11 Successful Celebrities from Down Under

2. Simon Baker

Simon Baker is best known for playing Patrick Jane in CBS’ television series The Mentalist and Nicholas Fallin in The Guardian. What you may not know about Baker is that he originally comes from the land down under. He was born in Launceston, Tasmania, a small island off the southern coast of Australia. In 1972, Simon and his family moved to Ballina, New South Wales on the mainland, where Baker’s parents hoped to secure better paying jobs. Simon began acting on Australian television in late 1980s. Then he relocated to the US in 1997 when he was cast in a small role on L.A. Confidential, which eventually led to further acting opportunities. Today, Baker, his wife and their three children reside in Los Angeles, but he also owns a property in his native country near Byron Bay, Australia.