Lesley Baker

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Lesley Baker
Born (1944-01-20) 20 January 1944 (age 81)
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Occupations
  • Actress
  • singer
  • dancer
  • comedian
Years activeTheatre 1963–1981
Screen 1969–present [1]
Known for

Lesley Baker (born 20 January 1944) is an Australian actress, singer, dancer and comedian. She is best known internationally for her small screen roles in cult series Prisoner and her recurring role in Neighbours .

Contents

Career

Early career

Baker started her career, participating in a comedy revue in 1963, which in turn lead to a starring role in a production of the musical comedy How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying . She then appeared on Australian variety television show In Melbourne Tonight with Graham Kennedy, for a year, performing comedy sketches, hosting and singing. [2]

She played several lead stage roles including Fanny Brice in a Sydney season of Funny Girl , and Madame Rose in the first ever Australian production of Gypsy . Further musical stage comedies, and television variety work followed. [3]

In 1971 Baker secured her own television morning show, The Incredible Lesley Baker Show. However, this proved to be short-lived, as internal politics prevented the show from continuing, so she took a short hiatus from acting, to travel and work as a secretary in London. She returned to Australia in 1973 to resume her acting career. [4]

Prisoner

Baker segued into drama roles, predominantly in Crawford Productions series. She is best known for her TV soap opera roles including that of hulking husband basher, Monica Ferguson, in early episodes of Prisoner in 1979. She left the show after eight months, to care for her young son, [5] however, in 1982, she returned to the series, playing the character of 'Tinker' Bell Peters.

Neighbours

Baker has played the itinerant role of Angie Rebecchi since January 1995, the mother of long-running character, Toadie Rebecchi (Ryan Moloney) in Neighbours , who was introduced the same year.

Baker received a call from casting director Jan Russ offering her the guest role of Angie for an initial three week period. Kevin Jr ‘Stonefish’ Rebecchi (Anthony Engelman) had been in the series since 2004 and they wanted to build a family unit around his character. The producers loved her appearance and she proved popular with viewers, so Angie was written back into Neighbours as a regular ongoing role, alongside her husband 'Big Kev' (Don Bridges), eldest son, Shane (Greg O'Mera), and youngest son, Jared ‘Toadfish’ Rebecchi (Ryan Moloney). [6]

In 1996, Angie was written out of Neighbours, however, she has continued to appear on the series, including in the original "final episode" in 2022, and the first few episodes of the 2023 continuation. [7]

Baker has guest-starred in numerous other Australian television dramas and television variety shows. Her feature film credits include Eliza Frazer (1976) and Spotswood (1991).

Personal life

When Baker returned to Australia in 1973, she got married and then had her son Ben in 1977. Her husband left when Ben was 18 months old. Ben has a disability and required physiotherapy and various treatments – Baker continues to be his carer to present day. [8]

Filmography

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1970 The Long Arm - The Nurse
- Const. Brenda Davis
2 episodes:
"The Big Circle" (#1.8), "The Christmas Break"(#1.13)
1974 Rush Episode: "They Faced all the Dangers, Those Bold Bushrangers" (#1.3)
1969–76 Homicide Various8 episodes
1970–75 Division 4 Various8 episodes
1971–76 Matlock Police Various9 episodes
1973 The Paul Hogan Show Guest
1975 The Last of the Australians Ms. FergusonEpisode: "Ashes to Ashes" (#2.4)
1976 Solo One Mrs. PickettEpisode: "My Bonnie" (#1.7)
Bellbird Cheryl Turner #2Episode: "Coming Home" (#1520)
Alvin Purple MyrtleEpisode: "Ciao Alvin" (#1.13)
1977 Bluey Leslie StewartEpisode: "Emma" (#1.15)
1978–81 Cop Shop Various5 episodes
1979 Skyways Gladys Skinner (as Leslie Baker)Episode: "Donny's Father" (#1.142)
Prisoner
(aka Prisoner: Cell Block H orCaged Women.)
Monica Ferguson36 episodes: 15–18, 29–60
1980 Water Under the Bridge Nurse VickersMiniseries, 3 episodes
1981 I Can Jump Puddles MatronMiniseries, 2 episodes
Holiday Island GladysEpisode: "Hang Glider - Part 2" (#1.44)
1983 Prisoner
(aka Prisoner: Cell Block H orCaged Women)
Belle 'Tinker' Peters3 episodes: 390–392
1984 Carson's Law NurseEpisode: "Fallen into Darkness"
Special Squad Chamber MaidEpisode: "Counterfeit Lady" (#1.5)
1986 Whose Baby? MargeMiniseries
1986, 1988–89 The Flying Doctors - Mrs. Jackson
- Lucy Somers
5 episodes:
"Sins of the Fathers" (#1.8), "Don't Tell Anyone" (#3.24), "Breaking the Drought (#4.8), "All You Need is Luck" (#4.11), "Rising Sundown (#5.6)
1988 The Bartons Mrs. Davis2 episodes: "Half Time" (#1.3), "The Great Billycart Aid Rave" (#1.6)
1990 Skirts Doris
1990 Col’n Carpenter IreneEpisode: "Pop the Question" (#2.10)
1992 Bony Boarding House LadyEpisode: "Looks Can Kill" (#1.2)
1993 Phoenix Woman Farmer (as Leslie Baker)Episode: "In on the Joke" (#2.8)
1994 Wedlocked
1994, 1997, 2001, 2004 Blue Heelers Various5 episodes
1995–96
2002–06,
2008, 2013, 2015
2017–19, 2022–23
Neighbours Angie Rebecchi TV series, 130 episodes
1997, 1998 Good Guys, Bad Guys - Rose
- Ms. Pinney
2 episodes:
"Angel'’ (#1.11), "Naughty Bits (#2.5)
1999 Stingers Maggie RobardiEpisode: "Just Acting" (#2.13)
2000 SeaChange Mrs. ChathamEpisode: "Pipeline" (#3.5)
Something in the Air Female Caller
2001 Shock Jock Rita3 episodes:
"Exposure" (#1.3), "Mein Diary" (#1.5), "One for the Road" (#1.6)
2008–09 City Homicide Miriam Toffler2 episodes:
"Taniwha" (#2.4), "In Wolf’s Clothing" (#3.17)
2009 The Librarians Christine's NanEpisode: "Romeos and Juliets" (#2.4)
2017 Neighbours: Summer Stories Angie RebecchiTV series, 2 episodes

[9]

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1976 Eliza Frazer Feature film
1987 Slate, Wyn & Me MollyFeature film
1992 Spotswood
(aka The Efficiency Expert)
GwenFeature film (as Leslie Baker)
1993 Body Melt MackFeature film
1995 Angel Baby RoseFeature film
2008Tea and PhysicsGrannyShort film
2009Inanimate ObjectsSam GrahamFilm

Other appearances

YearTitleRoleNotes
1965Graham Kennedy's Channel 9 ShowGuest (singing with Graham Kennedy)TV series, 1 episode
1969–70 In Melbourne Tonight Comedian, co-host, singerTV series
1971The Incredible Lesley Baker ShowHostTV series, 6 episodes

Theatre

YearTitleRoleNotes
1963 The Maids Solange University of Melbourne with The Marlowe Society
1963Where Do We Go From Here? St Martins Theatre, Melbourne
1963 How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying Smitty Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne, His Majesty's Theatre, Perth, Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide with J. C. Williamson
1966 Funny Girl Fanny Brice Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney, Theatre Royal Sydney, Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne, Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide
1967 Gypsy Madame RoseMenzies Theatre Restaurant, Sydney
1968 Oh, What a Lovely War! The Pierrots Comedy Theatre, Melbourne with J. C. Williamson & St Martins Youth Arts Centre
1969 Annie Get Your Gun Dolly Tate (understudy)Lido Theatre Restaurant, Melbourne
1969Invitation to a MarchDeedee Grogan St Martins Theatre, Melbourne [10]
1970 Promises, Promises Sylvia Gilhooley Theatre Royal Sydney with J. C. Williamson
1971 Caroline Mrs Winthrop St Martins Theatre, Melbourne, Playhouse, Canberra
1975 Gypsy Madame Rose Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney with J. C. Williamson
1976Halfway at EasterClareKew Community Theatre, Melbourne with Original Theatrical Enterprises
Red, White n Boogie Theatre Restaurant [11]
1980The Bull 'n' Bush Theatre RestaurantThe Gold Diggers Room, Warrandyte with Red Riding Hood Productions
1981Bull 'n' Bush BurlesqueThe Gold Diggers Room, Warrandyte with Terry Gill Productions
The Naughty Nineties Theatre RestaurantTerry Gill Productions [12]

[13]

References

  1. "Lesley Baker".
  2. "Neighbours: The Perfect Blend | Interview: Lesley Baker".
  3. "Neighbours: The Perfect Blend | Interview: Lesley Baker".
  4. "Neighbours: The Perfect Blend | Interview: Lesley Baker".
  5. "Neighbours: The Perfect Blend | Interview: Lesley Baker".
  6. "Neighbours: The Perfect Blend | Interview: Lesley Baker".
  7. "Neighbours: The Perfect Blend | Interview: Lesley Baker".
  8. "Neighbours: The Perfect Blend | Interview: Lesley Baker".
  9. http://www.bgmagency.com.au/uploaded/cv/BAKER%20Lesley.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  10. "Invitation to a March".
  11. http://www.bgmagency.com.au/uploaded/cv/BAKER%20Lesley.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  12. http://www.bgmagency.com.au/uploaded/cv/BAKER%20Lesley.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  13. "AusStage".