The Baker genesis
Born in 1934 and raised in a poverty-stricken area of Liverpool, Tom claims his childhood ambition was to be an orphan. He was enticed by the US President's vow to send presents to any child who lost both parents in the war!

Ducking the docks
Tom failed his 11-plus exam, but was determined not to get trapped in the then standard Liverpool pattern of working in factories or on the docks. At fifteen, he made an eccentric decision to become a monk in a bid to raise the family kudos.

Another kind of Lord
Tom admits the hardest part of being a monk was maintaining his vow of chastity. If his superiors ever suspected him of impure thoughts, Tom would be sent to Brother Richard, a fearful man, who would deal out severe punishment. Tom grew disillusioned with it all and left after six years.

Hidden talent
It wasn't until he did National Service that Tom found he had a talent for acting. He was accepted to train at The Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama before joining the National Theatre. While there, he met Laurence Olivier, who was so impressed that he recommended Tom for the 1971 film, Nicholas and Alexandra. Ironically, the part Tom landed was that of Rasputin - a monk.

Hard times
Despite two award nominations for Rasputin, and then landing big roles in 1973's Vault of Horror and 1974's The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, Tom found money hard to come by. He slept on fellow actor Paul Angelis' floor and earned extra cash on a building site.

Timely letter
Tom's financial crisis led him to beg for work at the BBC. Head of Serials Barry Letts received one such letter on the very day the then current Doctor Who, John Pertwee, resigned. Letts contacted Tom, who successfully auditioned for the role. His spell as the Doctor coincided with the show's most popular period.