The Mentalist – Cast Bios

SIMON BAKER

(Thomas Jane in THE MENTALIST)

Best known for his striking performance as Nick Fallin in the drama “The Guardian,” on the Network, Baker starred in the series from 2001-2004. Baker won widespread critical praise for his portrayal of a hardened corporate lawyer who was sentenced to work as a legal child advocate after being found guilty of drug possession. In the first season, Baker was recognized by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association with a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Drama Series.

In 2007, Baker made the transition from a television star to big screen leading man with two diverse roles. In the critically acclaimed feature “The Devil Wears Prada,” Baker starred opposite Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway as the dashing Christian Thompson. In the feature film “Something New,” a romantic comedy starring opposite Sanaa Lathan, Baker played a working class landscaper who falls in love with an uptight professional black woman.

Baker first gained attention in the Academy Award winning film “L.A. Confidential,” following it up with a string of memorable performances in “An Affair of the Necklace,” “Red Planet,” “Sunset Strip,” “Judas Kiss” and the horror sequel “The Ring 2,” opposite Naomi Watts and Sissy Spacek. Baker garnered acclaim for his turn in the independent film “Book of Love,” which screened in competition at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival.” Baker was part of the all-star cast of Ang Lee’s critically acclaimed “Ride With the Devil,” which screened at the 1999 Deauville Film Festival and was also a gala presentation at the 1999 Toronto Film Festival.

Baker’s other film credits include “Sex and Death 101” starring opposite Winona Ryder and “Land of the Dead,” a critically acclaimed thriller co-starring Dennis Hopper, John Leguizamo and Asia Argento, as well as the indies “Restaurant” and “Love from Ground Zero.”

Next up for Baker are lead roles in two upcoming independent films. In “The Lodger,” he stars opposite Hope Davis, Alfred Molina and Philip Baker Hall. The film is based on Alfred Hitchcock’s 1927 thriller of the same name. In “Not Forgotten,” a psychological thriller, Simon plays a bank manager in a US/Mexico border town haunted by the death of his daughter.

A native of Australia, Baker now lives in Los Angeles with his wife and three children. In his spare time, he likes to surf. His birth date is July 30.

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TIM KANG

(Kimball Cho in THE MENTALIST)

Tim Kang can be seen in the upcoming feature film “Mr. Sandman.” His other film credits include “Rambo,” “The Forgotten,” “Two Weeks Notice” and “Robot Stories.”

His television credits include “Third Watch” and “The Unit,” on the Network. He has had guest-starring roles in “Ghost Whisperer,” also on the Network, “The Office,” “The Sopranos,” “Monk,” “Chappelle’s Show,” “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” and “Law & Order: Trial By Jury.” Kang can also be seen on a wide variety of national commercial spots.

Kang graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a B.A. in political science and went on to receive an M.F.A from the A.R.T. Institute at Harvard University. He was born and raised in San Francisco and currently lives in Los Angeles. His birth date is March 16.

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AMANDA RIGHETTI

(Grace Van Pelt in THE MENTALIST)

Amanda Righetti played a recurring role on the hit television drama “The O.C.” Her other television credits include “K-Ville,” “North Shore” and “Reunion,” as well as guest-starring roles on “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” on the Network, “Entourage” and the television movie “Romy & Michelle.”

Righetti can be seen in the upcoming feature film remake of “Friday the 13th.” She also appeared in the film “Return to House on Haunted Hill.”

The youngest of eight children, Righetti was born and raised outside of Las Vegas and currently resides in Los Angeles and Hawaii with her husband. Her birth date is April 4.

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ROBIN TUNNEY

(Teresa Lisbon in THE MENTALIST)

Tunney established herself as an award-winning actress in a series of independent films and has gone on to become a popular fixture in movies and on television while never straying too far from her indie roots.

Her first film was the teen cult classic “Empire Records,” which also starred Renee Zellweger and Liv Tyler. She next appeared in “The Craft” and “Niagara, Niagara,” for which she won the Volpe Cup for Best Actress at the 1997 Venice International Film Festival, and a Spirit Award nomination for Best Actress. Her additional feature film credits include “Vertical Limit,” “End of Days,” “Cherish,” “The Secret Lives of Dentists,” “Hollywood Land” and “Open Window,” for which she won Best Actress at the Boston Film Festival.

Tunney most recently appeared on television in “Prison Break.” Her other series credits include roles in “House, M.D.,” “Life Goes On,” “Class of ‘96,” “Law & Order” and “Dream On.” Her television movie credits include “J.F.K.: Reckless Youth” and “Frog.”

Tunney’s upcoming feature films include “August” and “The Burning Plain.”

Born in Chicago, Tunney attended the Chicago Academy for the Arts. She lives in Los Angeles. Her birth date is June 19.

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OWAIN YEOMAN

(Wayne Rigsby in THE MENTALIST)

Owain Yeoman appeared in the feature films “Troy” and “Beerfest.” His television credits include the series “Kitchen Confidential,” “Commando Nanny” and “The Nine.” In his native England, Yeoman appeared in the television drama “Midsomer Murders.”

A graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, Yeoman starred in and directed “Othello” at the Oxford Playhouse. His other theater credits include “Man, Beast & Virtue,” “The Wizard of Oz” and “As You Like It.”

Yeoman speaks three languages – French, German and Welsh. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, actress Lucy Davis. His birth date is July 2.

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BRUNO HELLER

(Executive Producer, THE MENTALIST)

Heller is probably best known for the television series “Rome,” which he co-created. In addition to co-creating the series, Heller was also executive producer and head writer, penning a total of 11 episodes for the series, including the pilot.

Before venturing into a writing career, Heller graduated from The University of Sussex in Brighton, England, and spent years working various film jobs, eventually becoming a successful boom operator. He made his screenwriting debut on the 1994 Portuguese film “PAX,” starring Amanda Plummer. Following the European release of “PAX,” Heller moved to Los Angeles in 1997 where he began work on two television projects, “Touching Evil” and “The Huntress.”

Heller’s father was Lukas Heller, a successful German screenwriter and winner of an Edgar Award for Best Motion Picture for “Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte.”