What is Tom Baker?
[[File:Tom Baker cropped.jpg|thumb|Tom Baker]] '''Thomas Stewart Baker''' (born 20 January 1934), who is known professionally by his credited stage name as '''Tom Baker''', is an [[English people|English]] [[actor|character actor]] and writer. He is perhaps best known for his work by playing the [[Fourth Doctor]] in the long-running [[BBC]] [[science fiction]] television programme, ''[[Doctor Who]]''. ==Early life== Baker was born in [[Liverpool, England|Liverpool]]. His father was a sailor, and was [[Jewish]]. His mother was [[Roman Catholic]]. Baker was not very academic and struggled at school. He failed the eleven plus exam. Baker became a [[monk]] when he was 15.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tom-baker.co.uk/about.asp |title=Tom's early years |access-date=2012-01-28 |archive-date=2012-01-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120128002003/http://www.tom-baker.co.uk/about.asp |url-status=dead }}</ref> When he decided to change his life, he first worked in the [[Royal Army Medical Corps]], and then as a construction worker. He took up acting first as a hobby, then professionally. ==Career== His first big part was as [[Grigori Rasputin]] in the 1971 movie, ''[[Nicholas and Alexandra]]''. Baker is best known for playing the [[Fourth Doctor]] in the long-running [[science fiction]] [[television programme|television series]] ''[[Doctor Who]]''. He played this role from 1974 to 1981. When he got the job, he was working on a building site, because it was hard to find work as an actor.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tom-baker.co.uk/pages/content/index.asp?PageID=148|title=Tom Baker and the National Theatre|access-date=2012-01-28|archive-date=2012-01-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120102172327/http://www.tom-baker.co.uk/pages/content/index.asp?PageID=148|url-status=dead}}</ref> He is famous for playing the Doctor longer than any other actor. His version of the character is probably the best remembered by many people. As he thought of himself as a role model for children, he would always preten