Colin Baker

**Colin Baker** (born 6 June 1943) played the Sixth Doctor fom 1984 to ?, beginning with an appearance at the conclusion of The Caves of Andrazani

## Biography

### Prior to Doctor Who

Colin Baker was born in Waterloo, London, England. He moved north to Rochdale with his family when he was three years old. He was educated at St Bede's College, Manchester, and originally studied to become a solicitor.

At the age of 23, Baker enrolled at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA).

Baker's numerous television roles in the early 1970s included a supporting role in a 1970 BBC adaptation of Jean-Paul Sartre's trilogy *The Roads to Freedom*, a leading role as Count Steinbock in their adaptation of Cousin Bette the following year, playing opposite Margaret Tyzack and Helen Mirren. In 1972 he played Anatole Kuragin, opposite Anthony Hopkins in the BBC adaptation of *War and Peace*. His regular television work continued and in *Fall of Eagles*, Baker appeared as Crown Prince Willy of the German Empire.

By far his most prominent role to date came in 1974, playing the ruthless banker Paul Merroney in the hugely popular BBC Sunday evening family series *The Brothers*, Baker joined the series half-way through its run, as Merroney became one of the leading characters over 3½ series from 1974–76.

After *The Brothers*, although he worked regularly in theatre, his television work dried up for several years, although he guest-starred memorably as Bayban the Butcher in a 1980 episode of *Blake's 7*. This led to further TV guest roles and in 1983 he featured in a BBC production of A.J. Cronin's *The Citadel.*

### Work on Doctor Who

Prior to being cast as the Doctor, Baker had guest starred in the programme, as Commander Maxil in the Peter Davison serial Arc of Infinity. At one point in the serial, Maxil shoots the Doctor; Baker often jokes that he got the part of the Doctor by killing the incumbent. Before that, he had been considered by director Christopher Barry for the role of Arnold Jellicoe in Robot, which debuted Tom Baker as the Doctor. (REF: The Fourth Doctor Handbook)

### Personal Life

Baker's first wife was actress Liza Goddard who had appeared with him in the TV series *The Brothers*. Their marriage lasted 18 months and ended in divorce. With his second wife, actress Marion Wyatt, whom he married in 1982, Baker has four daughters. They also had a son who died of sudden infant death syndrome. Baker is a friend of American writer Stephen R. Donaldson, who dedicated his 1991 novel *Forbidden Knowledge* to him.

Baker is a critic of fox hunting and was among more than 20 high-profile people who signed a letter to members of parliament in 2015 to oppose Conservative prime minister David Cameron's plan to amend the Hunting Act 2004.

## Selected Credits

### Doctor Who

#### As The Doctor

* *The Caves of Androzani*
* *The Twin Dilemma*
* *Attack of the Cybermen*
* *Vengeance on Varos*
* *The Mark of the Rani*
* *The Two Doctors*
* *Timelash*
* *Revelation of the Daleks*
* *The Nightmare Fair*
* *The Ultimate Evil*
* *Yellow Fever*
* *Mission to Magnus*
* *The Children of January*
* *The Curse of the Rani*
* *Doomwraiths*
* *Mind of the Hodiac*
* *The Hollows of Time*