Scott Bakula Biography
Summary
"Scott Stewart Bakula" (born October 9, 1954) is an American actor who played leading roles in two science fiction television series: "Quantum Leap" and "Star Trek: Enterprise". He also co-starred with Maria Bello in the short-lived CBS television series "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" (which bore little or no relation to the 2005 motion picture of the same title), and had a recurring role in the sitcom "Murphy Brown".
Although they are not married, since 1996, Bakula has been in a relationship with actress Chelsea Field, with whom he has two children.
Early life and career
Bakula was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and graduated from Kirkwood High School in Kirkwood, Missouri in 1973 where he was a good student. During high school, he was active in soccer, tennis, and theatre. Also during high school, he had the lead roles in Godspell and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at First Presbyterian Church in Kirkwood. He also played Tevye in an Independent Theatre Production of Fiddler on the Roof at Kirkwood High. Bakula attended college at the University of Kansas, studying law, until his junior year. He was a member of Phi Gamma Delta while attending the University. Bakula then left to pursue acting, having been cast in the leading role of "Godspell". After that show completed its run, he moved to New York and acted in Broadway shows such as "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" and "Fiddler on the Roof".
In 1983, Bakula, having previously appeared as a standby, made his Broadway debut playing Joe DiMaggio in "Marilyn: An American Fable". His television debut came in commercials for Canada Dry and for de-caffeinated Folgers coffee.
His performance in the Broadway musical "Romance/Romance" and subsequent Tony Award nomination helped Bakula win the lead role opposite Dean Stockwell in the critically acclaimed television series "Quantum Leap" . In this science fiction series, Bakula played the time traveler Dr. Sam Beckett who was trapped by a malfunction of his time machine to correct things gone wrong in the past. His performance in this program would earn him a Golden Globe award (along with three nominations) and four Emmy nominations for Best Actor. Low ratings for this series caused its cancellation in 1993.
In 1995, Bakula appeared on the cover of "Playgirl".
In 1997, Bakula voiced Danny Cat in "Cats Don't Dance", a high-rated, but little-known, animated movie, singing in one number with Natalie Cole.
In 1998, Bakula played the aging veteran pitcher Gus Cantrell in "Major League: Back to the Minors", the final movie in the Major League (film) trilogy.
He also played Jim Olmeyer, partner of Sam Robards' Jim Berkley, in the Academy Award-winning "American Beauty" in 1999.
As Jonathan Archer in "Star Trek: Enterprise", Bakula played the captain of Earth's first long-range interstellar ship. In 2006, he reprised the role of Archer for the "Star Trek Legacy" PC and Xbox 360 video games as a voiceover.
Bakula starred in the musical "Shenandoah", a play which also provided his first professional theatrical role in 1976, at Ford's Theatre, in 2006.
Bakula is heard singing 'Pig Island' on Sandra Boynton's children's CD "Philadelphia Chickens", which is labeled as being 'For all ages except 43.'
Some of Bakula's other musical appearances include the Hollywood Bowl in 1996 and 2004, Carnegie Hall, a benefit performance of Stephen Sondheim's "Anyone Can Whistle" in 1995, and the Kennedy Center Honors in 1993 and 2003, in honor of Sondheim and Carol Burnett, respectively.
Personal life
Bakula married Krista Neumann in 1981. The couple had two children, Chelsy (b. 1984), Cody (b. 1991 - adopted) and divorced in 1995. In 1996, he began a relationship with actress Chelsea Field. The couple has two children: Wil (b. 1996) and Owen (b. 1999).
Cultural References
The cast of Enterprise reportedly used the song 'Scott Bakula? by Madison, Wisconsin-based rock band (Sunspot) for a birthday party celebration.
Partial Filmography
"I-Man" (1986)
"Gung Ho" (1986)
"My Sister Sam" (1 episode 1986)
"Designing Women" (1986-1988)
"Matlock" (2 episodes 1987)
"Eisenhower and Lutz" (1988)
"Quantum Leap" (1989-1993)
"Necessary Roughness (1991)
"Murphy Brown" (14 episodes 1994-1996)
"The Invaders (mini-series)(1995)
"Lord of Illusions" (1995)
"Mr. & Mrs. Smith" (1996)
"Cats Don't Dance" (1997)
"Major League: Back to the Minors" (1998)
"NetForce" (1999)
"American Beauty" (1999)
"Star Trek: Enterprise" (2001-2005)
"The New Adventures of Old Christine" (2 episodes, 2006)
"American Body Shop" (2007)
"Blue Smoke" Lifetime original movie (2007)
External links
("Shenandoah" at Ford's Theatre.)
(Scott Bakula 2000 Interview) on "Sidewalks Entertainment"
Credit
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article about Scott Bakula.
