Tom Baker
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Thomas Stewart Baker (born 20 January 1934) is an English actor and writer. He is best known for having played the fourth and longest-serving incarnation of
the Doctor The Doctor, sometimes known as Doctor Who, is the protagonist of the long-running BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. An extraterrestrial Time Lord, the Doctor travels the universe in a time travelling spaceship called th ...
in the science fiction television series ''
Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...
'' from
1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; ...
to
1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 6 – A funeral service is held in West Germany for Nazi Grand Admiral ...
. Later in his career, Baker performed in the television series '' Medics'' (1992–1995), '' Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased)'' (2000–2001) and '' Monarch of the Glen'' (2004–2005). He also provided narration for the television comedy series '' Little Britain'' (2003–2006) and '' Little Britain USA'' (2008). His voice, which has been described as "sonorous", was voted the fourth-most recognisable in the UK in 2006.


Early life

Thomas Stewart Baker was born on
Scotland Road Scotland Road, known locally as Scottie Road, is the section of the A59 road situated near the docks in the Vauxhall district of north Liverpool, England. History Scotland Road was created in the 1770s as a turnpike road to Preston, Lancashi ...
in the
Vauxhall Vauxhall ( , ) is an area of South London, within the London Borough of Lambeth. Named after a medieval manor called Fox Hall, it became well known for the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens. From the Victorian period until the mid-20th century, Va ...
area of
Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
on 20 January 1934. His mother, Mary Jane (''née'' Fleming), was a cleaner and devout
Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
. His father, John Stewart Baker, was a seaman and was largely absent from the family due to being away at sea. Baker attended Cheswardine Hall Boarding School in
Shropshire Shropshire (; abbreviated SalopAlso used officially as the name of the county from 1974–1980. The demonym for inhabitants of the county "Salopian" derives from this name.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West M ...
. At age 15, he became a novice religious brother with the Brothers of Ploermel (
Brothers of Christian Instruction The Brothers of Christian Instruction (, F.I.C.P.''Ann. Pont. 2007'', p. 1499.), commonly known as the La Mennais Brothers, is a Catholic educational organization founded in 1819 by Gabriel Deshayes and Jean-Marie de la Mennais for the instruct ...
) in
Jersey Jersey ( ; ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey, is an autonomous and self-governing island territory of the British Islands. Although as a British Crown Dependency it is not a sovereign state, it has its own distinguishing civil and gov ...
and later in
Shropshire Shropshire (; abbreviated SalopAlso used officially as the name of the county from 1974–1980. The demonym for inhabitants of the county "Salopian" derives from this name.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West M ...
. He left the monastery six years later after losing his faith.New Humanist website, ibid
Newhumanist.org.uk.
In his autobiography, he said he had realised that he wanted to break each of the
Ten Commandments The Ten Commandments (), or the Decalogue (from Latin , from Ancient Greek , ), are religious and ethical directives, structured as a covenant document, that, according to the Hebrew Bible, were given by YHWH to Moses. The text of the Ten ...
—in order—so he thought he should get out before he did something serious. Baker undertook his
national service National service is a system of compulsory or voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act ...
in the
Royal Army Medical Corps The Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) was a specialist corps in the British Army which provided medical services to all Army personnel and their families, in war and in peace. On 15 November 2024, the corps was amalgamated with the Royal Army De ...
, serving from 1955 until 1957. Upon leaving the army, he served in the Merchant Navy. Baker took up acting around 1956, joining the
Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama Rose Bruford College (formerly Rose Bruford College of Theatre & Performance) is a higher education institution in the London Borough of Bexley. Bruford has degree programmes in acting, actor musicianship, directing, theatre arts and various ...
in
Sidcup Sidcup is an area of south-east London, England, primarily in the London Borough of Bexley. It is south-east of Charing Cross, bordering the London Boroughs of London Borough of Bromley, Bromley and Royal Borough of Greenwich, Greenwich. It was ...
. He became a professional actor in the late 1960s.


Career


Early work

Baker was in his thirties when his professional acting career began and he worked in provincial
repertory theatre A repertory theatre, also called repertory, rep, true rep or stock, which are also called producing theatres, is a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation. United Kingdom ...
. He had his first break whilst performing in a late-night pub revue for the 1968 York Festival. His performance was seen by someone with the
Royal National Theatre The National Theatre (NT), officially the Royal National Theatre and sometimes referred to in international contexts as the National Theatre of Great Britain, is a performing arts venue and associated theatre company located in London, England, ...
who encouraged him to audition for the company, which was headed at the time by
Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier ( ; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director. He and his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud made up a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage of the m ...
. Baker did so and was offered a contract. From 1968 to 1971, he was given small parts and understudied; one of his bigger roles was the horse Rocinante in ''Don Quixote''. Baker's stage work led to work on television, where he gained small parts in series such as ''
Dixon of Dock Green ''Dixon of Dock Green'' is a BBC police procedural television series about daily life at a fictional London police station, with the emphasis on petty crime, successfully controlled through common sense and human understanding. It ran from 1955 ...
'', ''
Z-Cars ''Z-Cars'' or ''Z Cars'' (pronounced "zed cars") is a British television police procedural series centred on the work of mobile uniformed police and CID detectives in the fictional town of Newtown, based on Kirkby, near Liverpool. Produced by ...
'', '' Market in Honey Lane'' and '' Softly, Softly''. In 1972 he played the Egyptian doctor in the BBC’s ''
Play of the Month ''Play of the Month'' is a BBC television anthology series, which ran from 1965 to 1983 featuring productions of classic and contemporary stage plays (or adaptations) which were usually broadcast on BBC1. Each production featured a different wor ...
'' production of Shaw's play ''
The Millionairess ''The Millionairess'' is a 1960 British romantic comedy film directed by Anthony Asquith, and starring Sophia Loren and Peter Sellers. Set in London, it is a loose adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's 1936 play of the same name. Plot By the ...
'', directed by Bill Slater and starring
Maggie Smith Dame Margaret Natalie Smith (28 December 1934 – 27 September 2024) was a British actress. Known for her wit in both comedic and dramatic roles, she had List of Maggie Smith performances, an extensive career on stage and screen for over seve ...
, with whom Baker shared several scenes. Baker's first major film role was as
Grigori Rasputin Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin ( – ) was a Russian Mysticism, mystic and faith healer. He is best known for having befriended the imperial family of Nicholas II of Russia, Nicholas II, the last Emperor of all the Russias, Emperor of Russia, th ...
in the film '' Nicholas and Alexandra'' (1971); he was cast after Olivier had recommended him for the part. He was nominated for two
Golden Globe Awards The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual Awards ceremony, award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally ...
for his performance, one for Best Actor in a Supporting Role and another for Best Newcomer. Baker appeared as Moore, an artist whose paintings are imbued with voodoo power, in '' The Vault of Horror'' (1973), and as Koura, the villainous sorcerer, in Ray Harryhausen's '' The Golden Voyage of Sinbad'' (1973). Baker also appeared in
Pier Paolo Pasolini Pier Paolo Pasolini (; 5 March 1922 – 2 November 1975) was an Italian poet, film director, writer, actor and playwright. He is considered one of the defining public intellectuals in 20th-century Italian history, influential both as an artist ...
's 1972 film version of
Geoffrey Chaucer Geoffrey Chaucer ( ; – 25 October 1400) was an English poet, author, and civil servant best known for ''The Canterbury Tales''. He has been called the "father of English literature", or, alternatively, the "father of English poetry". He w ...
's ''
The Canterbury Tales ''The Canterbury Tales'' () is a collection of 24 stories written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer between 1387 and 1400. The book presents the tales, which are mostly written in verse, as part of a fictional storytelling contest held ...
'', as the younger husband of the Wife of Bath.


''Doctor Who''

In early January 1974, Baker wrote a letter to Bill Slater, by then the BBC's Head of Serials, looking for work. Reminded of the actor, Slater recommended Baker to ''
Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...
'' producer
Barry Letts Barry Leopold Letts (26 March 1925 – 9 October 2009) was an English actor, television director, writer and producer, best known for being the producer of ''Doctor Who'' from 1969 to 1974. Born in Leicester, he worked as an actor in theatre, ...
, who at the time was looking for a successor to Third Doctor
Jon Pertwee John Devon Roland Pertwee (; 7 July 1919 – 20 May 1996), known professionally as Jon Pertwee, was an English actor. Born into a theatrical family, he became known as a comedy actor, playing Chief Petty Officer Pertwee (and three other roles) in ...
. Letts was impressed by Baker upon meeting him and, after seeing his performance in ''The Golden Voyage of Sinbad'', became convinced he was right for the part. Baker was working on a construction site at the time, as acting jobs were scarce. When he first took on the role, the media dubbed him "Boiler Suit Tom" because he had been supplied for a press conference with some old studio-set clothes to replace his modest garments. Baker told the ''Daily Express'' that his friends teased him that "the BBC scoured London to come up with the only middle-aged-ten-year-old in the business." Letts left the series after producing Baker's debut story, ''
Robot A robot is a machine—especially one Computer program, programmable by a computer—capable of carrying out a complex series of actions Automation, automatically. A robot can be guided by an external control device, or the robot control, co ...
'' (1974–1975), and was replaced by Philip Hinchcliffe. Under Hinchcliffe and script editor Robert Holmes, the series gained a "Gothic tone" influenced by
Hammer Film Productions Hammer Film Productions Ltd. is a British film production company based in London. Founded in 1934, the company is best known for a series of Gothic horror and fantasy films made from the mid-1950s until the 1970s. Many of these involve classi ...
and, according to Hinchcliffe, was aimed "a bit more to the adults in the audience". Baker quickly made the part his own, and audience-viewing figures for his first few years returned to a level not seen since the height of '
Dalek The Daleks ( ) are a fictional extraterrestrial race of extremely xenophobic mutants principally portrayed in the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who''. They were conceived by writer Terry Nation and first appeared in th ...
mania' a decade earlier. His eccentric style of dress and quirky personality, in particular his
trademark look Trademark look or signature look is the characteristic clothes or other distinguishing signs used by a certain character or performer, making the person more recognizable by the audience. Politicians may also have trademark signs, such as the su ...
of wearing a long scarf and his fondness for jelly babies, as well as his voice, made him an immediately recognisable figure, and he quickly caught the viewing public's imagination. Baker contributed ideas for many aspects of his Doctor's personality; he became known for making "frequent and often comedic scripting suggestions and ad-libs", but the idea of wearing a scarf had been created by accident. James Acheson, the costume designer assigned to his first story, had provided far more wool than necessary to the knitter, Begonia Pope. Due to a miscommunication, Pope knitted all the wool she was given. During his period as the star of ''Doctor Who'', the original series received its highest viewing figures. Baker played the Doctor for seven consecutive seasons, making him the longest-serving actor in the part, and his incarnation is often regarded as the most popular of the Doctors. According to
BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...
in 2006, in polls conducted by ''
Doctor Who Magazine ''Doctor Who Magazine'' (abbreviated as ''DWM'') is a magazine devoted to the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. Launched in 1979 as ''Doctor Who Weekly'', the magazine became a monthly publication the following year. In ...
'', Baker only lost the "Best Doctor" category to
Sylvester McCoy Percy James Patrick Kent-Smith (born 20 August 1943), known professionally as Sylvester McCoy, is a Scottish actor. Gaining prominence as a physical comedian, he became best known for playing the seventh incarnation of the Doctor in the long ...
in 1990 and to
David Tennant David John Tennant (; born 18 April 1971) is a Scottish actor. He is best known for portraying the Tenth Doctor, tenth and Fourteenth Doctor, fourteenth incarnations of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor in the science fiction series ''Docto ...
in 2006. In a 2010 interview, Baker said that he had not watched Tennant's performance as the Doctor but thought his ''
Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...
'' was excellent. Many of the stories from his early period in the role are considered to be classics of the series, including '' The Ark in Space'' (1975), '' Genesis of the Daleks'' (1975), ''
The Brain of Morbius ''The Brain of Morbius'' is the fifth serial of the Doctor Who (season 13), 13th season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC One, BBC1 from 3 to 24 January 1976. Th ...
'' (1976), ''
The Deadly Assassin ''The Deadly Assassin'' is the third serial of the Doctor Who (season 14), 14th season of the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC1 from 30 October to 20 November 197 ...
'' (1976) and '' The Robots of Death'' (1977). However, the violent tone of the stories produced by Philip Hinchcliffe saw the series come under heavy criticism from morality campaigner
Mary Whitehouse Constance Mary Whitehouse (; 13 June 1910 – 23 November 2001) was a British teacher and conservative activist. She campaigned against social liberalism and the mainstream British media, both of which she accused of encouraging a more permis ...
. Concerns over violence during this early period led to a lightening of the tone and an "erratic decline" in both the popularity and quality of the series. In a 2014 interview, Baker described Hinchcliffe as "amazing" and identified that as his favourite time on the series. He described Hinchcliffe's successor, Graham Williams, as "absolutely devoted" but said he lacked his predecessor's flair and had "let me get away with murder". He acknowledged that his final producer on the series,
John Nathan-Turner John Turner (12 August 1947 – 1 May 2002), known professionally as John Nathan-Turner, was an English television producer. He was the ninth producer of the long-running BBC science fiction series ''Doctor Who'' and the final producer of the ...
, had made changes he did not agree with and that they "did not see eye-to-eye really about very much"; according to Baker, the two became good friends afterwards and forgot their disagreements. Baker additionally criticised season 18, his last on the show and Nathan-Turner's first as producer, for the decision to increase the number of actors in the regular cast, which Baker felt resulted in stories that relied too much on the Doctor (rather than on other principal characters) to drive the plot forward. Baker ultimately suggested that he may have stayed in the role for one series too many, stating that, in hindsight, he felt it would have been better for him to have left with Williams and let Nathan-Turner recast the role of the Doctor for season 18. According to Baker in 2017, "When I was doing ''Doctor Who'', it was the realisation of all my childhood fantasies... so I took to it like a duck to water, and I still do. ''Doctor Who'' was more important than life to me—I used to dread the end of rehearsal... that's why I can't stay away from it." Although Baker declined to appear in the 20th anniversary ''Doctor Who'' episode " The Five Doctors" (1983) because it was not long since he had left and he "didn't want to play 20 per cent of the part" and be "a feed for other Doctors", he briefly returned to the role of the Doctor for the 30th anniversary charity special ''
Dimensions in Time ''Dimensions in Time'' is a charity special crossover between the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' and the soap opera ''EastEnders.'' The special was broadcast in two parts on 26 and 27 November 1993 and was filmed on lo ...
'' (1993) and also recorded the audio for the PC
video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
'' Doctor Who: Destiny of the Doctors'' (1997). Baker continued to be associated with the Doctor, appearing on documentaries such as the 40th anniversary BBC television retrospective ''The Story of Doctor Who'' (2003) and giving other interviews about his time on the programme, including for documentaries on the extras of ''Doctor Who'' DVD releases from his era as the Doctor, and he has recorded DVD commentaries for many of the stories. Baker was also involved in the reading of old Target novelisations in the BBC Audio range of talking books, "''Doctor Who'' (Classic Novels)". ''Doctor Who and the Giant
Robot A robot is a machine—especially one Computer program, programmable by a computer—capable of carrying out a complex series of actions Automation, automatically. A robot can be guided by an external control device, or the robot control, co ...
'' was the first release in the range read by Baker, released on 5 November 2007, followed by Baker reading ''Doctor Who and the Brain of Morbius'' (released 4 February 2008), ''Doctor Who and the Creature from the Pit'' (released on 7 April 2008) and ''Doctor Who and the Pyramids of Mars'' (released 14 August 2008). In October 2009, Baker was interviewed for
BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...
's ''Last Word'' to pay tribute to the deceased former ''Doctor Who'' producer Barry Letts. He described Letts as "the big link in changing my entire life" for casting him in the role. On 20 November 2013, Baker revealed that he would appear in the 50th-anniversary special, " The Day of the Doctor", stating, "I am in the special. I'm not supposed to tell you that, but I tell you that very willingly and specifically; the BBC told me not to tell anybody but I'm telling you straight away." The episode saw Baker in the role of a mysterious curator in the
National Gallery The National Gallery is an art museum in Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, in Central London, England. Founded in 1824, it houses a collection of more than 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. The current di ...
who openly discusses his resemblance to the Fourth Doctor with the
Eleventh Doctor The Eleventh Doctor is an incarnation (otherwise known as regeneration) of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He is played by Matt Smith in three series as well as five specials. As wi ...
. Baker also filmed inserts in 1992 for a video release of the unfinished
Douglas Adams Douglas Noel Adams (11 March 1952 – 11 May 2001) was an English author, humorist, and screenwriter, best known as the creator of ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy''. Originally a 1978 BBC radio comedy, ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the ...
''Doctor Who'' serial '' Shada'', originally begun in 1979 but abandoned due to strike action, and presented the video release ''The Tom Baker Years'' (1992), which was a look back at his time on the series with Baker watching short clips from his episodes. In November 2017, Baker returned to the Doctor role by completing ''Shada''. Animation was added to complete the original story. He also filmed one new scene for inclusion in the final episode.


''Doctor Who'' audio dramas

While
Peter Davison Peter Malcolm Gordon Moffett (born 13 April 1951), known professionally as Peter Davison, is an English actor. He made his television acting debut in 1975 and became famous in 1978 as Tristan Farnon in the BBC's television adaptation of Jame ...
,
Colin Baker Colin Charles Baker (born 8 June 1943) is an English actor. He played Paul Merroney in the BBC television drama series ''The Brothers (1972 TV series), The Brothers'' from 1974 to 1976 and the Sixth Doctor, sixth incarnation of The Doctor (Do ...
,
Sylvester McCoy Percy James Patrick Kent-Smith (born 20 August 1943), known professionally as Sylvester McCoy, is a Scottish actor. Gaining prominence as a physical comedian, he became best known for playing the seventh incarnation of the Doctor in the long ...
and
Paul McGann Paul John McGann ( ; born 14 November 1959) is an English actor. He came to prominence for portraying Percy Toplis in the television serial '' The Monocled Mutineer'' (1986), then starred in the dark comedy '' Withnail and I'' (1987), which wa ...
have all reprised their roles for audio adventures produced by
Big Finish Productions Big Finish Productions is a British company that produces books and radio drama, audio plays (released straight to compact disc and for download in MP3 and m4b format) based, primarily, on science fiction properties. These include ''Doctor Who'' ...
and the BBC since the 1990s, Baker declined to voice the Doctor until 2009, saying that he had not seen a script he liked. In July 2009, the BBC announced that Baker would return to the role for a series of five audio dramas, co-starring Richard Franklin as Captain Mike Yates, which would begin release in September. The five audios comprise a single linked story under the banner title '' Hornets' Nest'', written by author Paul Magrs. He returned with a sequel to ''Hornets' Nest'' called '' Demon Quest''. In March 2011, it was announced that Baker would be returning as the Fourth Doctor initially for two series of plays for Big Finish Productions, starring alongside former companions Leela (
Louise Jameson Louise Marion Jameson (born 20 April 1951) is an English actress with a variety of television and theatre credits. Her roles on television have included playing Leela (Doctor Who), Leela in ''Doctor Who'' (1977–1978), Anne Reynolds in ''The O ...
) and Romana I ( Mary Tamm). The first series of six audios were released starting in January 2012. Big Finish had also arranged for Baker to record a series of stories reuniting him with Elisabeth Sladen's character Sarah Jane Smith (for which special permission was obtained from the producers of '' The Sarah Jane Adventures'' TV series), but Sladen died in April 2011 before any stories could be recorded. Baker has also recorded several Big Finish audio stories with
Matthew Waterhouse Matthew Waterhouse (born 19 December 1961) is an English actor and writer, best known for his role as Adric in the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' from 1980 to 1982. Early life Waterhouse was born in Hertford, but brough ...
, who played Adric, and Lalla Ward, who played
Romana II Romana, short for Romanadvoratrelundar (), is a fictional character in the long-running British science fiction on television, science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. A Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey, she is a companion (Doctor ...
, although Ward recorded her sections separately. It was reported in April 2020 that Baker had recorded "Return of the Cybermen" for Big Finish, an alternative version of the story '' Revenge of the Cybermen'' (1975), with Sadie Miller, Elisabeth Sladen's daughter, taking over the role of Sarah Jane Smith from her mother. The story was released in March 2021. Baker also returned to the role of the Curator for Big Finish, joining the casts of '' The Eighth Doctor Adventures'' and '' UNIT: The New Series''. As of 2025, Baker is the oldest living actor to have played the role.


Later film and television work

In 1982, Baker portrayed
Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...
in a four-part BBC1 miniseries version of ''
The Hound of the Baskervilles ''The Hound of the Baskervilles'' is the third of the four Detective fiction, crime novels by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle featuring the detective Sherlock Holmes. Originally serial (literature), serialised in ''The Strand Magazine'' from ...
''; in the US, this production was telecast on A&E. He also made an appearance in ''
Blackadder II ''Blackadder II'' is the second series of the BBC sitcom ''Blackadder'', written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, which aired from 9 January 1986 to 20 February 1986. The series is set in England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–160 ...
'', in the episode "Potato", as the sea captain "Redbeard Rum". He played Puddleglum, a "marsh-wiggle", in the 1990 BBC adaptation of
C. S. Lewis Clive Staples Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963) was a British writer, literary scholar and Anglican lay theologian. He held academic positions in English literature at both Magdalen College, Oxford (1925–1954), and Magdalen ...
' ''
The Silver Chair ''The Silver Chair'' is a portal fantasy novel written by British author C. S. Lewis and published by Geoffrey Bles in 1953. It was the fourth of seven novels published in ''The Chronicles of Narnia'' (1950–1956), but became volume six in rec ...
''. For the third series of the British game show ''
Cluedo ''Cluedo'' (), known as ''Clue'' in North America, is a murder mystery game for three to six players (depending on editions) that was devised in 1943 by British board game designer Anthony E. Pratt. The game was first manufactured by Waddingt ...
'', Baker was cast as Professor Plum, a "man with a degree in suspicion". He was also cast in the 2004 series ''
Strange Strange may refer to: Fiction * Strange (comic book), a comic book limited series by Marvel Comics * Strange (Marvel Comics), one of a pair of Marvel Comics characters known as The Strangers * Adam Strange, a DC Comics superhero * The title c ...
'', as a blind priest who possessed knowledge of the Devil. In addition, he played the part of Donald MacDonald in the BBC series '' Monarch of the Glen'', from 2004 until 2005. Previously, he had appeared as a guest on the quiz show ''
Have I Got News For You ''Have I Got News for You'' (''HIGNFY'') is a British television panel show, produced by Hat Trick Productions for the BBC, which premiered on 28 September 1990. The programme focuses on two teams, one usually captained by Ian Hislop and one ...
'' and was subsequently described by presenter
Angus Deayton Gordon Angus Deayton (; born 6 January 1956) is an English actor, writer, musician, comedian and broadcaster. Deayton was the original presenter of two successful British comedy panel shows, ''Have I Got News for You'' (1990–2002) and ''Woul ...
as the funniest guest in the series' history. A particular highlight was when Baker gave an anecdotal account of how, while entering a recording studio in
Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
, he was accosted by a member of the public who told Baker: "I will never forgive you, nor will my wife, for what you did to our grammar schools." Baker responded with: "What are you talking about, you daft bugger?" to which the stranger replied: "I'm so sorry. For a moment I thought you were
Shirley Williams Shirley Vivian Teresa Brittain Williams, Baroness Williams of Crosby (''née'' Catlin; 27 July 1930 – 12 April 2021) was a British politician and academic. Originally a Labour Party (UK), Labour Party Member of Parliament (MP), she served in ...
." Baker later returned to ''Have I Got News For You'' as a guest host in 2008. Baker played the role of the Captain in the Challenge version of '' Fort Boyard'', and has also hosted the children's literature series, ''The Book Tower''. He recorded a special called, ''Tom Baker – In Confidence'' that was shown in April 2010. In the late 1990s, it was reported that Baker was a candidate for the role of
Gandalf Gandalf is a protagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. He is a Wizards (Middle-earth), wizard, one of the Istari order, and the leader of the Company of the Ring. Tolkien took the name "Gandalf" fr ...
in the '' Lord of the Rings'' films. Baker has since stated that he was only approached for "a role" in the film, and turned down the offer when told that it would mean spending months away in New Zealand. He appeared as Halvarth, the Elven healer, in ''
Dungeons & Dragons ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) originally created and designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by TSR (company)#Tactical ...
'' (2000).


''Little Britain''

After his work on '' Lionel Nimrod's Inexplicable World'', Baker was cast as a similar narrator of '' Little Britain'' on
BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...
and remained in the role when it transferred to television.Scott, Danny. (17 December 2006)
"A Life in the Day: Tom Baker"
''
The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British Sunday newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of N ...
''.
He has suggested that he was chosen for the part in ''Little Britain'' due to his popularity with creators
Matt Lucas Matthew Richard Lucas (born 5 March 1974) is an English actor, comedian, writer and television host. He is best known for his work with David Walliams on the BBC sketch comedy series ''Little Britain (TV series), Little Britain'' (2003–2006) ...
and
David Walliams David Edward Williams (born 20 August 1971), known professionally as David Walliams (), is an English actor, comedian, writer, and television personality. He is best known for his work with Matt Lucas on the BBC sketch comedy series '' Little ...
, part of the generation for whom he is the favourite Doctor. "I am now being employed by the children who grew up watching me", he stated in a DVD commentary. Another trademark of ''Little Britain''s narration is the deadpan quotation of old rap lyrics, usually in the opening credit sequence. On 17 November 2005, to mark the start of the third series of ''Little Britain'', Baker read the continuity announcements on
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...
from 7 pm to 9:30 pm GMT. The scripts were written by Lucas and Walliams; Baker assumed his ''Little Britain'' persona. He used lines such as:


Voice acting

Baker has appeared in various radio productions, including a role as "Britain's most celebrated criminal barrister", Sir Edward Marshall-Hall in ''John Mortimer Presents the Trials of Marshall Hall'' (1996), " Josiah Bounderby" in
Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English novelist, journalist, short story writer and Social criticism, social critic. He created some of literature's best-known fictional characters, and is regarded by ...
' '' Hard Times'' (1998) and a part in the 2001
BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...
version of ''
The Thirty-Nine Steps ''The Thirty-Nine Steps'' is a 1915 adventure novel by the Scottish literature, Scottish author John Buchan, first published by William Blackwood and Sons, Edinburgh. It was Serial (literature), serialized in ''Argosy (magazine)#The All-Story, ...
'' as Sir Walter Bullivant. He guest starred in '' The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes'' (a pastiche series written by Bert Coules) in the 2002 episode "
The Saviour of Cripplegate Square ''The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes'' is a series of radio dramas based on Arthur Conan Doyle's detective Sherlock Holmes. Written by Bert Coules as a pastiche of Doyle's work, the series was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2002, 2004, 2008 ...
". From 2000 to 2005 Baker voiced the character Max Bear in the Channel 4 (UK) Max Bear Productions animated series. He also voiced the role of the villain ZeeBad in the 2005 animated film version of ''
The Magic Roundabout ''The Magic Roundabout'' is an English-language children's programme that ran on BBC Television from 1965 to 1977. It used the footage of the French stop motion animation show '' Le Manège enchanté'' but with completely different scripts a ...
''. In 2007, he voiced the character of Robert Baron in the BBC animated series ''The Secret Show''. Baker narrated the children's animated series '' The Beeps'' which was shown on Channel 5's ''
Milkshake! ''Milkshake!'' (stylised as milkshake!) is a British Children's television series, children's television programming block on 5 (British TV channel), 5. Originally launched in 1997, it is currently aimed at children aged 2 to 7. History Th ...
'' as well as narrating ''Tales of Aesop'' on
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
, a television series with puppetry based on
Aesop's Fables Aesop's Fables, or the Aesopica, is a collection of fables credited to Aesop, a Slavery in ancient Greece, slave and storyteller who lived in ancient Greece between 620 and 564 Before the Common Era, BCE. Of varied and unclear origins, the stor ...
. Most recently, Baker has returned to the role of the Fourth Doctor, first in three series of audio adventures for BBC Audiobooks: ''Hornet's Nest'', ''Demon Quest'' and ''Serpents' Crest''; and now in a new series of ''
Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...
'' audio adventures for
Big Finish Productions Big Finish Productions is a British company that produces books and radio drama, audio plays (released straight to compact disc and for download in MP3 and m4b format) based, primarily, on science fiction properties. These include ''Doctor Who'' ...
also starring
Louise Jameson Louise Marion Jameson (born 20 April 1951) is an English actress with a variety of television and theatre credits. Her roles on television have included playing Leela (Doctor Who), Leela in ''Doctor Who'' (1977–1978), Anne Reynolds in ''The O ...
as " Leela". There were seven releases in 2013 with Mary Tamm as Romana: ('' The Auntie Matter'', ''The Sands of Life'', ''War Against the Laan'', ''The Justice of Jalxar'', ''Phantoms of the Deep'', ''The Dalek Contract'' and ''The Final Phase''). In the third season of the animated series ''
Star Wars Rebels ''Star Wars Rebels'' is an American 3D animated science fiction television series produced by Lucasfilm Animation and set in the ''Star Wars'' universe. It takes place 14 years after '' Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith'' (2005 ...
'', Baker provided the voice of Bendu, a powerful
Force In physics, a force is an influence that can cause an Physical object, object to change its velocity unless counterbalanced by other forces. In mechanics, force makes ideas like 'pushing' or 'pulling' mathematically precise. Because the Magnitu ...
-sensitive being.


Video games

Baker starred as the Fourth Doctor in the 1997 video game ''
Destiny of the Doctors ''Doctor Who: Destiny of the Doctors'' is an action video game, action video game based on the BBC British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. It was released on 5 December 1997 by BBC Multimedia. Overview A collaboration betwe ...
'' where he provided the voice. His voice has also been featured in '' Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future'' (2000), '' Warhammer 40,000: Fire Warrior'' (2003), '' Sudeki'' (2004), '' Cold Winter'' (2005), '' : Resurrection'', '' Hostile Waters: Antaeus Rising'', and '' Little Britain: The Video Game'' (2007).


Narration

Baker is a prolific voiceover artist and his voice was voted as the fourth most recognisable in the UK in 2006 after the Queen,
Tony Blair Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party (UK), Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He was Leader ...
and
Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013), was a British stateswoman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of th ...
. In 1992 and 1993, Baker narrated BBC radio comedy series '' Lionel Nimrod's Inexplicable World''. In 1994 he provided the narration for
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...
's ''
Equinox A solar equinox is a moment in time when the Sun appears directly above the equator, rather than to its north or south. On the day of the equinox, the Sun appears to rise directly east and set directly west. This occurs twice each year, arou ...
''
rave A rave (from the verb: '' to rave'') is a dance party at a warehouse, club, or other public or private venue, typically featuring performances by DJs playing electronic dance music. The style is most associated with the early 1990s dance mus ...
documentary ''Rave New World''. In 2002 he had a speaking role in the critically acclaimed but commercially unsuccessful '' Hostile Waters'' as the Narrator. Baker voiced both the narrator and the god "Tetsu" in the role-playing game '' Sudeki'', but was uncredited. Baker was also the uncredited narrator for the 1985 science fiction movie "Enemy Mine". During the first three months of 2006, his voice was used by BT for spoken delivery of
text messages Text messaging, or texting, is the act of composing and sending electronic messages, typically consisting of alphabetic and numeric characters, between two or more users of mobile phones, tablet computers, smartwatches, desktop computer, des ...
to landline phones. He recorded 11,593 phrases, containing every sound in the English language, for use by the text-to-speech service. The BT text message service returned from 1 December 2006 until 8 January 2007, with two pence from each text going to the charity Shelter. Also, a single "sung" by Baker's text voice, "
You Really Got Me "You Really Got Me" is a song by the English rock band the Kinks, written by frontman Ray Davies and released as their third single in 1964. The song, originally performed in a more blues-oriented style, was inspired by artists such as Lead B ...
" by
The Kinks The Kinks were an English rock band formed in London in 1963 by brothers Ray Davies, Ray and Dave Davies, and Pete Quaife. They are regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s. The band emerged during the height of British ...
, was released on 18 December 2006 with proceeds going to the charity. The creator of the song was Mark Murphy, designer of the site. Baker's voice may be heard at London's
Natural History Museum A natural history museum or museum of natural history is a scientific institution with natural history scientific collection, collections that include current and historical records of animals, plants, Fungus, fungi, ecosystems, geology, paleo ...
narrating commentary to some of the exhibits that demonstrate Darwin's theory of
natural selection Natural selection is the differential survival and reproduction of individuals due to differences in phenotype. It is a key mechanism of evolution, the change in the Heredity, heritable traits characteristic of a population over generation ...
. He has made three other brief forays into the world of music: he provides the monologue to the track "Witness to a Murder (Part Two)" on the album '' Six'' by
Mansun Mansun were an English alternative rock band, formed in Chester in 1995. The band comprised vocalist/rhythm guitarist Paul Draper (musician), Paul Draper, bassist Stove King, lead guitarist/backing vocalist Dominic Chad, and drummer Andie Rath ...
; he appears on Technocat's single "Only Human" in 1995, and in 2002 he recorded the monologue to the track "Megamorphosis" on the album ''Andabrek'' by Stephen James, although the album was not released until 2009. Baker provides narrative at two British tourist attractions: the Nemesis roller coaster at
Alton Towers Alton Towers Resort ( ) (often shortened to Alton Towers) is a theme park and resort complex in Staffordshire, England, near the village of Alton, Staffordshire, Alton. The park is operated by Merlin Entertainments, Merlin Entertainments Group a ...
, Staffordshire; and the
London Dungeon The London Dungeon is a tourist attraction/ haunted attraction along London's South Bank, England, which recreates various gory and macabre historical events in a gallows humour style. It uses a mixture of live actors, special effects and ...
, a museum depicting gory and macabre events in the capital, narrating the events leading up to and comprising the Great Fire of London. Baker voiced the character "Max Bear", a series of animated stories broadcast on Channel 4 (UK Terrestrial) from 2000 to 2005. He narrated Australian cartoonist
Bruce Petty Bruce Leslie Petty (23 November 1929 – 6 April 2023) was an Australian political satirist, sculptor and cartoonist.
's 2006 film about world politics, '' Global Haywire''.


Books

Baker's autobiography, ''Who on Earth is Tom Baker?'' was published in 1997 and made available on Kindle devices in September 2013. Baker has also written a short fairytale-style novel called '' The Boy Who Kicked Pigs''. In 1981 he edited a collection of poems for children: ''Never Wear Your Wellies in the House and Other Poems to Make You Laugh''. In 2019, Baker released a ''Doctor Who'' novel called ''Scratchman.'' Co-written with James Goss, the novel is based on a script Tom Baker and Ian Marter wrote for a proposed ''Doctor Who'' film in the 1970s. The plot involves the Fourth Doctor meeting Scratchman, who may be the devil.


Theatre

In 1966, Baker became a member of Frank Dunlop's Pop Theatre Company production of
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
's ''
The Winter's Tale ''The Winter's Tale'' is a play by William Shakespeare originally published in the First Folio of 1623. Although it was grouped among the comedies, many modern editors have relabelled the play as one of Shakespeare's late romances. Some criti ...
'', which was performed at that year's
Edinburgh International Festival The Edinburgh International Festival is an annual arts festival in Edinburgh, Scotland, spread over the final three weeks in August. Notable figures from the international world of music (especially european classical music, classical music) and ...
and in the
Cambridge Theatre The Cambridge Theatre is a West End theatre, on a corner site in Earlham Street facing Seven Dials, London, Seven Dials, in the London Borough of Camden, built in 1929–30 for Bertie Meyer on an "irregular triangular site". Design and const ...
, London. Other cast members included '' "Carry On..."'' stalwart
Jim Dale Jim Dale (born James Smith; 15 August 1935) is an English actor, composer, director, narrator, singer and songwriter. In the United Kingdom he is known as a pop singer of the 1950s who became a leading actor at the National Theatre. In British ...
and up-and-coming actress
Jane Asher Jane Asher (born 5 April 1946)''The International Who's Who of Women'', 3rd edition, ed. Elizabeth Sleeman, Europa Publications, 2002, p. 29 is an English actress and author. She achieved early fame as a child actress and through her associatio ...
: Baker played several small roles within the play, including the infamous "bear". Baker joined the National Theatre in 1968 as an understudy for ''
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead ''Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead'' is an absurdist, existential tragicomedy by Tom Stoppard, first staged at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1966. The play expands upon the exploits of two minor characters from Shakespeare's ''Hamle ...
'' followed by small parts in '' The National Health'' by Peter Nichols (directed by
Michael Blakemore Michael Howell Blakemore AO OBE (18 June 1928 – 10 December 2023) was an Australian actor, writer and theatre director who also made some films. A former Associate Director of the National Theatre, in 2000 he became the only individual to ...
). After playing the horse in ''The Travails of Sancho Panza'' (directed by
Joan Plowright Joan Ann Olivier, Baroness Olivier (; 28 October 1929 – 16 January 2025), commonly known as Dame Joan Plowright, was an English actress whose career spanned over six decades. She received several accolades including two Golden Globe Awards, an ...
),
Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier ( ; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director. He and his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud made up a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage of the m ...
subsequently cast him as the Prince of Morocco in ''
The Merchant of Venice ''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan taken out on behalf of his dear friend, Bassanio, and provided by a ...
''. The play was directed by
Jonathan Miller Sir Jonathan Wolfe Miller CBE (21 July 1934 – 27 November 2019) was an English theatre and opera director, actor, author, television presenter, comedian and physician. After training in medicine and specialising in neurology in the late 19 ...
, with Baker appearing alongside Olivier as
Shylock Shylock () is a fictional character in William Shakespeare's play '' The Merchant of Venice'' ( 1600). A Venetian Jewish moneylender, Shylock is the play's principal villain. His defeat and forced conversion to Christianity form the climax ...
. Still under contract at the National, Baker also played a Russian in ''
The Idiot ''The Idiot'' (Reforms of Russian orthography, pre-reform Russian: ; post-reform ) is a novel by the 19th-century Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. It was first published serially in the journal ''The Russian Messenger'' in 1868–1869. The titl ...
'', Sir Frances Acton in ''A Woman Killed With Kindness'', opposite
Anthony Hopkins Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins (born 31 December 1937) is a Welsh actor. Considered one of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actors, he is known for List of Anthony Hopkins performances, his performances on the screen and stage. Hopkins ha ...
, and Filippo in ''
The Rules of the Game ''The Rules of the Game'' (original French title: ''La règle du jeu'') is a 1939 French satirical comedy-drama film directed by Jean Renoir. The ensemble cast includes Nora Gregor, Paulette Dubost, Mila Parély, Marcel Dalio, Julien Carett ...
''. After leaving the role of
the Doctor The Doctor, sometimes known as Doctor Who, is the protagonist of the long-running BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. An extraterrestrial Time Lord, the Doctor travels the universe in a time travelling spaceship called th ...
in 1981, Baker returned to theatre to play
Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Fflahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish author, poet, and playwright. After writing in different literary styles throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular and influential playwright ...
in ''Feasting with Panthers'' at the
Chichester Festival Theatre Chichester Festival Theatre is a theatre and Grade II* listed building situated in Oaklands Park in the city of Chichester, West Sussex, England. Designed by Philip Powell and Hidalgo Moya, it was opened by its founder Leslie Evershed-Mart ...
. The following year, he played Judge Brack in ''
Hedda Gabler ''Hedda Gabler'' () is a play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. The world premiere was staged on 31 January 1891 at the Residenztheater in Munich. Ibsen himself was in attendance, although he remained back-stage.Meyer, Michael Lever ...
'', with
Susannah York Susannah Yolande Fletcher (9 January 1939 – 15 January 2011), known professionally as Susannah York, was an English actress. Her appearances in various films of the 1960s, including '' Tom Jones'' (1963) and '' They Shoot Horses, Don't They?'' ...
as Hedda, in the West End. Also in 1982, Baker played Dr. Frank Bryant in a
Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and opens around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, Stratf ...
production of '' Educating Rita'', alongside Kate Fitzgerald as Rita. He returned to the National Theatre in 1984 to play Mr Hardcastle in '' She Stoops to Conquer'' in the Olivier Theatre and on a later tour. The following year he played both
Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...
and Moriarty in ''The Mask of Moriarty'' by
Hugh Leonard Hugh Leonard (9 November 1926 – 12 February 2009) was an Irish dramatist, television writer, and essayist. In a career that spanned 50 years, Leonard wrote nearly 30 full-length plays, 10 one-act plays, three volumes of essay, two autobiograph ...
at the
Gate Theatre The Gate Theatre is a theatre on Cavendish Row in Dublin, Ireland. It was founded in 1928. History Beginnings The Gate Theatre was founded in 1928 by Hilton Edwards and Micheál MacLiammóir with Daisy Bannard Cogley and Gearóid Ó Lochla ...
in Dublin. In 1987, Baker played Inspector Goole in a revival production of '' An Inspector Calls'' directed by Peter Dews.


Music

In 1998, Baker provided narration on the track "Witness to a Murder (Part 2)" on the album '' Six'' by the English alternative rockband
Mansun Mansun were an English alternative rock band, formed in Chester in 1995. The band comprised vocalist/rhythm guitarist Paul Draper (musician), Paul Draper, bassist Stove King, lead guitarist/backing vocalist Dominic Chad, and drummer Andie Rath ...
. On 13 May 2020, Dutch producer and songwriter
Arjen Anthony Lucassen Arjen Anthony Lucassen (born 3 April 1960) is a Dutch singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist musician and record producer, best known for his long-running progressive metal/ rock opera project Ayreon. Lucassen started his career in 1980 as t ...
announced that Baker would provide spoken vocals for the character of "The Storyteller" on
Ayreon Ayreon is a musical project by Dutch songwriter, singer, musician and record producer Arjen Anthony Lucassen. Ayreon's music is described as progressive rock, progressive metal and power metal sometimes combined with genres such as folk music, f ...
's album, ''
Transitus In Western Christianity, the Transitus (''translation'' from Ecclesiastical Latin: crossing) refers to "the time of passage through death to life". The Christian theologian German Martinez writes that: Observance With reference to various ...
''.


Personal life

Baker's first marriage was in 1961, to Anna Wheatcroft, niece of rose grower Harry Wheatcroft; they had met and started dating whilst at acting school. They had two sons (Daniel and Piers) and divorced in 1966. Baker lost contact with his sons until a chance meeting with Piers in a
New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
pub allowed them to renew their relationship.Helen Weathers, "Who's got views for you", ''Daily Mirror'', 30 December 1998 In December 1980, he married Lalla Ward, who had co-starred in ''Doctor Who'' as his character's companion Romana. They divorced in April 1982. Baker married for a third time on 1 April 1986, to Sue Jerrard, who had been an assistant editor on ''Doctor Who''. They moved to the Bell House, a converted school in
Boughton Malherbe Boughton Malherbe ( ) is a village and civil parish in the Maidstone district of Kent, England, equidistant between Maidstone and Ashford. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 428, including Sandway and Grafty Green, ...
,
Kent Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...
, where they kept several cats before moving to France in January 2003. They sold the property to
Vic Reeves James Roderick Moir (born 24 January 1959), commonly known by his stage name Vic Reeves, is an English comedian and artist. He has a double act with Bob Mortimer as Reeves & Mortimer. He is known for his surreal sense of humour. In 2003, Ree ...
shortly after Baker had worked with him on the BBC revival of '' Randall and Hopkirk''. In November 2006, Baker bought a house in
Royal Tunbridge Wells Royal Tunbridge Wells (formerly, until 1909, and still commonly Tunbridge Wells) is a town in Kent, England, southeast of Central London. It lies close to the border with East Sussex on the northern edge of the Weald, High Weald, whose sand ...
, Kent, before later moving to
Rye, East Sussex Rye is a town and civil parish in the Rother District, Rother district of East Sussex, England, from the sea at the confluence of three rivers: the River Rother (Eastern), Rother, the River Tillingham, Tillingham and the River Brede, Brede. An ...
. Baker is critical of religion and describes himself as
irreligious Irreligion is the absence or rejection of religious beliefs or practices. It encompasses a wide range of viewpoints drawn from various philosophical and intellectual perspectives, including atheism, agnosticism, religious skepticism, rationa ...
, or occasionally as
Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
, but not anti-religious.Mark Smith
"From Gallifrey to Glenbogle"
''The Herald'', 17 September 2004
Politically, Baker has expressed disdain for the Conservative Party and
New Labour New Labour is the political philosophy that dominated the history of the British Labour Party from the mid-late 1990s to 2010 under the leadership of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. The term originated in a conference slogan first used by the ...
, saying in 1998, "when the Conservatives were in I cannot tell you how much I hated them, but I realise how shallow I am because I now hate the Labour Party as much." Baker was appointed a
Member of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
(MBE) in the
2025 New Year Honours The 2025 New Year Honours are appointments by King Charles III among the 15 Commonwealth realms to Orders and decorations of the Commonwealth realms, various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The ...
for services to television.


Popular culture

* English
synthpop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a music genre that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s ...
band
the Human League The Human League are an English synth-pop band formed in Sheffield in 1977. Initially an experimental electronic music, electronic outfit, the group signed to Virgin Records in 1979 and later attained widespread commercial success with their t ...
recorded a track entitled "Tom Baker". In 1981 it was released as the B-side to their " Boys and Girls" single. The instrumental track was re-released on some CD versions of their '' Travelogue'' album. The song was inspired by the incidental music of ''Doctor Who''. * A cartoon of Tom Baker, as the Fourth Doctor, appeared as one of the "esteemed representatives of television" in ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a Satire (film and television), satirical depiction of American life ...
'' episodes " Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming", " Treehouse of Horror X", and " Mayored to the Mob". A fan of ''Doctor Who'' since childhood, ''Simpsons'' creator
Matt Groening Matthew Abram Groening ( ; born February 15, 1954) is an American cartoonist, writer, producer, and animator. He is best known as the creator of the television series ''The Simpsons'' (1989–present), ''Futurama'' (1999–2003, 2008–2013, 2 ...
favours Tom Baker's Doctor.Hauge, Ron. (2008). Commentary for "Treehouse of Horror X", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Eleventh Season'' VD 20th Century Fox. ''Simpsons'' writer Ron Hauge said, "There are several ''Doctor Who'' actors but Tom Baker is the one we always go with." * Impressionist
Jon Culshaw Jonathan Peter Culshaw (born 2 June 1968) is an English actor, comedian and Impressionist (entertainment), impressionist. He is best known for his work on the radio comedy ''Dead Ringers (comedy), Dead Ringers'' since 2000. Culshaw has voiced ...
regularly impersonates Baker in the comedy series '' Dead Ringers''. On one episode of ''Dead Ringers'', Culshaw called Baker himself using his impersonation, introducing himself as the Doctor. An amused Baker replied, "No, there must be a mistake. ''I'm'' the Doctor!" The episode was so well received, that Baker later appeared with Culshaw in the 2001 TV movie ''Alter Ego''. Dressed identically, Culshaw as Baker said "It's very nice to meet me." Whereupon Baker replied "Yes, well it's very nice to be met." * A fictional version of Baker appears in the Kevin Sampson novel '' Awaydays''. In this story, he is attending the seventh International ''Doctor Who'' Convention in Halifax in December 1979, where the chief protagonists of the novel (a group of
Tranmere Rovers Tranmere Rovers Football Club are a professional association football club based in Birkenhead, Merseyside, England. The team competes in , the fourth level of the English football league system. Founded in 1884 as Belmont Football Club, they ...
hooligans) accidentally gatecrash. They befriend him and try to persuade him to tour the country as the Doctor, setting fire to his farts. This was not included in the film version of the novel. Producer David Hughes wanted to use a clip from Baker's era of ''Doctor Who'' to help add to the film's 1979 period detail, but the BBC refused because of the film's violence.


Filmography


Film


Television


Theatre


Video games


Radio and audio drama


Web


Publications


Discography


References


External links

* * * *
Tom Baker as Doctor Who in Denis Allen Print Birthday Cards circa 1978
at Doctor Who Appreciation Society Online Archive {{DEFAULTSORT:Baker, Tom 1934 births Living people 20th-century British Army personnel 20th-century English male actors 21st-century English male actors Alumni of Rose Bruford College Audiobook narrators Converts to Buddhism from Roman Catholicism English Buddhists English humanists English male film actors English male radio actors English male stage actors English male television actors English male voice actors English people of Irish descent English people of Scottish descent Male actors from Liverpool Members of the Order of the British Empire Military personnel from Liverpool People from Boughton Malherbe People from Rye, East Sussex People from Vauxhall, Liverpool Royal Army Medical Corps soldiers