Thomas Stewart Baker was born on January 20, 1934, in Liverpool, England.

Influenced by his mother, a devout Catholic, at 15 Tom Baker left school to become a Catholic monk. After 6 years, however, he abandoned the monastic life after losing his faith. During his national service, he became interested in acting.

After returning to civilian life, Tom Baker started attending the Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama. For several years, he worked in theater, and initially being an actor was a hobby that in time became a real profession. Over time, he started getting some roles in television and movie productions as well.

In 1961, Tom Baker got married for the first time, to Anna Wheatcroft, with whom he had his sons Daniel and Piers. Their marriage lasted until 1966.

At the end of the ’60s, Tom Baker joined the National Theatre Company, at the time directed by Laurence Olivier. It was the great actor who recommended him for the role of Rasputin in the 1971 movie “Nicholas and Alexandra”, for which he received a Golden Globe nomination as Best Actor in a Supporting Role and another for Best Newcomer.

For a while, Tom Baker found various other roles in movies and TV. In 1972, in the episode “The Millionairess” of the series “BBC Play of the Month” he wore a fez, showing how cool it was almost forty years ago before Matt Smith. 😉

In 1974, however, things were going bad for Tom Baker, who was forced to work as a bricklayer because he couldn’t find any more work as an actor. When he had almost given up, he got the role that changed his life becoming the Fourth Doctor in the famous TV show “Doctor Who”.

Tom Baker’s success in the role of the Doctor was such that even today he still fights for first place in all the polls about the popularity of the various Doctors. In the course of his work in the show, he also worked with Lalla Ward, with whom she got married in 1980, but their marriage ended after only a year and a half.

At the start of production of each new “Doctor Who” season, Tom Baker offered his resignation and it was usually rejected. In 1981, however, the then series producer John Nathan-Turner decided it was time for a change and accepted it. For Baker, it was difficult to break away from a character he was identified with and in 1983 he didn’t want to appear in the special adventure “The Five Doctors”.

In subsequent years, Tom Baker participated in various television productions such as playing Sherlock Holmes in a drama based on the novel “The Hound of the Baskervilles” but he worked extensively in the theater, radio, and television for some quiz shows. Over the years, he also became famous as the narrator of the series “Little Britain”, first on the radio and later on television. Occasionally, he lent his voice to video games.

In 1986, Tom Baker got married to Sue Jerrard and their marriage continues today.

With time, Tom Baker became so famous for his roles on radio or in any case in which he acts with his voice only that in a survey conducted in 2005 it was the most recognizable among British adults after the Queen, the then Prime Minister Tony Blair and former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

After several years of estrangement, Tom Baker got back to play the Doctor in the 1993 special “Dimensions in Time” and in the video game “Destiny of the Doctors”. In recent years, he also read some old “Doctor Who” novels for the production of new versions as audiobooks.

For a long time, Tom Baker refused to participate in any “Doctor Who” audio adventure but in 2009 he reprised his role in the mini-series “Hornets’ Nest” and in 2011 came the big announcement of his debut in the audio adventures produced by Big Finish. He then worked again together with Louise Jameson and Mary Tamm, who reprised their roles of the Doctor’s companions. Big Finish had also announced a series of stories with the Fourth Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith, sadly the death of actress Elisabeth Sladen prevented the realization of this project.

In the special episode for the 50th “Doctor Who” Anniversary “The Day of the Doctor“, Tom Baker played a mysterious curator of the National Gallery giving hints about his actual identity. His role was small in terms of duration but significant, a homage to a unique actor who’s given a lot to this saga.