REMEMBERING JOE DON BAKER ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ “The thing that inspired me to become an actor was to work on stage three hours a night in a play, sleep late, and meet a lot of interesting people.” Joe Don Baker ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Baker had his first experience as an actor as a senior at North Texas State College in Denton. After graduating with a business degree in 1958 and serving for two years in the U.S. Army, he moved to New York and was accepted into The Actors Studio. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ In 1963 and ’64, Baker appeared on Broadway in Actors Studio productions of Marathon ’33 opposite Julie Harris and Blues for Mister Charlie, written by James Baldwin and directed by Burgess Meredith. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ He came to LA and made it to the silver screen, finding work on Honey West, Bonanza and Gunsmoke and in the films Cool Hand Luke (1967) and Guns of the Magnificent Seven (1969). ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ His credits are countless, including Cape Fear (1991), Reality Bites (1994), The Grass Harp (1995), Mars Attacks! (1996), Joe Dirt (2001), The Dukes of Hazzard (2005) and Mud (2012), but you may know him best from his work on three 007 films - The Living Daylights (1987), GoldenEye (1995) and Tomorrow Never Dies (1997). ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Baker made an incredible impact on our industry and he will be sorely missed. Sending our love and condolences to his family and friends. RIP Mr Baker. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #theactorsstudio #joedonbaker #rememberingthelegends #hollywood (fb)

MEMBER HIGHLIGHT: VICTORIA RATERMANIS ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ “The Actors Studio has given me access to an epic community of creatives and a place where I can simply work on my craft without any pressure of “booking” or “getting it done”, simply for the spirit of creativity and challenging yourself to grow. I think the industry has been “in flux” for a long time now and I have always been quite envious of musicians and painters and artists who have such an easier access to their creativity. Having Mon-Fri access to the Studio has been a game changer. Not only for myself as an actor but also for my mental stability. You have to find creative outlets in the lulls of your career, otherwise that energy compounds and builds into something dark. I am very thankful to know that I have a lifetime of being a member and creator here, excited for the growth to come.” ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Victoria Ratermanis stars in Oscar-nominated short film ‘A Lien’. She is also a writer, director and theater maker, with her premiere short film “DISC” starring Jim Cummings ready to hit the festival circuit in 2026. Born in Baltimore, and brought up overseas, her childhood as a perpetual new kid taught her adaptability and strengthened her imagination, and now she’s made a career of the tendency. She is Meisner-trained thanks to Playhouse West Brooklyn, and graduated with a BFA in acting from Pace University. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ We are so excited to welcome Victoria as a new member to the Studio (she passed her final audition in 2024) and wish the “A Lien” team all the best at the Oscars this weekend!!! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Follow @alien_short_film and @tozr ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ @theacademy #oscars2025 #academyawards #actress #themethod #theactorstudio (fb)