Today in TV History: Dylan Baker, TV’s Go-To Creepy Dad, Was Born

Of all the great things about television, the greatest is that it’s on every single day. TV history is being made, day in and day out, in ways big and small. In an effort to better appreciate this history, we’re taking a look back, every day, at one particular TV milestone. 

IMPORTANT DATE IN TV HISTORY: October 7, 1959

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT: It’s always so tough for a character actor to attain name value, even among enthusiasts. That’s why it’s always so heartening when, say, a J.K. Simmons wins an Oscar. It’s an all-too-rare moment of recognition.

It’s with that in mind that we want to wish a happy birthday to Dylan Baker. A character actor of much acclaim, Baker had managed to make something of a name for himself, if only among the small subset of TV- and film-fanatics. Rather than be the kind of chameleon character who can slip into any part seamlessly, Baker has cultivated a very specific type. And it’s a credit to him and his lack of vanity that it’s not a very likeable type.

It’s probably because the film role which got him the most visibility was the pedophile father in Todd Solondz’s Happiness. He was so good in the film, and critics so rallied to its support, that his career got a very specific boost. And so it was roles as killers on The Practice, Damages, and The Good Wife. Lots of actors play killers, of course, but few do it so brazenly and so overtly entertainingly.

Of course, the other side of the coin is that Dylan Baker can play a great dad. He looks so perfectly Midwestern, after all. He and his real-life wife Becky-Ann Baker (Freaks & Geeks, Girls) make for fantastic parents, and if you don’t believe me, you should watch Smash. …No, really. Watch Smash.

Happy birthday, Dylan Baker! May you keep freaking us the hell out.

Joe Reid (@joereid) is a freelance writer living in Brooklyn. You can find him leaving flowers for Mrs. Landingham at the corner of 18th and Potomac.

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