October 2011 - StyleGoesStrong

 

 

Simon Baker is a man of style. He's also a humble hunk.

Ask him about his look and he mentions his wife. "My wife is a force – in everything and in style," he says with a warm laugh.

 

"But we enjoy a balance," he says of his union with actress Rebecca Rigg. This brings him back to his Sexiest Man Alive status.

 

"Certainly, my wife does go over the details of my outfit if we're going to an event, but I can overrule." He pauses. "Honestly, I never overrule, but I do feel confident if I ever wanted to overrule."

 

For a minute, you're not sure on an early morning in LA if this is a conversation about style or marriage. Baker laughs as he drives his car to the Warner Brothers lot where he's filming "The Mentalist" today.

 

It's a funny thing when you talk about balance in a relationship," he says. "As a guy, you pick the tux or suit, but then you poke your head out of the bathroom and say, 'Does this look right, honey?' "I'll hear, 'Lose the tie' and then say, "Thank you,'" he says.

 

Does he lose the tie? "Immediately," he says with a laugh.

 

SIMON BAKER ON THE BIG AND SMALL SCREEN
These days, Simon suits up to play a big business honcho in the critically acclaimed film "Margin Call." The stellar cast includes Jeremy Irons, Kevin Spacey and Demi Moore. Baker plays one of the suits at an investment bank during 24 hours in the early stages of the financial collapse.

 

"The film is about a pretty historic moment that had such a wide reaching effect on everyone," he says. "What I thought was interesting is how little most of us know about how financial systems work. I found out it's such a Pandora's box. It's one box inside another of trading and debt and I'll buy your debt from you.

 

"Some of it was way over my head," he says. "The sad part is how greed based the whole thing is." Baker says he doesn't go crazy with the spending.

 

"I've always taken a blue collar approach to things," he says. "I'm the guy who was told, "You can't be an actor. Don't be an idiot.' So, I really think I'm a lucky bloke."

 

A DOWN TO EARTH ATTITUDE
Baker grew up in Australia where he was told that acting wasn't a real job. "I was told, 'That's not a job. It's sort of a fantasy.' I was told, 'You have to get a job, Simon, and then you can act all you want at the pub on a Friday night. But you better get a real job, so you can afford to go to the pub.'" He sighs.

 

"God bless those moments. I never want to lose the feeling that I'm a lucky guy when I drive through the Warner Brothers gates in the morning.

 

"I'm so Australian," he says. "And it's very Australian to downplay your success. Those moments of embracing success are pretty private or shared with someone close. "It's our nature," he says.

 

"Then again, I was filming 'Margin Call' and sitting next to Kevin Spacey and Jeremy Irons.
"I thought, 'What gives me the right to feel like I can sit down here and feel like I can work with these people. "I kept waiting for someone to tap me on the shoulder and say, 'Listen buddy. You're not meant to be here.'"

 

But he's also at the top of the TV ratings with his hit show "The Mentalist." He's directing an episode of the series this season.

 

"He's a great character to play," he says. "But I like to push it more, which is why directing is interesting for me. It changes the perspective and fills up my dance card. "I think you need to give yourself more to focus on as you progress in life. I like to challenge myself."

 

LIFE AT HOME
The Aussie native has settled down in LA where he films his series and lives with Rigg and their three children, Stella, 18, Claude, 15, and Harry, 10. Nicole Kidman is Harry's Godmother.

 

"Part of the strength of my relationship with my wife is we have some pretty strong opinions.
"The challenge has been to accept that we both have strong opinions," he says with a laugh.

 

"We have very healthy debates, but the key is we detach ourselves personally from these debates. "It took time to get to that point, but we're there," he says.

 

You won't see him out on the town going crazy. "I'm not exactly an out on the town guy," Baker says. "I work really hard. Going out for me is a good meal with my wife. That's about as crazy as it gets. "I had my crazy days. It's all about family now," he says.

 

As for being a parent, he has a little sage advice to midlifers. "Kids pretty much raise themselves," he says. "You just have to keep them safe and let them know they're loved."