Tom Baker

Thomas Stewart Baker (born 20 January 1934) is an English actor and writer. He is best known for playing the fourth incarnation of the Doctor in the BBC science fiction series Doctor Who from 1974 to 1981, making him the longest-serving actor in the role.

Raised devoutly Catholic in Liverpool, Baker trained to become a Christian brother before turning to acting. He joined the National Theatre company in 1968. His first major film role was as Grigori Rasputin in Nicholas and Alexandra (1971), for which he was nominated for two Golden Globes. Following supporting roles in genre films such as The Canterbury Tales (1972), The Vault of Horror (1973) and The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973), he was working part-time on a building site when he was cast as the lead in Doctor Who. Baker incorporated his own eccentric personality into the Doctor and became highly popular with audiences in the United Kingdom and abroad. His incarnation is often considered the best and most quintessential of the programme's classic series. Baker has reprised the role in audio dramas since 2009, and made a cameo appearance in the series' 50th-anniversary special "The Day of the Doctor" (2013).

Baker appeared in the television series Medics (1992–1995), Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) (2000–2001) and Monarch of the Glen (2004–2005). He moved into voice acting later in his career, providing narration for the comedy series Little Britain (2003–2006) and Little Britain USA (2008). In 2006, his "sonorous" voice was voted the fourth-most recognisable in the UK.