This Is Your Life: George Baker

George BAKER (1931-2011)

THIS IS YOUR LIFE - George Baker, actor, was surprised by Michael Aspel during at photo shoot on board a boat at Port Solent marina on the Hampshire coast.

George began his acting career in repertory theatre and at London's Old Vic, before moving into films, appearing in numerous leading roles throughout the 1950s, in such films as A Hill in Korea, The Moonraker and Tread Softly Stranger.

He became a familiar face on British television during the 1970s and 1980s, with roles which included the emperor Tiberius Caesar in the acclaimed BBC drama serial I, Claudius. From 1988 he played the role for which he is probably best known, Inspector Reg Wexford in a series of television adaptations of mysteries by novelist Ruth Rendell.

"I don't know what to say!"

programme details...

Edition No: 915
Subject No: 895
Broadcast date: Wed 5 Apr 1995
Broadcast time: 7.00-7.30pm
Recorded: Tue 21 Mar 1995
Venue: BBC Television Centre
Series: 35
Edition: 23
Code name: Bun

on the guest list...

Louie Ramsay - wife
Ellie - daughter
Sarah - daughter
Valerie - sister-in-law
Christopher Ravenscroft
Ken Kitson
Neil Zeiger
Tessa - daughter
Candy - daughter
Charlie - daughter
Charles Dance
Frank - brother
Jilly - sister-in-law
Sylvia Syms
Peter Sallis
Jean Anderson
Michael Benz
Jane Lapotaire
Rosie - granddaughter
Kim - granddaughter
Pamela Kimber
Maureen Lipman
Ruth Rendell
John Stancioff
Jean Simmons
Sam - grandson

production team...

Researcher: Mark Linnane
Writer: Norman Giller
Director: Brian Klein
Associate Producer: John Graham
Executive Producer: Peter Estall
Producer: Malcolm Morris

names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

related pages...

An Actor's Life For Me

spotlight on the stars

Family Life

keeping it in the family

Jean Anderson

Charles Dance

Louie Ramsay

Screenshots of George Baker This Is Your Life

George Baker recalls his experience of This Is Your Life in his autobiography, The Way To Wexford...

We were preparing to work on Simisola, a 'Ruth Rendell Mystery', when I got a call from Neil Zeiger saying that he would like me to come down to the Blue Heaven offices in Portsmouth to meet and talk to Jim Goddard and Chris Ravenscroft and have some photos taken. I had already spoken to Jim Goddard about the script and there must have been more photographs of Christopher and me than any other two actors in television. However, a date was made for me to go and see them.

At the time of the photo shoot, Louie was working in London, at a fringe theatre at World's End. It was an American play, a Pulitzer Prize winner. She had eight hundred lines to learn for this formidable two-hander which she played with Charlotte Fryer.

I was in Wiltshire as I had a fund-raising dinner to attend. I rang Louie early the next morning and said that as I had been rather late the night before I was going to call the whole thing off and not go over to Portsmouth. Louie said she didn't think that was very fair on poor Christopher who would already be on his way down from London.

'Yes, I suppose so. Oh, all right.' And, dutifully, I drove to Portsmouth.

I could not understand what was going on. Everyone in the office was dressed to the nines. After a desultory conversation amounting to nothing, Neil thought we should go and do the photocall which, for some reason, was to be on a boat. Still the penny didn't drop - and it was only the appearance of Michael Aspel and his little red book that made me say, 'You can fuck off for a start.'

He looked very worried.

He and Louie had been cooped up in the cabin for half an hour while the pretence of taking the photographs was happening on deck.

'Is it going to be all right?' he had asked her.

'I don't know. He always said he wouldn't do This Is Your Life.'

No wonder the poor man looked worried.

Louie came to the rescue with a glass of champagne and some murmured persuasions like, 'Everyone's worked so hard, I think it would be a pity if...' I relented and went with the flow.

Louie told me afterwards that when she had first been approached and knowing my reservations, she had spoken to my daughters and they had, to a woman, insisted that she gave This Is Your Life the go ahead.

'We'll never speak to you again if you don't.'

Now that was an awesome threat from a new family of five daughters.

It was a great evening. I think what I treasure most is how Louie loves my girls and how they love her. In Matt O'Casey they have found a brother and he, poor man, five sisters.

Series 35 subjects