Tom Baker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tom Baker
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Baker in 2023
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Thomas Stewart Baker
20 January 1934 Vauxhall, Liverpool, England
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| Alma mater | Rose Bruford College |
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| Years active | 1956–present |
| Known for | Fourth incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who |
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| Children | 2 |
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Thomas Stewart Baker (born 20 January 1934) is an English actor and writer. He is most famous for playing the fourth Doctor in the science fiction TV series Doctor Who. He was the longest-serving actor in this role, from 1974 to 1981.
Later in his career, Tom Baker appeared in shows like Medics (1992–1995) and Monarch of the Glen (2004–2005). He also narrated the comedy series Little Britain (2003–2006). His deep, clear voice is very well-known in the UK.
Contents
Early Life and Acting Beginnings
Thomas Stewart Baker was born in Vauxhall, Liverpool, England, on January 20, 1934. His mother, Mary Jane, was a cleaner and a strong Catholic. His father, John Stewart Baker, was a seaman and was often away from home.
Tom Baker went to Cheswardine Hall Boarding School. At 15, he became a novice religious brother, but he left six years later. He realized he wanted a different kind of life.
He served in the Royal Army Medical Corps from 1955 to 1957. After leaving the army, he worked in the Merchant Navy. Around 1956, he started acting and joined the Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama. He became a professional actor in the late 1960s.
Tom Baker's Acting Career
Early Roles and Big Breaks
Tom Baker started his professional acting career in his thirties. He performed in local theaters. His first big chance came in 1968 at the York Festival. Someone from the Royal National Theatre saw him and invited him to audition. He got a contract with the company, which was led by the famous actor Laurence Olivier.
From 1968 to 1971, Baker had small parts and was an understudy. One of his bigger roles was playing the horse Rosinante in Don Quixote. His stage work led to small roles in TV series like Dixon of Dock Green and Z-Cars.
His first major film role was as Grigori Rasputin in Nicholas and Alexandra (1971). Laurence Olivier had recommended him for the part. He was even nominated for two Golden Globe Awards for his performance! Baker also played a villainous sorcerer named Koura in The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973).
Becoming the Doctor
In early 1974, Tom Baker wrote to the BBC looking for work. The producer of Doctor Who, Barry Letts, was looking for a new Doctor. Letts was impressed by Baker and, after seeing him in The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, knew he was perfect for the role.
At the time, Baker was working on a construction site because acting jobs were hard to find. When he first became the Doctor, the media called him "Boiler Suit Tom." This was because he wore simple clothes to his first press conference.
Baker quickly made the Doctor his own. Viewership for Doctor Who went up, reaching levels not seen in years. His unique style, including his long scarf and love for jelly babies, made him instantly recognizable. He also added many of his own ideas to the Doctor's personality. The long scarf was actually an accident! The costume designer had given too much wool to the knitter, who used it all.
During his time, Doctor Who had its highest viewing figures ever. Tom Baker played the Doctor for seven seasons, making him the longest-serving actor in the role. Many people still consider his Doctor to be the most popular.
Some of the classic stories from his early years as the Doctor include Genesis of the Daleks (1975) and The Robots of Death (1977). While some stories were quite dark, the show later became lighter. Baker left the role in 1981.
Even though he left, Tom Baker has stayed connected to Doctor Who. He didn't appear in the 20th-anniversary episode in 1983. However, he returned briefly for the 30th-anniversary charity special Dimensions in Time (1993). He also voiced the Doctor in the PC video game Doctor Who: Destiny of the Doctors (1997).
In 2013, he appeared in the 50th-anniversary special, "The Day of the Doctor." He played a mysterious character called the Curator, who looked a lot like the Fourth Doctor. He also returned to complete the unfinished Doctor Who story Shada in 2017, adding new voice work and a live-action scene.
Doctor Who Audio Adventures
For many years, Tom Baker didn't want to voice the Doctor in audio dramas. But in 2009, he agreed to return for a series of five audio stories called Hornets' Nest. He then continued with a sequel, Demon Quest.
Since 2012, he has recorded many audio adventures for Big Finish Productions. He has worked with actors who played his companions, like Louise Jameson (Leela) and Mary Tamm (Romana I). He also recorded stories with Matthew Waterhouse (Adric) and Lalla Ward (Romana II).
In 2020, it was announced that Baker recorded an alternative version of the story Revenge of the Cybermen. In this version, Sadie Miller, the daughter of the late Elisabeth Sladen, took over the role of Sarah Jane Smith.
Later Film and Television Work
In 1982, Tom Baker played Sherlock Holmes in a BBC miniseries called The Hound of the Baskervilles. He also had a funny role as Captain Redbeard Rum in Blackadder II. In 1990, he played Puddleglum in the BBC adaptation of C. S. Lewis' The Silver Chair.
He was a guest on the quiz show Have I Got News For You and was called the funniest guest ever by the host. He later returned to host the show himself in 2008. From 2004 to 2005, he played Donald MacDonald in the BBC series Monarch of the Glen.
Tom Baker was considered for the role of Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings films. However, he turned it down because it would mean spending many months away in New Zealand. He did appear as an Elven healer named Halvarth in the film Dungeons & Dragons (2000).
Narrating Little Britain
Tom Baker became the narrator for the popular comedy series Little Britain on BBC Radio 4. He continued this role when the show moved to television. He believes he was chosen because the creators, Matt Lucas and David Walliams, grew up watching him as the Doctor. He once said, "I am now being employed by the children who grew up watching me."
Voice Acting and Narration
Tom Baker has a very distinctive voice and has done a lot of voice acting. His voice was voted the fourth most recognizable in the UK in 2006. He has appeared in many radio shows, including playing Josiah Bounderby in Charles Dickens' Hard Times (1998).
He voiced the villain ZeeBad in the 2005 animated film The Magic Roundabout. He also narrated the children's animated series The Beeps and Tales of Aesop.
His voice has been used for various things, including reading text messages for BT Group. He recorded thousands of phrases for this service! You can also hear his voice at the Natural History Museum in London, narrating exhibits about Darwin's theory of natural selection. He also provides narration for the Nemesis roller coaster at Alton Towers and at the London Dungeon.
Books Written by Tom Baker
Tom Baker has written his autobiography called Who on Earth is Tom Baker?, which was published in 1997. He also wrote a short fairytale-style novel titled The Boy Who Kicked Pigs. In 1981, he put together a collection of poems for children called Never Wear Your Wellies in the House and Other Poems to Make You Laugh.
In 2019, he released a Doctor Who novel called Scratchman. He co-wrote it with James Goss. The book is based on a film script Tom Baker and Ian Marter wrote for a Doctor Who movie back in the 1970s.
Personal Life
Tom Baker's first marriage was in 1961 to Anna Wheatcroft. They had two sons, Daniel and Piers. They divorced in 1966. He later reconnected with his son Piers by chance in New Zealand.
In December 1980, he married Lalla Ward, who played his companion Romana in Doctor Who. They divorced in 1982.
He married for a third time on April 1, 1986, to Sue Jerrard. She had been an assistant editor on Doctor Who. They lived in Kent, England, and later moved to France. They now live in Rye, East Sussex.
Tom Baker was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2025 New Year Honours for his contributions to television.
Filmography
Film Roles
- 1971: Nicholas and Alexandra as Grigori Rasputin
- 1972: The Canterbury Tales as Jenkin
- 1973: The Golden Voyage of Sinbad as Koura
- 2000: Dungeons & Dragons as Halvarth
- 2005: The Magic Roundabout as Zeebad (voice)
- 2013: Saving Santa as Santa (voice)
- 2019: Wonder Park as Boomer (voice)
Television Appearances
- 1974–1981: Doctor Who as the Fourth Doctor (172 episodes)
- 1982: The Hound of the Baskervilles as Sherlock Holmes (4 episodes)
- 1986: Blackadder II as Captain Redbeard Rum (Episode: "Potato")
- 1990: The Silver Chair as Puddleglum
- 1992–1995: Medics as Professor Geoffrey Hoyt (34 episodes)
- 2000–2001: Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) as Professor Wyvern (10 episodes)
- 2003–2005, 2019: Little Britain as Narrator (21 episodes)
- 2004–2005: Monarch of the Glen as Donald MacDonald (12 episodes)
- 2013: Doctor Who as The Curator (Episode: "The Day of the Doctor")
- 2016–2017: Star Wars Rebels as Bendu (voice, 6 Episodes)
Theatre Roles
- 1966: The Winter's Tale as The Bear
- 1970: The Merchant of Venice as Prince of Monaco
- 1973: Macbeth as Macbeth, King of Scotland
- 1981: Treasure Island as Long John Silver
- 1982–1983: Educating Rita as Frank
- 1985: The Mask of Moriarty as Sherlock Holmes/Professor Moriarty
- 1987: An Inspector Calls as Inspector Poole
Video Game Voice Roles
- 1997: Destiny of the Doctors as Fourth Doctor
- 2001: Hostile Waters: Antaeus Rising as Narrator
- 2005: MediEvil: Resurrection as Death
- 2015: Lego Dimensions as Fourth Doctor
- 2015: Nelly Cootalot: The Fowl Fleet as Sebastian J. Coot
Radio and Audio Drama Roles
- 1976: Doctor Who and the Pescatons as Fourth Doctor
- 1992–1993: Lionel Nimrod's Inexplicable World as Lionel Nimrod
- 2009: Doctor Who: Hornets' Nest as Fourth Doctor (5 episodes)
- 2012–present: Doctor Who: The Audio Adventures as Fourth Doctor (110+ episodes)
- 2019: Little Brexit as Narrator
Music Appearances
- 1998: Narrated "Witness to a Murder (Part 2)" on the album Six by Mansun.
- 2020: Provided spoken vocals for "The Storyteller" on Ayreon's album, Transitus.
See also
In Spanish: Tom Baker para niños
