Christopher James Baker | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Australian |
| Other names | Chris Baker Christopher Baker |
| Occupation | Actor / Writer / Director |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Notable work | True Detective Ozark Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Stargirl Eden Boy Swallows Universe |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) |
Christopher James Baker is an Australian actor known for his work as Henry King Sr. / Brainwave in the DC Universe series Stargirl . [1]
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. [2] After finishing high school, Baker did some travelling before studying a three-year drama course in Sydney. [3]
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'. [4]
He also played small parts in Australian and locally filmed American films, [5] 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. [6] 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. . [7] 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), [8] and as Mitch Leeway in drama series Prosper (both 2024).
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. [9]
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. [10]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Army Intelligence (aka Renaissance Man) | Laundry Private #1 | Feature film |
| 2000 | The Three Stooges | Clapper Boy (uncredited) | Feature film |
| 2001 | Serendipity | Lars Band #1 | Feature film |
| 2002 | The Road from Coorain | Danny | TV movie |
| 2003 | Kangaroo Jack | Crumble | Feature film |
| 2003 | Ned Kelly | Kurnow | Feature film |
| 2004 | Magpie and the Pigeon: A Day in the Life of Superheroes | Magpie | Short film |
| 2004 | Ike: Countdown to D-Day | Group Captain Major James Stagg | TV movie |
| 2005 | Hell Has Harbour Views | Martin Cordell | TV movie |
| 2005 | The Great Raid | 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 | The Condemned | Eddie C | Feature film |
| 2008 | Nim's Island | 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 | Appropriate Behavior | Ted | Feature film |
| 2015 | Deliverance Creek | Cyril | TV movie |
| 2015 | Peter and John | Jake Rivers | Feature film |
| 2016 | The Duel | Monty | Feature film |
| 2016 | The Purge: Election Year | Harmon James | Feature film |
| 2017 | Keep Watching | The Creator | Feature film |
| 2021 | Blood Brothers | Jake | Feature film |
| 2024 | In Absence | Irwin | Short film |
| 2024 | Unit 234 | Doc | Feature film |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Number Two | TV series, episode: "Closure" |
| 2001 | Changi | Lofty Morgan | TV miniseries, 4 episodes |
| 2005 | All Saints | Leo Boravoskas | TV series, season 8, episode 20: "In the Name of Love" |
| 2008 | The Abominable Flatmate | Bommie | TV micro-series |
| 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 | True Detective | Blake Churchman | TV series, 7 episodes |
| 2016 | The Blacklist | 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 |
| 2018 | Shades of Blue | Theo Bennett | TV series, 7 episodes |
| The Good Cop | Corey Speck | TV series, episode 2: "What is the Supermodel's Secret?" | |
| 2018–2019 | The Rookie | Marcus Vance | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 2019 | Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. | Malachi | TV series, season 6, 6 episodes |
| 2020–2021 | Stargirl | Henry King Sr. / Brainwave | TV series, season 1–2, 12 episodes |
| 2021 | Eden | Lou Gracie | TV miniseries, 7 episodes |
| New Gold Mountain | Patrick Thomas | TV miniseries, 4 episodes | |
| 2022 | Darby and Joan | Curtis | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 2024 | Boy Swallows Universe | Ivan Kroll | TV miniseries, 6 episodes |
| Prosper | Mitch Leeway | TV series, 8 episodes |
| Year | Title | Role | Location / Co. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Tumbling Dice | Studio 1B, Sydney | |
| 1999 | Father's Day | Studio 1B, Sydney with Ferknerkle Productions | |
| 1999 | Spurboard | Wharf Theatre, Sydney with STC & ATYP | |
| 2000 | Summer of the Seventeenth Doll | Albury Performing Arts Centre with HotHouse Theatre, Railway St Theatre Company & Riverina Theatre Company | |
| Dreams of Clytemnestra | Agamemnon / Aegisthus | [11] | |
| Othello | Roderigo | [12] | |
| Friday Night Youth Group | Jesus | [13] | |
| Iphigenia in Aulis | Achilles | [14] | |
| 2004 | Don't Stare Too Much | The Commitment Phobe | Darlinghurst Theatre, Sydney with White Rhino & pell mell Productions |
| 2005 | The Fire Raisers | Eisenring | Old Fitzroy Theatre, Sydney with Flyby Productions |
| 2005 | The Internationalist | Darlinghurst Theatre, Sydney with Practical Theatre Company | |
| 2006 | Mademioselle Fifi | Karl | Darlinghurst Theatre, Sydney with White Rhino |
| 2007 | Wilde Tales | Various roles | Australian regional tour with Critical Stages & State of Play |
| 2024 | White Rabbit, Red Rabbit | La Boite Theatre, Brisbane |
| Year | Title | Role | Location / Co. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Bangers and Mash | Director | Australian regional tour with Critical Stages & Civic Theatre |