Tom Baker
Full Name- Thomas Stewart “Tom” Baker
Birthday- January 20, 1934
Birth Place- Scotland Road, Liverpool
Fourth Doctor- Portrayed by Tom Baker
Fourth Doctor- Fourth incarnation of the doctor bagged the title of “Best Doctor” in the survey conducted by “Doctor Who Magazine”. His dressing style (his long scarf is his trademark), speech and fondness for jelly babies made him immensely popular. He appeared in seven consecutive seasons for seven years from 1974 to 1981. Unlike the third doctor, he is not continuously involved with UNIT and Time Lords. He also travels with journalist Sarah Jane Smith, who he befriended in the third incarnation. He confronts Daleks, Davros and The Master. Though he is a capable swordsman and a wrestler, but prefers to use brain before strength. He also improvises non-lethal weaponry when necessary. He is recognized for his charming appearance and offbeat humor. He becomes serious and sometimes callous as well. He and Romana have romantic attraction between them. After a fight with The Masters, while preventing the CVEs and the universe from being destroyed, he becomes mortally wounded. He falls from the Pharos Project radio telescope control tower and manifested into the Doctor’s future incarnation.
Life and Career- He is an English actor, best known for his role in “Doctor Who“. He has been named as the best recognized doctor and titled as “Best Doctor” by the “Doctor Who Magazine”. He remained in the series from 1974 to 1981. He has also been nominated for Golden Globe Awards for his role of Rasputin in the 1971 movie “Nicholas and Alexandra”. He was also popular as narrator of “Little Britain”. When he was fifteen, he left the school to become a monk, which he remained for six years. Later on he did his National Service in the Royal Army Medical Corps for two years. Initially he took acting as a hobby.
He adopted acting as career, after he got his first break as Rasputin in “Nicholas and Alexandra”. He became the hot topic of gossip after appearing nude in Pier Paolo Pasolini’s version of Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales” in 1972, in the role of younger husband of “wife of Bath”.
In 1974, at the age of 40, he landed into the role of Doctor in “Doctor Who”. He was selected due to his performance in “The Golden Voyage of Sinbad”. This role proved to be the brightest role of his career. He left the show in 1981, with the opinion that his role can’t be developed further.
He continued to be the part of “Doctor Who” in documentaries such as “The Story of Doctor Who” and “Doctor Who Confidential”. He also appeared in 1993, charity special “Dimensions in Time”. He also provided audio for the PC game “Destiny of the Doctors”. He also expressed his wish at the time of series’ revival that he should be cast as “The Master”.
He has also been narrating old Target Novelisations in the BBC Audio talking books from November 2007 to August 2008.
In 2001, he became the narrator of “Little Britain”. He has appeared in many TV series including “Black Ladder II”, “Remington Steele”, “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair” and many more. He was the part of the comedy quiz “Have I Got News for You” in 1998. Recently, he has been invited back to host the edition set to be aired on 31 October, 2008.
He has appeared in popular films like “Dungeons and Dragons” and “Lord of the Rings”. Apart from his acting career, he has also remained active in the fields of Voice acting, music and writing.
He has married thrice, first with Anna Wheatcroft in 1961, second time with Lalla Ward in 1981 and third time with Sue Jerrad, the editor of “Doctor Who” in 1986. He has two sons.