Webcam: Simon Baker digs playing 'a really great con man' on 'The Mentalist'
"The Mentalist" could turn out to be a major Emmy contender for several reasons. It's the biggest breakout hit among new series debuting over the last TV season, drawing 10 million-plus viewers per episode. It gets raves from TV critics. (Entertainment Weekly cheers star Simon Baker's "mesmerizing little act.") And as for Baker, he's a veteran of the award scene, having been nominated for best TV drama actor at the Golden Globes in 2002 for "The Guardian." (He lost to "24" star Kiefer Sutherland, but so did "Sopranos" star James Gandolfini and "West Wing" Commander in Chief Martin Sheen.)
In its review of "The Mentalist" last fall, the L.A. Times noted that Baker portrays Patrick Jane, "a former phony TV psychic who perpetually amazes and infuriates his skeptical colleagues at the California Bureau of Investigation with his ability to accumulate the odds and ends of human behavior and use them to formulate incredible truths that catch criminals. Played by the virtually irresistible Baker, Jane also gets to make wiseacre comments like 'He irks me; he's irksome,' which only add to his already considerable charm."
Times writer Mary McNamara also hailed "Baker's killer smile and the nothing-left-to-lose recklessness required of today's broken hero." Instead of broken, though, Baker actually describes his character as "tortured" in our webcam chat, which he conducted with Gold Derby on Thursday while in Oklahoma filming "The Killer Inside Me," a thriller directed by Michael Winterbottom ("A Mighty Heart"). While Baker's character seems to be able to solve everyone else's mysteries with ease, Jane is frustrated and haunted by his pursuit of a diabolical serial killer named Red John, who murdered Jane's family after being taunted by Jane on TV.
"Will he ever really love again? I don't think so," Baker reflects on Jane. "It would be an enormous leap for that character to give and care about someone and overcome his own selfish fear of losing that again and the pain he would go through. It's a lot of fun being the charming, sort of raffish character. That's fun on the surface, but what I think makes the character really exciting for me to play is the balance of that with the tragedy that is his past and the true, hollow feeling he caries around with him every day."
Attention, Emmy voters: Baker would not only appreciate your vote, but he promises, in our webcam chat, that he'll deliver a case of scotch to your door personally, if you'd like. Below, Simon Baker proves that he possesses much of Patrick Jane's celebrated cheeky charm.
Photo: CBS
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I work on nights so I record the mentalist but I do watch the Gaurdian before I go to work . Ive been married for 34 years, But seperated 2 yrs ago, Yhe mentalist makes me laugh. The gaurdian, well thats how my parents were. my mother died of cancer. and my dad could not deal with it, Neither could I so insted of drugs I turned to drink. So I can relayet to nick. any way i must close as Ive got another 11 hr shift to do. BUT PLEASE SIMON GET RID OF THOSE GLASSES. AND INVEST IN CONTACTS LIKE ME.
Posted by: marilyn west | August 02, 2009 at 02:51 AM
Ditch the glasses, invest in contacts like me.
Posted by: marilyn west | August 02, 2009 at 02:44 AM
This show is great, and he deserves the nomination, so let's hope he'll be on that list in July. I'd be more than happy for him if he actually won it, because I loved him in the GUARDIAN already, only the storyline went downhill in the third series, and the end really sucked! Let's hope this will not be the case with the Mentalist again.. but Bruno Heller seems to be a better storywriter. So I am really looking forward to the second season of this - and also to the DVD of the first ;-)
Posted by: Sab Lubek | June 27, 2009 at 12:57 PM
Simon Baker is a good actor. It is time for him to get recognized as such.
Posted by: rick | June 23, 2009 at 08:29 AM
Lie To Me is a better show.
Posted by: Pearl | June 22, 2009 at 08:44 PM
Finally, Simon Baker is getting the recognition that he deserves. I've known for some time that not only is he drop-dead gorgeous, but also a fine actor .... now, it seems, millions of TV viewers share my opinion. The Mentalist has proven to be the perfect vehicle for him to display his irresistable charm and his acting chops.
Posted by: Kimmie | June 21, 2009 at 10:33 AM
Absolutely a Great show. Time for Simon Baker to change what he wears all the time. It surely must smell by now. You never see him going to the dry cleaner.
Posted by: Aardvark | June 21, 2009 at 06:21 AM
he will not win this year,if he gets nomniated,because if kiefer sutherland gets nominiated(and he will) kiefer will win.
Posted by: amr29 | June 21, 2009 at 05:45 AM