Dylan Baker

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Dylan Baker
DylanBakerFeb08.jpg
Baker in February 2008
Born (1959-10-07) October 7, 1959 (age 64)
Syracuse, New York, U.S.
Alma mater College of William and Mary
Southern Methodist University
Yale University
Occupation Actor
Years active 1986–present
Spouse(s) Becky Ann Baker (1990–present)
Children Willa

Dylan Baker (born October 7, 1959) is an American actor, known for playing supporting roles in both major studio and independent films along with regular work in television and on stage.

Early life and education

Baker was born in Syracuse, New York, but was raised in Lynchburg, Virginia. He began his acting career as a teenager in regional theater productions. He attended Holy Cross Regional Catholic School and then went on to attend Darlington School and finally graduated from the Georgetown Preparatory School in 1976.

Baker attended the College of William and Mary in Virginia and later graduated from Southern Methodist University in 1980. Baker then received a Masters in Fine Arts from the Yale School of Drama, where he studied alongside Chris Noth and Patricia Clarkson.[1]

Career

Baker's Broadway theatre credits include Eastern Standard, La Bête, Mauritius, and God of Carnage. He won an Obie Award in 1986 for his performance in the off-Broadway play Not About Heroes.[1]

The next year, he made his motion picture debut in the 1987 film Planes, Trains and Automobiles.[1]

Baker's first recurring TV role was on Steven Bochco's highly acclaimed Murder One. Since then, he has appeared in such TV series as Northern Exposure, Law & Order, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Without a Trace, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, The West Wing, and the short-lived sitcom The Pitts.

He garnered major critical attention in 1998 with his performance as a tormented pedophile in Todd Solondz' Happiness. He also gained notice for his portrayal of Dr. Curt Connors in Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3.

In 2000, he portrayed Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara in Thirteen Days, a historical drama about the Cuban Missile Crisis. He also held a small role in Requiem for a Dream, where he played a doctor who sees Jared Leto's character with a severely infected, rotting arm. In 2002 he portrayed Alexander Rance, an accountant for the Chicago Outfit, in Road to Perdition.

During the short-lived 2007 series Drive, Baker played the role of John Trimble, a father suffering from a terminal illness.

Baker played William Cross in NBC's Kings, in which his wife Becky Ann Baker played Jessie Shepherd, the mother of protagonist David Shepherd. Baker also guest starred in an episode of Monk, playing a theater critic in "Mr. Monk and the Critic".

Baker guest starred in the November 2010 House episode "A Pox on Our House".

Baker guest starred in the season four finale of Burn Notice as Raines, an old spy friend of Michael's. He reprised the role in the season five premiere, and also permitted his likeness to be used in the Burn Notice graphic novel "A New Day". In 2010, Baker played Hollis B. Chenery in Secretariat.

Baker played Pashto-speaking CIA agent Jerry Boorman in season 4 of Damages.

In 2012, Baker guest-starred in "Upper West Side Story", an episode of the TV series White Collar; he also has a recurring role as the father of Katharine McPhee's character Karen Cartwright on the NBC TV series Smash. He appeared in the USA Network miniseries Political Animals which aired in summer 2012. For his performance as Colin Sweeney on The Good Wife, he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series in 2010, 2012, and 2014.[2]

In November 2014 it was announced that Baker will join Helen Mirren on Broadway in The Audience. The play depicts meetings between Queen Elizabeth II and important historical figures. Baker will play former Prime Minister John Major. The play opened on March 8, 2015. [3]

Audiobooks

Baker is a prolific narrator of audiobooks, having narrated a wide range of books, from fiction (The Grapes of Wrath, The Corrections) to biography (Steve Jobs).[4][5]

Dylan garnered the 2002 Audie Award for Abridged Fiction for his reading of The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen. Baker has also recorded Jonathan Franzen's latest novel, (Purity).

[6]

Personal life

In 1990, he married actress Becky Gelke, now known professionally as Becky Ann Baker. They have a daughter, Willa, and reside in New York City.

On September 1, 2015, Baker tried to save the life of his neighbor, Broadway and movie actress and dancer Vivien Eng, in the high-rise where he lives in New York City when her apartment caught fire but was driven back by smoke and fire. Firefighters eventually got the seriously injured woman out of the apartment and rushed to the hospital. Unfortunately her injuries were too severe and she succumbed to her injuries September 3, 2015. [7]

Filmography

Films

Year Title Role Notes
1986 A Case of Deadly Force Kevin O'Donnell
1987 Planes, Trains & Automobiles Owen
1988 The Wizard of Loneliness Duffy Kahler
1990 The Long Walk Home Tunker Thompson
1991 Delirious Blake Hedison
1992 Passed Away Unsworth
The Last of the Mohicans Capt. De Bougainville
Love Potion No. 9 Prince Geoffrey
1993 Love, Honor & Obey: The Last Mafia Marriage
Life with Mikey Mr. Burns
1994 Disclosure Philip Blackburn
1995 The Stars Fell on Henrietta Alex Wilde
1996 True Blue Michael Suarez, S.J.
1998 Happiness Bill Maplewood Gotham Award for Breakthrough Actor[8]
National Board of Review Award for Best Cast
Nominated–Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead
Nominated–Online Film & Television Association Award for Best Supporting Actor[9]
Runner-up–New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor
Celebrity Priest at Catholic Retreat
1999 Simply Irresistible Jonathan Bendel
Random Hearts Richard Judd
Oxygen FBI Agent Jackson Lantham
2000 Committed Carl's Editor
Requiem for a Dream Southern Doctor
The Cell Henry West
Thirteen Days Robert McNamara
2001 The Tailor of Panama General Dusenbaker
Along Came a Spider Ollie McArthur
2002 Road to Perdition Alexander Rance
A Gentleman's Game Mr. Price
2002 Changing Lanes Finch
2003 Head of State Martin Geller
How to Deal Steve Beckwith
Rick Buck
The Elizabeth Smart Story Ed Smart
2004 Spider-Man 2 Dr. Curt Connors
Kinsey Alan Gregg
2006 The Matador Lovell
Stealing Martin Lane Parker Banks
Hide and Seek Sheriff Hafferty
2006 Fido Bill Robinson
Let's Go to Prison Warden
2007 When a Man Falls Bill
Spider-Man 3 Curt Connors
The Hunting Party CIA Operative
Across the Universe Mr. Carrigan – Lucy's Father
The Stone Angel Marvin Shipley
Trick 'r Treat Steven
2008 Diminished Capacity Mad Dog McClure
Revolutionary Road Jack Ordway Palm Springs International Film Festival Ensemble Cast Award
2009 Under New Management Legal Aid Lawyer
2010 Secretariat Hollis Chenery
The Good Wife (TV) Colin Sweeney (2010 - 2015) Nominated–Emmy Award for Guest Actor in a Drama Series (2010, 2012 & 2014)
2011 About Sunny Max
2011 Damages (TV) Jerry Boorman Nominated–Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Guest Performer in a Drama Series
2012 2 Days in New York Ron
2013 23 Blast Larry Freeman Director
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues Freddy Shapp
2014 Turks & Caicos Gary Bethwaite
The Humbling Dr. Farr
Selma J. Edgar Hoover Nominated–Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Acting Ensemble
Nominated–Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Ensemble
Nominated–San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Ensemble
2015 The Mentalist (TV) Bill Peterson
Applesauce Stevie Bricks

References

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  6. http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/narrators/dylan-baker/
  7. Variety article reposted on zap2it.com
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External links