Born in Bulgaria, the son of the British Vice-Consul, George Baker’s
father Frank was originally from Wetherby, so when war broke out, it
was decided to send his mother Eva, George and his four brothers and
sisters back to Yorkshire. Baker made his joint film and stage debuts
in 1952. He got his big break whilst appearing on the West End stage;
he was spotted by director Guy Hamilton
and cast in The Dam
Busters (1954). He was equally adept at authoritative characterizations,
appearing in this capacity in two James Bond films; On
Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) and The
Spy Who Loved Me (1977). When the “New Wave” of film-makers
arrived in the 1960’s Baker’s matinee-idol good looks were
no longer required and film work dried up. In the late 1980s, Baker
became one of Britain's best-loved personalities as the unflappable
Chief Inspector Wexford in ITV's The Ruth Rendell Mysteries.
