Diane Baker facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Diane Baker
Diane Baker in 2023
Born	Diane Carol Baker (1938-02-25) February 25, 1938 (age 87) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Education	Van Nuys High School
Occupation	Actress producer
Years active	1959–2013
Known for	The Diary of Anne Frank Journey to the Center of the Earth The Prize Marnie Mirage

Diane Carol Baker (born February 25, 1938) is an American actress, producer, and teacher. She has had a long career in movies and television, lasting over 50 years.

Early Life and Education

Diane Baker was born on February 25, 1938, in Hollywood, California. She grew up in Los Angeles, in areas like North Hollywood and Studio City. Her mother, Dorothy Helen Harrington, was also an actress who appeared in some early Marx Brothers movies. Her father, Clyde Lucius Baker, sold cars. Diane has two younger sisters, Patricia and Cheryl.

After finishing high school at Van Nuys High School in 1956, when she was 18, Diane moved to New York City. There, she studied acting with Charles Conrad and ballet with Nina Fonaroff.

Diane Baker's Acting Career

Starting in Movies

In 1958, Diane Baker signed a seven-year contract with 20th Century Fox, a big movie studio. Her first movie role was in 1959, playing Margot Frank in The Diary of Anne Frank. The famous director George Stevens chose her for this part.

That same year, she also starred in two other movies. She was in Journey to the Center of the Earth with James Mason and Pat Boone. She also appeared in The Best of Everything alongside Hope Lange and Joan Crawford.

Diane Baker in a publicity photo for Marnie (1964)

More Film and TV Roles

Diane Baker appeared in more movies for Fox, including Nine Hours to Rama, Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man, and The 300 Spartans. She also started working in television in the 1960s. She appeared in shows like Follow the Sun, Bus Stop, and Route 66.

After her contract with Fox ended, she starred in Tess of the Storm Country and The 300 Spartans (1962). In 1963, she was in Stolen Hours and The Prize with Paul Newman. From 1963 to 1966, she had a regular role on the medical TV show Dr. Kildare.

Working with Famous Directors

In 1964, Diane worked with Joan Crawford in the thriller Strait-Jacket. She also worked with the famous director Alfred Hitchcock in his movie Marnie (1964). She played Lil Mainwaring, the sister-in-law of the character played by Sean Connery.

She continued to star in thrillers, like Mirage (1965) with Gregory Peck and Walter Matthau. She also appeared in Krakatoa, East of Java (1969).

Cast of TV's Here We Go Again, from top: Dick Gautier, Nita Talbot, Larry Hagman and Diane Baker (1973)

Later Career in TV and Film

In 1967, Diane Baker was in the two-part finale of The Fugitive. This episode became one of the most-watched TV shows at that time. In 1968, she starred in the Disney film The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit. She also had a lead guest role in Mission: Impossible in 1970.

In 1973, she co-starred in the sitcom Here We Go Again. She also appeared in an episode of Columbo in 1976.

Later, Diane Baker started producing films. She produced Never Never Land (1980) and the TV miniseries A Woman of Substance (1985). She returned to the big screen in the movie The Silence of the Lambs (1991), playing Senator Ruth Martin. She also appeared in The Joy Luck Club, The Cable Guy, The Net, and A Mighty Wind. From 2005 to 2012, she guest-starred in four episodes of the TV show House as Blythe House, the main character's mother.

Besides acting and producing, Diane Baker taught acting for over ten years. She worked at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. She was also a director for the School of Motion Pictures-Television and the School of Acting there.

Personal Life

Diane Baker has dated several notable people during her life, including actors Warren Beatty, Gardner McKay, Frank Langella, Michael Lerner, and John Saxon.

Selected TV and Filmography

Awards and Nominations

Diane Baker has been recognized for her acting and producing work.

Golden Globe Awards

Primetime Emmy Award

Daytime Emmy Award

See also

In Spanish: Diane Baker para niños