Thomas Stewart Baker (natural January 20, 1934) is a British actor, mainly associated by using swimming a fourth incarnation of the Doctor in the long-running science fiction television series Doctor Who, whom he played from 1974 to 1981.

Early life and career

Baker was innate inside Liverpool. His father, Thomas, was the sailor world health organization was seldom home sequent around Tom existence raised largely by his mother, Mary Jane, around her Roman Catholic faith. He left school at Fifteen to be the novice monk & remained in a monastic life for hexad years, however left and went into the Merchant Navy, at the equivalent period ingesting higher acting, at the start as a hobby. Inside 1971, he got his number one large break by using a role of Rasputin in the film Nicholas and Alexandra.

Baker in Doctor Who

Around 1974, Baker took on the role of the Doctor from Jon Pertwee, getting it largely based on his performance in The Golden Voyage of Sinbad. He wwhen working in a construction places at the period, as acting jobs were just. At the start he was dubbed "Boiler Suit Tom" per medithe when he experienced been supplied for a news conference by having occasionally old studio placed textile to replenish his mild garments.

He quickly processed a a share his have. When a Doctor, his nonconcentric style of dress & speech — particularly his trademark yearn scarf and fondness for jelly babies — made him an immediately recognisable figure & he quickly caught a viewing public's imagination. His guide to march on within 1981 was regretted by many of the programme's fans, & his incarnation is usually look upon a virtually all popular of the Doctors. Baker played a Doctor for sevener sequentially seasons in top a vii-month cycle, making him the longest-serving actor in the a portion on-screen.

Within 1981 he married Lalla Ward who had co-starred around Doctor That sustaining him for 2 years - their marriage lasted sole Xvi months. Inside 1985, Baker married Sue Jerrard, who got been an adjunct editor in Doctor That. It moved to the reborn school around Maidstone, Kent where they saved lots of cats prior to emigrating to France in 2002.

Post Doctor Who career
Baker has played character area in television (including Captain Redbeard Rum in the 2nd series Blackadder episode "Potato" and Puddleglum in the BBC's production of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair) and radio (including John Mortimer Presents a Lawsuits of Marshall Hall where Baker plays Britain's virtually all celebrated criminal barrister, Sir Edward Marshall Hall.)

He has likewise hosted them's literature indicate The Book Tower. He became mostly known, even so, for doing advertising voiceovers. Baker's distinctive voice has get the gift for impressionists, & he is regularly impersonated in the popular comedy series Dead Ringers.

In the 1990s, he played Professor Geoffrey Hoyt around Medics and had the revenant role in the Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer revival of Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased). (Reeves afterwards bought Baker's school home once he moved to France.) He likewise experienced the section in the 2001 BBC Radio 4 version of The Thirty-Nine Steps as Sir Walter Bullivant and narrated a BBC radio comedy series ''Lionel Nimrod's Inexplicable Globe & late Little Britain. He continues to narrate a television series of the equivalent title.

Too in the early 2000s, it was reported that Baker was the candidate for the role of Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings films.

Inside 2002 he also experienced the speaking role in the critically-acclaimed however commercial flop Hostile Waters as the Teller.

Within 2004, Baker completed filming the year of Monarch of the Glen, a BBC drama series. He plays Donald McDonald, an nonconcentric previous race car champion world health organization, with been away since early childhood, comes back personal when hearing of the demise of his brother Hector (world health organization was played by Richard Briers until his departure at the prevent of the former year). Last, he voiced a role of the villain ZeeBadDee in the computer-animated film version of The Magic Roundabout.

He continues to become associated using a Doctor, appearing in docudrama such as A Story of Doctor That & Doctor Who Confidential and giving interviews all about his instance on the programme. Although he reappeared when a Doctor for the 1993 charity special Dimensions in Time'', he has, to date, declined to watch his successors & reprise a role for any of a audio dramas depending upon the series.

Miscellaneous
Many reference published in the late 1980s erroneously reported that Baker died of a drug overdose in 1982. Baker does have the reputation, acknowledged within his autobiography, of existence a heavily drinker rather fellow Doctor actor William Hartnell, and every now and again makes humorous information to that. Within response to a many inquiries he gets just about his period when the Doctor he typically replies 'Wise shoppers have had to excuse pine tree state however We was drunk at a period.'

Baker experienced a brief foray into the world of music, providing the monologue to the track Witness to the Slaying (A share 2) on the album Six by Mansun.

Baker's autobiography entitled World health organization olympic games is Tom Baker? (ISBN 000638854X) was published around 1997. He has besides written the short fairytale-style novel titled The Boy Who Kicked Pigs (ISBN 057119771X), which has been described as "A Grotesque Masterpiece".