Lesley Baker Explained

Lesley Baker
Birth Date:20 January 1944
Birth Place:Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Years Active:Screen 1969–present, theatre 1963-1981[1]

Lesley Baker (born 20 January 1944) is an Australian actress, singer, dancer and comedian. She is best known internationally for her small screen roles in cult series Prisoner and her recurring role in Neighbours.

Early career

Baker was well known for her early appearances on In Melbourne Tonight with Graham Kennedy, after which she went on to play several roles for Crawford Productions series.

Prisoner

She is best known for her TV soap opera roles including hulking husband basher, Monica Ferguson, in early episodes of Prisoner in 1979, and in 1982, she returned to that series playing the character of "Tinker" Bell Peters.

Neighbours

She has played the itinerant role of Angie Rebecchi since January 1995, the mother of long-running character, Toadie Rebecchi (Ryan Moloney) in Neighbours, who was also introduced in 1995. The character Angie was originally introduced as a guest character, however, her popularity with viewers saw writers decide to introduce her husband "Big Kev" (Don Bridges), eldest son, Shane (Greg O'Mera), and youngest son, Jared "Toadfish" Rebecchi, to the regular cast. The family moved into Ramsay Street, and joined Kevin Jr "Stonefish" Rebecchi (Anthony Engleman), who was an already established character from 1994. In 1996, Angie, Kev and Stonefish were all written out of Neighbours, however, both Angie and Stonefish made sporadic appearances over the following years, with Angie appearing in both the original "final episode" in 2022, and the first episodes of the 2023 continuation.

Filmography

Television

! Year! Title! Role! Episode/Other Notes
1965Graham Kennedy's Channel 9 ShowGuest (singing with Graham Kennedy)TV series, 1 episode
1969–76Homicide- Gloria Slater
- Sadie Thompson
- Jeannie Burke
- Sister Catherine
- April Brown
- Jocelyn Davies
- Mrs. Morton
- Nora Jenkins
8 episodes:
"Triple Play" (#6.19), "An Welcomed Guest" (#6.44), "Expectations" (#8.30), "The Crossing (#11.1), "The Artful Dodger", "Brotherhood of Man" (#11.31), "Short Cut" (#12.32), "The Whole of the Law" (#13.6)
1970–75Division 4- Junie Mullins
- Thelma Shaw
- Annie Kerr
- Jean Whelan
- Marcie White
- Cassandra
- Yvonne
- Kay Hudson
8 episodes:
"Fizz" (#2.9), "Mad Monaghan" (#2.31), "Drop-Out" (#2.31)
"Live Bait" (#3.26)
"Backlash"(#6.2), "Parable" (#6.16), "Time Payment" (#7.5), "Friends - Who Needs 'Em?" (#7.36)
1970The Long Arm- The Nurse
- Const. Brenda Davis
2 episodes:
"The Big Circle" (#1.8), "The Christmas Break"(##1.13)
1971–76Matlock Police- WPC Sue Rogers
- Val Wilson
- Judy Elliot
- Babs Taylor
- Marion Woods
- Daphne
- Dolly Robinson
- Molly Atkins
- Eileen Simpson
9 episodes:
"Tightrope" (#1.15), "Escape to Nowhere" (#1.25), "Smoke Screen" (#1.32), "Squaring Off" (#3.121), "Walk Like a Man" (#5.180), "Where the Trees Walk Down the Hill" (#5.184), "Cuckoos and Peaches" (#5.202), "No Problems" (#5.214), "Come to Mother" (#5.226)
1974RushEpisode: "They Faced all the Dangers, Those Bold Bushrangers" (#1.3)
1975The Last of the AustraliansMs. FergusonEpisode: "Ashes to Ashes" (#2.4)
1976Solo OneMrs. PickettEpisode: "My Bonnie" (#1.7)
BellbirdCheryl Turner #2
Alvin PurpleMyrtleEpisode: "Ciao Alvin" (#1.13)
1977BlueyLeslie StewartEpisode: "Emma" (#1.15)
1978Cop ShopMotherEpisode 1.97
1979SkywaysGladys Skinner (as Leslie Baker)Episode: "Donny's Father" (#1.142)
1979Prisoner
(aka Prisoner: Cell Block H orCaged Women.)
Monica Ferguson 36 episodes: 15–18, 29–60
1980Water Under the BridgeNurse VickersMiniseries
1981I Can Jump PuddlesMatronMiniseries
1983Prisoner
(aka Prisoner: Cell Block H orCaged Women.)
Belle 'Tinker' Peters3 episodes: 390–392
1984Carson's LawNurseEpisode: "Fallen into Darkness"
Special Squad Chamber MaidEpisode: "Counterfeit Lady" (#1.5)
1986, 1988–89The Flying Doctors- Mrs. Jackson
- Lucy Somers
5 episodes:
"Sins of the Fathers" (#1.8), "Don't Tell Anyone" (#3.24), "Breaking the Drought (#4.8), "All You Need is Luck" (#4.11), "Rising Sundown (#5.6)
1988The Bartons Mrs. Davis2 episodes: "Half Time" (#1.3), "The Great Billycart Aid Rave" (#1.6)
1992Boney Boarding House LadyEpisode: Looks Can Kill" (#1.2)
1993PhoenixWoman Farmer (as Leslie Baker)Episode: "In on the Joke" (#2.8)
1997, 1998Good Guys, Bad Guys- Rose
- Ms. Pinney
2 episodes:
"Angel'’ (#1.11), "Naughty Bits (#2.5)
1999StingersMaggie RobardiEpisode: "Just Acting" (#2.13)
2000SeaChangeMrs. ChathamEpisode: "Pipeline" (#3.5)
2001Shock JockRita3 episodes:
"Exposure" (#1.3), "Mein Diary" (#1.5), "One for the Road" (#1.6)
1994, 1997, 2001, 2004Blue Heelers - Sheila O'Shaughnessy
- Mrs. Flynn
- Grandma Kenny
- Irene Wilkes
5 episodes:
"Why Give People Rights? They Only Abuse Them" (#1.3), "Face Value (1.38), "The Civil Deed" (#4.41), "A Matter of Faith" (#8.37), "Reasonable Doubt: Live" (#11.12)
2008–09City HomicideMiriam Toffler2 episodes:
"Taniwha" (#2.4), "In Wolf’s Clothing" (#3.17)
2009The LibrariansChristine's auntEpisode: "Romeos and Juliets" (#2.4)
1995–96
2002–06,
2008, 2013, 2015
2017–19, 2022–23
NeighboursAngie RebecchiRegular / recurring role

Film

!Year!Title!Role!Notes
2009Inanimate ObjectsSam GrahamFilm
2008Tea and PhysicsGrannyShort film
1993Body MeltMackFeature film
1992Spotswood
(aka The Efficiency Expert)
GwenFeature film (as Leslie Baker)
1987Slate, Wyn & MeMollyFeature film

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Lesley Baker.