Rae Baker
| Rae Baker | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Rae Baker 1974 (age 39–40) Southampton, Hampshire |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1995-onwards |
| Awards |
|
| Website | |
| http://www.burnettgrangercrowther.co.uk/actresses/rae-baker | |
Rae Baker (born 1974 in Southampton, Hampshire),[1] is an English actress.
Biography
Born to a carpenter father, her brother Kevin is an electronics engineer.[2] Always tall as a child, she took private piano and singing lessons to improve her soprano voice, and aged 13 she joined the local Gilbert and Sullivan repertory company in Southampton, Southampton Operatic Society and was then spotted for the National Youth Music Theatre.[3] Baker then trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London funded by a personal bursary from Cameron Mackintosh, and holds a Fight Certificate from the British Society of Fight Direction.[4]
Career
After graduation, she turned down a role in Mackintosh's production of Les Misérables, as she had secured roles in both Guys & Dolls and A Winter's Tale at the Royal National Theatre.[2][5] After landing her first TV appearance in the first episode of Jonathan Creek,[6] in 1998 Baker made the film Shadow Run with Michael Caine.[3] But Baker choose to develop her career on the stage, and has since taken leading West End theatre roles in The Postman Always Rings Twice opposite Val Kilmer,[5] and as Vivian in Dirty Dancing.[1]
Having undertaken television campaigns adverts for Sony, Lemsip and Vanish,[5] Baker is mainly known presently for playing the role of Detective Constable Juliet Becker in the long running ITV drama The Bill. Originally invited in July 2002 to screen test for the part of the ditzy Police Constable Honey Harman,[2] the producers cast Kim Tiddy but asked what type of role Baker wanted. As a result, they wrote the role of DC Becker especially for Baker, where the producers indulged her passion of riding motorcycles by providing her with a Honda Hornet.[3] Baker took the role due to its variety of portraying a bisexual character, but left the role when she felt the role was not developed beyond a ratings gaining option to exploit the character kissing other women.[5]
Since returning to her first love of stage, Baker has also taken the support role of love interest Caroline Garvey for Dr Nick West in the BBC One daytime series Doctors.[7]
Also, in her career she took up the role Jade Dixon-Halliday in children's spy drama series MI High as Oscar Cole's (Ben Kerfoot) double-crossing SKUL agent mother, working for The Grand Master. She wanted her son Oscar to join her to overthrow The Grand Master in recent episode Tim Browns SKUL days, but things don't go according to her plan. Oscar pretends to join her and when Rose Gupta (Rachel Petladwala) and Carrie Stewart (Charlene Osuagwu) catch up he throws a gumball gas to slow them down, and as soon as things look wrong, Oscar steals his mums and The Grand Masters jet pack starters. And as the gas effect wears off on the others they catch up in time to capture the two villains but as usual The Grand Master escapes by hotwiring his jetpack.
Also played role of "Shinada" in Sci-Fi movie "Ice Planet".
Personal life
Baker is married to actor and writer Duncan Wisbey and the couple had their first child Hattie in May 2011. The family live in Surrey.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Rae Baker at the Internet Movie Database
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Up Close and Personal: Rae Baker" London Biker magazine, August 2005
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "I've kissed so many women I don't care". thebillbios.co.uk. 2003-07-06. Retrieved 2008-10-06.
- ↑ "Rae Baker". burnettgrangercrowther.co.uk. Retrieved 2008-10-06.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 "Kissing (and more) with Postman Always Rings Twice star, Rae Baker". lastminute.com. 2008-06-23. Retrieved 2008-10-06.
- ↑ Radio Times, cast list for Jonathan Creek, episode 1, series 1, The Wrestler's Tomb.
- ↑ ""Doctors" Series 10 - Light Fingers, Loose Tongues". BBC One. 2008-10-06. Retrieved 2008-10-06.
External links
- Rae Baker at the Internet Movie Database