True Blue
Simon Baker is more than just the slightly wacky pretty boy from “The Mentalist”. Surfer, daddy or Longines ambassador, for example. Since our interview at the latest, we know that there is a lot more behind the pretty mask.
FACES: How do you manage not to take off in all the Hollywood hustle and bustle?
Simon Baker: My family gives me support and grounds me. She inspires me a lot and always brings me back to my roots.
F: How does it feel to be back in your native Australia?
SB: It’s great to see all my relatives and friends I’ve had for ages. I have known many of them for many years; we went to school together and have experienced a lot together.
F: “The Mentalist” has made her famous worldwide. What is it like to play in a series like this?
SB: Many people were hoping for the success of “The Mentalist”. Wanting and having to meet expectations was associated with great pressure. At the same time, I didn’t even realize during filming that the series would be watched in so many countries. It’s interesting to meet people again and again when I’m traveling who talk to me about it. It was just a normal working day for me. Going to the set felt the same for me as sitting at the office desk for others.
F: Which of your roles best portrays the private Simon Baker?
SB: None and all. I always approach my roles in the same way: It’s important that I understand the emotions and why the characters act the way they do. This means that even if I’m not at all like the person I’m playing, I still have to understand them completely – so somehow there’s a little bit of me in every role.
F: In addition to acting, you are now also directing. Was this a natural development?
SB: Absolutely. I am always interested in developing myself further. As a director, I’m not just part of a production, I also actively shape it. That is something completely different. Of course, I need a lot more preparation and a lot more commitment. I worked on the movie “Breath”, for example, for over three years. As an actor you are a tourist, you come and go, a director is the creator, an artist and curator who puts the whole puzzle together at the end.
F: How do you feel about Netflix?
SB: Netflix is just a brand. There are so many other providers out there who are just testing out what goes down well with the public and what doesn’t. There are stories that shift the interests of the audience – that is an extremely exciting process and adapting to it is an even more interesting task.
F: Who would you like to swap your life with for a day?
SB: I am extremely fascinated by the lives of politicians. I think it’s all about the public’s perception of her. No one knows her true self. When we were filming “The Mentalist”, Angela Merkel visited us on set. It was very exciting to see how their arrival was prepared. Ten minutes before she arrived, her team had gathered. The security people and the TV crew all prepared for this one moment, it was a real machine that was extremely well organized, well structured and well thought out. Then she came, chatted to me a bit, took a photo with me, gave a little interview, let me show her the set, and within seven minutes the whole spook was over again. She was gone. The public image of this woman is completely fabricated, while the real negotiations take place behind closed doors. There are always two sides to a politician’s life, and to slip into the shoes of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for a day, for example, would be extremely fascinating for me. He is young, open-minded, has an impressive family history and the ability to revolutionize things.
F: How have your children and getting older changed your perception of time?
SB: The advantage of getting older is that you understand yourself and the world better and better. You also get extremely nostalgic when you see your children growing up. There are moments I would like to rewind to, but with the knowledge I have today. But I can’t do that. And that’s exactly the beauty of a family: that you grow together. It’s not like “Back to the Future” and I’m happy to be in the here and now and simply enjoy the moments.
