[1] This may explain the presence of Hesperolinon congestum (the Marin Dwarf Flax, a threatened plant) in surrounding areas.^{[citation needed]}

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Baker Beach

• Presidio of San Francisco - Baker Beach (U.S. National Park Service) at http://www.nps.gov/prsf/planyourvisit/baker-beach.htm
• Photo of the Seacliff and lower Baker Beach
• BlooSee Infopoint

Coordinates: 37°47.592′N 122°29.04′W / 37.7932°N 122.484°W / 37.7932; -122.484

Simon Baker
Baker on the set of The Mentalist
Born	Simon Baker (1969-07-30) 30 July 1969 (age 42) Launceston, Tasmania, Australia
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1987–present
Spouse	Rebecca Rigg (1998–present; 3 children)

Simon Baker (born 30 July 1969) is an Australian actor and director. Since 2008, he has starred as the lead role in the CBS television series The Mentalist as Patrick Jane.

Early life[link]

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.^[1] 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, they had moved from Launceston to Ballina, New South Wales, hoping 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.

Acting career[link]

Baker began acting on Australian television during the late 1980s using the name "Simon Denny". He first appeared in music video clips for Melissa Tkautz ("Read My Lips") and Australian dance outfit Euphoria ("Love You Right") in 1991 before appearing in the successful series E Street, Home and Away and Heartbreak High. As "Simon Baker Denny" he was a co-star of the David Croft/Jeremy Lloyd sitcom pilot, Which Way to the War, which was not developed into a series.

In 1995, he was in an episode of the ABC TV series Naked (episode title: Blindside Breakaway) in the role of a rugby player. His character was an easy going mummy's boy until he met a girl who challenged his safe existence. He called the role "physically demanding" due to the fact most of the extras were actual rugby players.^[2]

At the time (1995) he referred to this role as an important opportunity as well as being "the best job I've had in my life". He went on to say it was going to be hard afterwards to want to do anything offered.^[2]

He relocated to the United States, where he was cast in a small part in L.A. Confidential, which led to further opportunities in supporting roles in films. In 1998 he starred in a small, independent film by filmmaker Stephen Grynberg titled "Love from Ground Zero", and in 1999 appeared in Ang Lee's Ride with the Devil. In 2000, he played Michael Scott in Adam Collis's Sunset Strip. He also played an astronaut in Red Planet with Val Kilmer, Carrie Anne Moss and Benjamin Bratt. He played the male lead in the television series The Guardian for three seasons beginning in 2001, and also appeared in The Affair of the Necklace. He played a distressed husband in 2004's Book of Love. In 2005, he starred as an altruistic hero in George A. Romero's Land of the Dead.

In 2006, he played Brian Kelly in the film Something New, writer Christian Thompson in The Devil Wears Prada, and had a leading role as Jeff in the short-lived television series Smith. In 2007, he was cast as Roderick Blank in Sex and Death 101.

In 2008, Baker received the lead role of Patrick Jane, a consultant to the California Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in CBS's The Mentalist. In 2009, Baker was nominated for an Emmy Award for The Mentalist. In late 2009, Baker was also nominated for his second Golden Globe Award (for The Mentalist) and his first SAG Award for his work. He played Howard Hendricks in The Killer Inside Me, which starred Casey Affleck, Kate Hudson, Jessica Alba and Bill Pullman.^[3]

Other activities[link]

On 6 June 2010, he played in a charity soccer match for The Rest of The World team versus England on ITV's Soccer Aid 2010,^[4] coming on as a substitute in the second half. The match went to a penalty shootout; Baker took a penalty which was saved by England celebrity goalkeeper, Jamie Theakston. The Rest of the World went on to win the shoot out and the match for the first time since the tournament started.

Personal life[link]

In 1998, Baker married Australian actress Rebecca Rigg. 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.^[5] Baker and his family resided in Malibu, California, before moving back to Sydney, and then returned to Los Angeles to appear on Smith, and later on The Mentalist.

In January 2009, Baker told Parade Magazine that he and his wife were interested in becoming American citizens.^[5] Baker is a dual U.S./Australian citizen since 2010.^[6]

Baker and his sons are fans of the Parramatta Eels in the Australian NRL.^[7] His name first appeared in Who's Who in Australia in 2011.^[8]

Filmography[link]

Awards and nominations[link]

Australian Film Institute Awards

• 2000: Nominated, "Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Telefeature or Mini-Series" – Secret Men's Business

People's Choice Award

• 2009: Won with complete cast "Best new series" – The Mentalist season 1

Emmy Awards

• 2009: Nominated, "Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series" – The Mentalist season 1

Family Television Awards

• 2002: Won, "Best Actor" – The Guardian

Golden Globe Awards

• 2002: Nominated, "Best Performance by an Actor in a Dramatic Television Series" – The Guardian
• 2009: Nominated, "Best Performance by an Actor in a Dramatic Television Series" – The Mentalist season 2

Screen Actors Guild Awards

• 2010: Nominated, "Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series" – The Mentalist season 2

Logie Awards

• 1993: Won, "Most Popular New Talent" – E Street
• 2004: Nominated, "Most Popular Overseas Star"

Prism Awards

• 2005: Nominated, "Best Performance in a Drama Series Storyline" – The Guardian

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Simon Baker

• Simon Baker at AllRovi
• Simon Baker at the Internet Movie Database
• Simon Baker at TV Guide
• Simon Baker Australian Film Commission
• Simon Baker interview The Guardian Femail Magazine
• Simon Baker The Guardian The Age
• Simon Baker interview Land of the Dead Femail Magazine

With Friends Like These... is a 1998 film by Philip Frank Messina. It stars Robert Costanzo, Jon Tenney, David Strathairn and Adam Arkin, and features a cameo by Bill Murray.

Summary[link]

In the film, four small-time two-bit character actors (Costanzo, Tenney, Strathairn and Arkin), all close friends, are competing for same important part in the next Martin Scorsese mob film.

Cast[link]

• Adam Arkin - Steve Hersh
• David Strathairn - Armand Minetti
• Jon Tenney - Dorian Mastandrea
• Robert Costanzo - Johnny DiMartino
• Amy Madigan - Hannah DiMartino
• Laura San Giacomo - Joanne Hersh
• Elle Macpherson - Samantha Mastandrea
• Lauren Tom - Yolanda Chin
• Beverly D'Angelo - Theresa Carpenter
• Ashley Peldon - Marissa DiMartino
• Allison Bertolino - Dana DiMartino
• Bill Murray - Maurice Melnick
• Frederika Kesten - Catrice
• Carmine Costanzo - Nino DiMartino
• Heather Stephens - Babette
• Martin Scorsese - Himself

External links[link]

• With Friends Like These... at the Internet Movie Database.
• With Friends Like These... at AllRovi

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