Simon Baker from The Mentalist is making a TV comeback this year, but his next appearance is a bit of a surprise
Simon Baker has not been seen much since then The Mentalist was canceled, marking the end of his time in the role of Patrick Jane. The series, which ran for seven seasons on CBS, ended with a shortened season in 2015. Baker has since taken on only a handful of roles in films and shows, most of which were small. While he recently appeared in the Netflix miniseries Boy swallows universeBaker is now set to make a major TV comeback. However, this happy news comes with a small surprise.
The Guardian Actor adapts Emily Perkins’ novel, lioness, alongside Bruna Papadrea’s Made Up Stories and Australian producer Lee-Anne Higgins. According to Deadline, Simon Baker is set to direct all episodes of the series, which follows Therese Thorne. The character is described as a woman who finds herself at the center of a fraud investigation after marrying a wealthy older gentleman and building a career for herself. Meanwhile, Thorne deals with Claire, a neighbor who seemingly entices her to take a walk on the wild side while she deals with her legal entanglements.
It is not known whether the Home and Away Alum will also appear in the series, but there is no news about the cast yet. lioness is just his most recent directing job, as he previously directed the 2017 film Breathefive episodes of The Mentalist and a sequence of The Guardian. He will also serve as a producer on the upcoming show, meaning that even though he is not starring, he will still have his signature on it. This is probably not what some would have expected from a major TV comeback for the fan-favorite actor, but I would say it is a solid job for him. Even when he is not in front of the camera, he will be able to flex his creative muscles in countless ways. In a statement provided to Deadline, the The devil wears Prada A cast member praised the book, calling it:
A beautiful, funny and brutally honest look at the dichotomy between aspiration and authentic identity in our times. Emily Perkins truly understands the complexity of human beings and has written characters so layered and engaging that I am thrilled to be there to see them come to life on screen.
Not too many details have been announced for lionessby bestselling author Emily Perkins from Aotearoa, New Zealand. Potential viewers should know that the book is set to be released in July 2023, so the fact that it’s already being adapted is impressive. It currently has a rating of 3.44 out of 5 on Goodreads, with the majority of reviews being very positive. For her work on the novel, Perkins also received the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction at this year’s Ockham New Zealand Book Awards, so there’s definitely reason to be confident in the strength of the source material at least.
I have to say, it would be wonderful to see Simon Baker not only back as an actor, but also in a crime series. After all, he has really strong acting skills. But I’m definitely not going to dismiss the idea of him directing such an interesting-sounding series. Let’s hope that he and his colleagues can deliver something really exciting.
While you wait for more information about lioness and Simon Baker’s involvement in it, take a look at his filmography to stay busy. For example, those who have a Hulu subscription or a Max subscription can watch all The Mentalistincluding the best episode.
