National Post – April 2013

Dave Lackie, Special to National Post

 

Simon Baker is the star of the CBS crime drama The Mentalist and now the face of two luxury brands: Longines timepieces and Givenchy fragrances. For Givenchy’s Gentlemen Only, a fragrance built on classic notes of vetiver, patchouli and cedarwood (in stores May 2), the 43-year-old stars in a campaign shot by Patrick Demarchelier. Dave Lackie sat down with the Australian at the London Hotel in West Hollywood to talk scent, style and modern chivalry.

 

The three-piece suit look I wear on the show is something I came up with myself. My character, Patrick Jane, is a con man who practices sleight of hand. So I thought the idea of wearing a waistcoat lent to that nicely. I took the idea from a Charlie Chaplin character. The costume designer on the show has all the suits made.

 

The worst fashion mistakes are always made out of nostalgia. I remember in 1991, I had landed some regular acting work and was making good money. There was this black Quicksilver leather jacket with the logo across the entire back that I spotted when I was 17. It looked so cool to me then. So I decided to buy it. When I got home, I was so excited to show my wife. She took one look at it and said, "What is that?” I never wore it. The bought-ripped jeans look never looked good to me. Nor did the jeans with the big flap pocket on the back.

 

I think the concept of the gentleman is timeless. When I was growing up, the only way to become a gentleman was to be born into an aristocratic family, but these days you can become one. For me, it’s aspirational. As a child, I was taught respect, manners, courtesy, humility and that was the way you approached life, what you aspired to be. I think that now the idea of fashion and masculinity successfully meld together.

 

My grooming regime is very streamlined. I don’t take a lot of time to get ready in the morning – say 15 minutes. I spend most of my day in a lot of makeup. So I’m careful to clean my skin and moisturize at the end of each day.

 

I’ve tried to go back to buying complete albums these days. I have a record player and I still buy vinyl. But I find that we got into this habit where we cherry-pick songs and we miss the experience of listening to a whole album of songs in the order the artist wanted to present them. I just bought the Gotye CD.

 

I once spent 40 nights shooting a movie in Toronto during January and February [Land of the Dead]. I’d start work at 4:30 in the evening and work through until the following morning. It was very cold.

 

I like classic design with a healthy dose of rebelliousness and audacity. I like to look presentable. There’s a sense of self-pride when you dress well. A man should wear his clothes, the clothes shouldn’t wear the man. He should find clothes and fragrance that underlines the essence of who he is. A scent that represents him in the manner he wants to be presented in.

 

The most memorable smell from my childhood is zinc cream. I grew up in Australia and we always wore zinc cream when surfing. To this day, the minute someone removes the lid on a tube of it, I’m immediately reminded of my childhood. It’s the same with Veggie Vita-Weats!

 

When I’m not working (which is rare these days), I love to spend time with my family. My kids love to play tennis. And my youngest son is into making stuff so we spend a lot of time in the garage taking apart things. I love it.

 

Marcello Mastroianni was the actor I most admired growing up. The guy was just so cool, even when he was being humiliated in a movie. Jean-Paul Belmondo was also innately cool. I looked to European actors for inspiration. I think part of the appeal was I was an Australian lad watching a foreign film with subtitles.

 

I admire how actors like Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart dealt with press and their image. It was a simpler time back then and actors could present an image of ease, elegance and grace. What I particularly liked about Jimmy is that he felt authentic all the time. You always felt that he was being true to himself. That’s something I really appreciate. But I’d don’t fall for nostalgia. I never try to mould myself after anyone.

 

I appreciate beautiful things. I like a well-cut suit. I like things that look good to my eye. But I’m not a slave to it. I can appreciate the beauty of an Apple iPhone as much as a beautifully crafted pair of shoes. That said, if I find a dress shirt that fits me well, I’ll buy a couple at once. I like to be efficient.

 

Chivalry is a little lost these days. If you accidentally cut someone off in Los Angeles, they hang out the window and swear at you. But if you offer to help someone, it’s remarkable the reaction you get. It’s so not expected.

 

The biggest lesson I’ve learned in Hollywood is fame is fleeting. I’ve been in this business long enough to know that all of this is fleeting. What’s important is that I’m comfortable with myself — that I’ve been straightforward and honest with everyone. My family is my focus and if it ends tomorrow, there are plenty of other things I’d like to pursue that the world doesn’t have to know about.

 

Good manners are very important to me. And I think Canadians and Australians are a little more polite than Americans. If a Canadian says he’s sorry, he looks you in the eye and means it.

 

The most important lesson I’ve learned so far in life is to be patient. I kind of feel like I spent most of my 20s being impatient. Now that I’m in my 40s, I’m more accepting of the quiet times. It’s OK to be patient.

 

Being included in People’s Sexiest Men list doesn’t mean a thing to me. It has nothing to do with me. I don’t show my wife, wink and say, ‘Ready for bed?’ All I can say is I’m glad this didn’t happen to me when I was 21!