The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree when it comes to Simon Baker and his eldest daughter Stella Breeze Baker.
Aussie local-turned-Hollywood-superstar Simon has long held a place on the A-list in Tinseltown, and now, daughter Stella’s star power is on the rise.
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The 27-year-old is the daughter of Simon, 51, and estranged wife Rebecca Rigg (the former couple also share sons Claude, 22, and Harry, 19), and is following in her parents footsteps as she embarks on her own acting career.
Stella is set to appear in new US drama The Republic of Sarah alongside former Home and Away star Luke Mitchell and it’s clear who her biggest cheerleader is – her dad!
Taking to Instagram, the Mentalist star recently shared a promo of the show which featured his adult daughter and was the epitome of a doting dad as he proudly showed off her achievement.
“Stella is doing it her way, as she always has, and I’m immensely proud of her,” Simon wrote, adding the hashtags: “#forceofnature #gogirl #mybabygirl”
The father-daughter affection continued in the comments section, where Stella replied: “Love you dad”.
Simon has long been supportive of his daughter’s career choice, telling Stellar magazine previously that he was behind her every step of the way.
“I think any parent feels an incredible sense of relief and excitement about their child finding something they feel passionate about,” he told the publication.
“If she was that passionate about building houses, then I’d champion that as well. You go through that thing of, like, ‘Oh, you’re going into my profession.’ I know some of the pitfalls, but I also know some of the positive aspects of the business. And I’m always going to be there if she wants to ask me.”
Simon was just 24 when Stella was born back in 1993 and was yet to achieve his enviable Hollywood career which would be marked by standout roles in the likes of The Mentalist and The Devil Wears Prada.
But far from believing his family held him back, Simon has always been a staunch believer that his family was the reason for his success – and he was smitten from the get-go.
“It’s a miracle having a child and watching someone develop a personality and grow and learn all these things,” the actor told WHO in 1993, just three months after he and Rebecca welcomed Stella into the world.
“When she was first born, I thought, ‘She’s a part of me and a part of Rebecca’, and now I look at her and she’s her own person … It’s worth staying up all night to watch it. You just don’t want to miss a second.”
Simon, who announced his split from wife-of-29-years Rebecca in January 2021, has credited his family as being one of the reasons for his strong work ethic and focus in Hollywood.
“When we arrived, I had a child and responsibilities. As a result, I viewed the concept of success as being able to provide for my family,” Simon previously told GQ Australia.
“To achieve this, I had to deliver consistent performances, be professional on and off set… my circumstances have never allowed me to be selfish and that’s contributed to the success we’ve had in America. There was no time when I was just working for my own ends and this made a huge difference.”
Not everything that comes with being a dad has been smooth sailing For Simon. Like anyone with a child would know, parenting can be hard work.
“It’s not easy being a parent,” Simon previously told Stellar magazine.
“There are times when you do it, when you’re successful, and there are times when you’re not. That’s the challenge… you just have to be consistently there. And when I say ‘there’, I mean in a way where you allow them to be themselves, and you let them know, and you make them aware that you love them, right?”
In 1993, he told WHO: “My family is my No. 1 priority.” And almost 30 years on, that sentiment hasn’t seemed to change when it comes to Simon’s unconditional love for his kids.
