2014 (January) Aus TVWeek - Interviews 2012-2015 - File Catalog

They say you can take the boy out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the boy. That’s definitely true of The Mentalist’s Simon Baker. He’s been living in LA for almost two decades, but he still craves a taste from home – passion fruit. They’re hard to find in the US, so he gets excited when TV Week’s Jenny Cooney Carrillo delivers a few bags every season from her own backyard in LA. "Over Thanksgiving we put it on pavlova” he says. "It was the hit of the dinner!”

While many people might think Aussie actor Simon Baker lives a glamorous life in LA, he is quick to assure us this isn’t the case.

"My wife thinks I’m boring!” Simon announces as he flashes his trademark grin. "I like to sit back, relax and watch people when I’m not at work because I use so much energy.”

Of course, living and working in Hollywood is far from boring. High-profile celebrities encounter challenges and pressures most people will never experience. Simon, however, believes his family keep him grounded, even when relationships are strained.

"There have been plenty of times where we haven’t wanted to be together,” Simon, 44, jokingly says of his wife, Australian actress Rebecca Rigg, 46. "Thankfully, there has been more times where we wanted to be together.”

"I don’t know there’s a secret so much (to a relationship surviving in Hollywood). Any relationship, whether you’re in the public eye or not, is always going to have ups and downs. "We’re just like anyone else, trying to get through every single day.”

But, Simon does admit a tiny bit of ego often reveals itself. At that point, Rebecca will step in and stamp it out. "I need to put the flag up sometimes that says: "Please, don’t bring me down to earth too hard right now,” Simon jokes, adding, "Although, she’d ignore it anyway!”

Then there are Simon and Rebecca’s children, Stella 20, Claude 14 and Harry 12. Like their mum, they’re experts at keeping Simon’s feet firmly on the ground. "My kids roll their eyes at me all the time!” Simon insists. "That’s good. But, don’t ask me for parenting advice! Well, (I’d say) maybe just be open to being taught stuff by kids. It happens all day long.”

Family life aside, Simon feels the demands of being a Hollywood star. "I hate the pressure,” he reveals. "And, with kids and the complications of both (parents) working .... Then there’s the added pressure of the kind of implied narcissism prevalent in my business. That doesn’t help anything.”

Simon clearly isn’t at ease with the stereotypical Hollywood lifestyle. He admits he’s happier when he isn’t rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous. When I’m in a room with Hollywood stars, I feel very awkward,” he confesses. "I generally drink too much and make an arse of myself.

"I feel very, very insecure about the ‘Hollywood celebrity’ thing. I’m much more comfortable walking into my local pub in Australia and just chatting to a plumber. I really love it when he doesn’t recognise me!”

But after six seasons starring in The Mentalist, people do recognise Simon wherever he goes. Being in the spotlight also means he has to act very carefully. "I want to be OK with myself as a person,” Simon explains. "I don’t want to hate myself. I have history, I have a family. It’s pretty easy to mess that up. I don’t want to. That’s not to say I won’t ... I just don’t want it.”

For now, Simon’s star continues to climb. It doesn’t look like that’s going to change any time soon. Sadly, The Mentalist can’t go on forever. So, what will he do when Patrick Jane tires of crime investigation?

"(Co-star) Robin Tunney is one of my best friends, " Simon says. "We sit there sometimes and joke we’ll be in our late sixties doing celebrity cruises (laughs). I’ll be putting on the waistcoat and we’ll be bickering with each other and signing headshots for five dollars apiece.”