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Name: Colin Baker
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Date of Birth:
June 08, 1943
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Place of Birth:
Waterloo, London, England, UK
Mini-bio:
Colin Baker was born in 1943 in the Royal Waterloo Lying-In Hospital inLondon during an air raid. He spent his earliest years in London with hismother, while his father served in the armed forces. He ...( read more)narrowly avoided anearly death during the wartime blitz when a piece of flying shrapnel justmissed him, embedding itself in the side of his cot. After the war, Baker'sfather took a job as managing director of an abestos company in Manchester.The family moved north to live in Rochdale, although Baker attended schoolin Manchester. It was during his early schooling that - through the motherof one of his fellow pupils, who was a casting director at Granada TV - hehad his first experience of acting. It was 1954 and the series was called"My Wife's Sister" starring Eleanor Summerfield, Martin Wyldeck and HelenChristie. Colin Baker went on to attend St. Bede's College in Manchester,where he was invited to take part in their annual productions of Gilbert andSullivan operettas. The twelve-years-old Baker appeared in the chorus for aproduction of "Yeoman of the Guard," and a year later landed a more majorpart - playing the female lead, Phyllis - in "Iolanthe." After completinghis schooling Baker went on to study law. One day during this period, he andhis mother went to see an amateur production of "The King and I" at thePalace Theatre, Manchester. Inspired by the performance and encouraged bythe president of the company that had staged the Amateur Dramatic Societyand quickly became hooked on acting. Baker took a job as a solicitor, but astime went on became less and less interested in this career. Finally, at theage of twenty-three, he decided to become a full-time actor. Baker joinedthe London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), where he trained forthree years. At the end of this he was summoned with two of his fellowstudents to see the head of the drama school, who gave them rather gloomypredictions for their future prospects as actors and suggested that theyseek alternative careers. These predictions proved somewhat wide of the markas not only did Baker go on to great success but so too did his fellowstudents - David Suchet (who amongst many other achievements starred inLWT's award winning productions of Agatha Christie's "Poirot") and MelMartin (whose numerous credits include the series "Love for Lydia," also forLWT). After leaving LAMDA, Baker took a temporary job driving a taxi inMinehead in order to be near his then girlfriend. He then received a call tocome to London to audition for a part in a BBC2 drama series called "TheRoads to Freedom" (1970), which he won. This led to further TV roles,including two more for BBC2: Count Wenceslas Steinbock in "Balzac's CousinBette" (1971) and Prince Anatol Kuragin in an ambitious twenty-partserialisation of Tolstoy's "War and Peace" (1972-72). He also took on a widerange to theatre work, including several Shakespeare festivals, appearing inproductions of "Macbeth" and "Hamlet." In the mid-seventies, Baker landedthe role that would make him 'the man viewers love to hate.' This was PaulMerroney in the BBC1 series "The Brothers." After "The Brothers," Bakermarried actress Liza Goddard, who had played his on-screen wife in theseries, but the marriage eventually ended in divorce. Baker later married,to actress Marion Wyatt. Theatre work kept Baker almost constantly busy forthe next five years including appearances in everything from comedies tothrillers, as well as more Shakespeare. He also had a few further TV roles,including one as Bayban in "Blake's 7: City at the Edge of the World" (BBC,1980) and one opposite Nyree Dawn Porter and Ian Hendry in the drama series"For Maddie with Love" (ATV, 1980). Baker's next TV role after "For Maddiewith Love" was as Maxil in the Doctor Who story "Arc of Infinity." Shortlybefore Baker took the role of the Doctor on "Doctor Who," he and his wifesuffered the loss of their baby son Jack to cot death syndrome. Bakersubsequently became a passionate fund raiser for the Foundation for theStudy of Infant Deaths, with many of is personal appearance fees beingdonated to the charity. Baker's time as the sixth Doctor was cut unexpectlyshort, initially by the hiatus between the twenty-second and twenty-thirdseasons and then by the decision of the BBC executives to oust him from therole. After his departure from "Doctor Who," the actor returned to thetheatre, appearing in highly successful runs of "Corpse" and "Deathtrap" andhave having a four-month stint in the West End farce "Run for Your Wife"with Terry Scott. TV work included a guest appearance in the BBC's"Casualty" and presenting assignments on programmes for the Children'sChannel. After directing a play called "Bazaar and Rummage," Baker was askedto play the Doctor once again - this time on stage, taking over from JonPertwee in the Mark Furness Ltd production "The Ultimate Adventure." Thistour proved to him that, despite the brevity of his time as the Doctor onTV, he had amassed a loyal following amongst younger viewers. In th 1990'sBaker had continued to pursue a successful career, mainly in the theatre. Hehas made regular appearances in pantomime, and stage work has included rolesin the musical adaptation of Dickens' "Great Expectations" and in a comedyentitled "Fear of Flying." He has also starred in the "Stranger" series ofvideos made by Bill Baggs Video, alongside a number of other actors knownfor their work in "Doctor Who."
