Simon Baker tells 60 Minutes about his next big move: 'It’s taken a toll'

He was the start of hit TV show The Mentalist and was once voted the sexiest man on television, but now Hollywood heartthrob Simon Baker can add director to his resume. 

The iconic Aussie TV star has returned home to direct and star in an on-screen rendition of Tim Winton’s iconic novel Breath, but as Baker told 60 Minutes reporter Allison Langdon, it’s a project that has proved challenging at times. 

“It’s been a fantastic experience for me but it’s not been without it’s problems,” Baker told Langdon. 

“It’s taken a toll on my family life because it such a big big elephant in the room all the time.”

While an established actor –with his own star on the Hollywood walk of fame - Breath is a new frontier for Baker, as he makes his feature film directorial debut. 

Breath is a coming-of-age film which follows the story of two teenage boys, in a remote WA coastal town, who develop an obsession with surfing and worship Baker’s character Sando. 

The film almost didn’t happen had it not been for the love, support and frank honesty from Baker’s wife – and fellow actor - Rebecca Rigg. 

“She said something incredibly uplifting: ‘Honey, there’s a lot of crap films, so what if yours is just another one’, which goes into the lexicon of my wife’s inspiring quotes,” Baker said. 

Rigg and Baker met while playing love interests, Sam Farrell and Amy Preston, in the early nineties soap opera E-Street. The couple have been together ever since. 

While this would seem a frightening prospect for any person, the intrepid Baker saw it as an adventure. 

“I didn’t feel like we were brave at the time, I felt it was more of an adventure,” said Baker. 

“We sort of figured out that if we ate potatoes and rice we could probably last two months, and if all else fails I could probably knock on the door and get a job on Neighbours or something.”