Christopher James Baker
{{short description|Australian actor}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Christopher James Baker
| image =
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date =
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| other_names = Chris Baker
Christopher Baker
| height = 6'2"
| occupation = Actor / Writer / Director
| yearsactive = 1994–present
| nationality = Australian
| education =
| notable works = True Detective
Ozark
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Stargirl
Eden
Boy Swallows Universe
}}
Christopher James Baker is an Australian actor known for his work as Henry King Sr. / Brainwave in the DC Universe series Stargirl.{{cite news|last1=Damore|first1=Meagan|title=Stargirl: Christopher James Baker Introduces Injustice Society's Brainwave|url=https://www.cbr.com/stargirl-christopher-james-baker-brainwave-interview/|work= Comic Book Resources|accessdate=22 June 2020|date=17 May 2020}}
Early life
Baker grew up in Australia. Raised by parents Maggie Baker and John Baker. In his early life, he lived in the United Kingdom before returning to Australia.{{cite news|title=On Set With HardFork-Series Star Christopher James Baker|url=https://steemit.com/introduceyourself/@bakerchristopher/on-set-with-hardfork-series-star-christopher-james-baker|accessdate=22 June 2020|work=steemit|date=7 July 2014}} After finishing high school, Baker did some travelling before studying a three-year drama course in Sydney.https://thepopbreak.com/2019/05/31/christopher-james-baker-talks-shield-stargirl/
Career
After graduating from his acting studies, Baker spent his early career working in theatre. He co-founded the stage company 'Urban Tales' together with other alumni from his acting course, and spent his early career performing more than 14 seasons of theatre works. He was also a member of Nick Enright's theatre company 'State of Play'.https://events.humanitix.com/white-rabbit-red-rabbit-hkjsk4vc
He also played small parts in Australian and locally filmed American films,https://steemit.com/introduceyourself/@bakerchristopher/on-set-with-hardfork-series-star-christopher-james-baker including comedy Kangaroo Jack (alongside Jerry O’Connell) and Ned Kelly (alongside Heath Ledger and Orlando Bloom) (both 2003), Hell Has Harbour Views and war film The Great Raid (alongside Benjamin Bratt and James Franco) (both 2005). Further films made while in Australia war film Kokoda (2006), action film The Condemned (2007), adventure film Nim's Island (alongside Jodie Foster and Gerard Butler in 2008) and action-thriller film Sanctum (2011).
After relocating to the States, he initially featured in numerous Off-Broadway theatre roles, before landing the role of Cyril in the Warner Bros. television pilot Deliverance Creek in 2014.https://events.humanitix.com/white-rabbit-red-rabbit-hkjsk4vc Shortly following, he scored the regular role of Blake Churchman, a secondary character in the second season of HBO's True Detective, playing the assistant of Vince Vaughn's character. He also had a recurring role in 2016 crime series Shades of Blue, alongside Jennifer Lopez. In 2019, Baker played Boyd Langmore in Netflix's hit series, Ozark (alongside Jason Bateman and Laura Linney), and Chronicom Hunter Malachi in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D..{{cite news|last1=Sarnecky|first1=Aaron|title=Christopher James Baker on Working on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Stargirl & Accents|url=https://thepopbreak.com/2019/05/31/christopher-james-baker-talks-shield-stargirl/|accessdate=22 June 2020|work=The Pop Break}} In 2020, he was cast as Brainwave in DC series Stargirl. Other television credits include Gotham, Bull, The Blacklist, The Good Cop, and The Rookie.
Baker's film credits while in America included Deliverance Creek (2014), Kieran Darcy-Smith's The Duel (alongside Liam Hemsworth and Woody Harrelson) and The Purge: Election Year (both 2016).
Since moving back to Australia, Baker has featured in Stan drama series Eden as Lou Gracie, and as an Irish immigrant Patrick Thomas in murder mystery miniseries New Gold Mountain (filmed back to back in 2021).
He returned to the US to film the fourth season of Ozark, the second season of Stargirl and the thriller film Unit 234 in the Cayman Islands.
Back in Australia, Baker starred as Ivan Kroll in Netflix miniseries Boy Swallows Universe, based on the semi-autobiographical novel by Brisbane author Trent Dalton (alongside Simon Baker, Travis Fimmel and Bryan Brown),{{Cite web |last=Knox |first=David |date=2022-09-01 |title=Production begins on Boy Swallows Universe for Netflix {{!}} TV Tonight |url=https://tvtonight.com.au/2022/09/production-begins-on-boy-swallows-universe-for-netflix.html |access-date=2024-07-27 |website=tvtonight.com.au |language=en-AU}} and as Mitch Leeway in drama series Prosper (both 2024).
Personal life
Baker moved to New York City in 2009 with his wife Hannah, to further his career. They have two children who were born in Manhattan.https://steemit.com/introduceyourself/@bakerchristopher/on-set-with-hardfork-series-star-christopher-james-baker
In 2020, after eleven years in the States, Baker returned to Australia to live, to escape "the COVID situation" and because he wanted his kids to grow up in Australia.https://if.com.au/from-new-york-to-eden-christopher-james-baker-settles-back-home-after-11-years/
Filmography
=Film=
class="wikitable sortable"
! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
1994
| Army Intelligence (aka Renaissance Man) | Laundry Private #1 | Feature film |
2000
| Clapper Boy (uncredited) | Feature film |
2001
| Lars Band #1 | Feature film |
2002
| Danny | TV movie |
2003
| Crumble | Feature film |
2003
| Kurnow | Feature film |
2004
| Magpie and the Pigeon: A Day in the Life of Superheroes | Magpie | Short film |
2004
| Group Captain Major James Stagg | TV movie |
2005
| Martin Cordell | TV movie |
2005
| Monty | Feature film |
2006
| Kokoda | Blue | Feature film |
2006
| Vend | Vend | Short film |
2006
| Saturday Night Newtown, Sunday Morning Enmore | | Short film |
2006
| The Game | John | Short film |
2006
| Sands of Time | Nicholai Torrez | Short film |
2007
| Bommie | Glenn | Short film |
2007
| Eddie C | Feature film |
2008
| Ensign | Feature film |
2008
| Amours Filmez Equipage | Soundy | Short film |
2008
| 1 and 0 nly | Frank James Morley | Feature film |
2009
| When a Muffin Knocks | Man | Short film |
2011
| Sanctum | J.D. | Feature film |
2012
| Focus | Jake | Short film |
2014
| Ted | Feature film |
2015
| Cyril | TV movie |
2015
| Jake Rivers | Feature film |
2016
| The Duel | Monty | Feature film |
2016
| Harmon James | Feature film |
2017
| The Creator | Feature film |
2021
| Blood Brothers | Jake | Feature film |
2024
| In Absence | Irwin | Short film |
2024
| Unit 234 | Doc | Feature film |
=Television=
class="wikitable sortable"
! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
2000
| Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Number Two | TV series, episode: "Closure" |
2001
| Changi | Lofty Morgan | TV miniseries, 4 episodes |
2005
| Leo Boravoskas | TV series, season 8, episode 20: "In the Name of Love" |
2008
| The Abominable Flatmate | Bommie | TV micro-series |
rowspan="3" | 2009
| The Road to Tropfest | Bruce Denahey | TV series |
Scariacs
| Scientist #2 | TV series |
My Place
| Tippy | TV series, episode 4: "1978 Mike" |
2014
| Gotham | Raymond Earl / The Goat | TV series, episode 6: "Spirit of the Goat" |
2015
| Blake Churchman | TV series, 7 episodes |
rowspan="2" | 2016
| Clayton | TV series, season 3, episode 2: "Marvin Gerard (No. 80)" |
Quarry
| Eugene Linwood | TV series, 2 episodes |
2017
| Bull | Hayden Watkins | TV series, episode 21: "How to Dodge a Bullet" |
2017; 2022
| Ozark | Boyd Langmore | TV series, 8 episodes |
rowspan="2" | 2018
| Theo Bennett | TV series, 7 episodes |
The Good Cop
| Corey Speck | TV series, episode 2: "What is the Supermodel's Secret?" |
2018–2019
| Marcus Vance | TV series, 2 episodes |
2019
| Malachi | TV series, season 6, 6 episodes |
2020–2021
| Stargirl | TV series, season 1–2, 12 episodes |
rowspan="2" | 2021
| Eden | Lou Gracie | TV miniseries, 7 episodes |
New Gold Mountain
| Patrick Thomas | TV miniseries, 4 episodes |
2022
| Curtis | TV series, 2 episodes |
rowspan="2" | 2024
| Ivan Kroll | TV miniseries, 6 episodes |
Prosper
| Mitch Leeway | TV series, 8 episodes |
Theatre
=As actor=
=As director=
class="wikitable sortable"
! Year ! Title ! Role ! Location / Co. | |||
2007 | Bangers and Mash | Director | Australian regional tour with Critical Stages & Civic Theatre |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|0048336}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Baker, Christopher James}}