TV Week Australia Magazine –24th November 2012
this week we...Reminded stars of their roots.
During her more than two decades in Hollywood, US correspondent Jenny Carillo has seen plenty of Aussie stars come and go, but there are a few that stick, including Simon Baker and Melissa George.
"It´s funny that Simon and Melissa both got their start on Home and Away and despite controversy over Melissa´s complaints (about continually being linked to the show), both have always been proud of their soap roots when we've spoken," says Jenny, who sat down with both homegrown talents recently.
"This time, Melissa was also excited to introduce us to her French boyfriend, Jean-David Blanc, while Simon was happy to get a promised bag of Aussie passionfruit from my garden!"
CAUGHT RED-HANDED?
After nearly five years, Simon Baker reveals the search for Red John may be resolved sooner rather than later.
Five seasons in, and serial killer Red John is still at large on US crime drama The Mentalist – however, the show’s star, Aussie actor Simon Baker, hints that a shift may soon be on the horizon.
"There’s an element and attitude that both [creator] Bruno Heller and I have, which is to throw caution to the wind a little more; to play around with our show tonally and to play around with that storyline,” Simon tells TV Week.
When we sit down with Simon for a candid chat about his role on the hit series, the 43-year-old actor looks every inch the Hollywood hipster, sporting a navy blue suit jacket over a pale blue cotton shirt and jeans, with his trademark tousled blonde hair and dark-rimmed glasses completing the look. In person, Simon is charming and down-to-earth, laughs a lot and gives us a hint of the naughty side that audiences have grown to love about his character, California Bureau of Investigation (CBI) consultant Patrick Jane.
His mood quickly turns serious, however, when he turns to discussing the future of Red John, the man behind the murder of Jane’s wife and daughter. Last season, Jane went undercover to lure the serial killer in, but Red John escaped yet again – a frustrating pattern not lost on Simon.
"I don’t think it can be sustained forever and I think that we have an obligation to our audience to wrap that up in a way that doesn’t feel like, ‘Oh, and by the way, this was Red John,’” he explains.
"With this show, we’ve always had to do a dance where we balance between the idea of a procedural and the serialised element of the show – but we must establish elements and clues to the Red John storyline so that, as audience members, you feel you have enough [information] to start coming up with your own theories now. So, we’ll be taking a lot more risks with that storyline.”
Away from the cameras, Simon’s love of all things Australian clearly shines through during our conversation. Although the popular actor was born in Launceston, Tasmania, his parents split when he was young and Simon moved with his mother and stepfather to the coastal town of Ballina, about 750km north of Sydney. It was in Ballina that the future performer found his first passion: surfing.
Acting didn’t enter the picture until Simon made a trip to Sydney to accompany a friend to an audition – and walked away with the job instead! That’s when the acting bug bit him hard, with roles in local soaps E-Street and Home and Away giving him a leg-up before he eventually went on to carve out a successful career in Hollywood.
One of his biggest successes, though, isn’t being beamed into living rooms around the world on The Mentalist, but becoming a producer on the show after striking a US$30 million ($A28.8 million) deal with the show’s studio, CBS – making him one of the highest-paid actors on the box.
Turning his attention to behind-the-camera work has led to Simon directing two episodes in the past two seasons. This week, he steps behind the lens once again for "Red Sails In The Sunset” – an episode that sees Jane orchestrate an elaborate plan to break Lorelei Martins (Emmanuelle Chriqui) out of prison in the hope that she will eventually lead him to his long-time nemesis, Red John.
"Red John fans will be happy with my episode,” he smiles proudly.”I’m very aware of the technical side of film-making and I appreciate and respect it, but I like to tell stories visually and I always put the story first.”
The Mentalist isn’t all that’s keeping Simon busy, with the actor spreading his wings by filming rom-com I Give It A Year alongside fellow Aussie Rose Byrne in the UK earlier this year. Accompanying him was his wife, actress Rebecca Rigg, and their three children, Stella 19, Claude 13, and Harry 11.
"The way that I grew up was in a very small town with small ideas and I think it’s important for children now in this world to see that there are a lot of different ways to live,” he reveals.
To remind his kids of his own roots, Simon bought property in NSW four years ago and says the family has made a commitment to visit home at least twice a year.
"I finished shooting [the film] and we all went straight back to Australia for a month,” he says. "It’s not far from where I grew up, so I still have the majority of my friends I’ve known since I was seven or eight years old. My kids spend time with their kids and get to see me in that environment, which is important, I think.”
Chatting with Simon, it’s somewhat difficult to imagine he has a dark side – however, there is one flaw this heart-throb TV star is willing to share.
"Competition brings out the worst in me, my wife tells me,” he admits with a big grin.
"I like to have a good time and I can be a rascal at times, for sure, but I try and surround myself with people who are honest and pure. If someone tries to take advantage of a good-natured person – not necessarily just me – that actually makes my blood boil.”
He concludes, almost triumphantly: "So, I have a temper ... but you won’t see it often, I hope!”
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