**Jared Harris Reflects on Secretary Baker’s Tragic Fate in Kathryn Bigelow’s *A House of Dynamite***
In a recent interview with *The Wrap*, Jared Harris opened up about the emotional depth and ultimate fate of his character, Secretary Reid Baker, in Kathryn Bigelow’s *A House of Dynamite*. Harris delved into the motivations behind Baker’s heartbreaking decision and shared insights into the personal influences that shaped his performance.
Harris explained that Baker “didn’t want to live in a world where he’d lost his wife and his daughter.” The storyline poignantly explores “individual human beings who are put in the position to make choices that will affect millions of lives.” For Baker, the devastating loss of his daughter—who is portrayed by Kaitlyn Dever—following the death of his wife, becomes the catalyst for his fatal choice on the rooftop.
The actor revealed that both he and Bigelow carefully explored the strained relationship between Baker and his daughter. “At the end of the day, I think he needs help. And his daughter is processing her own grief. She can’t help him right now,” Harris said. “But he’s hopeful she someday can, and then losing her leads him to step off that roof.”
This harrowing moment takes place just after Baker hangs up on the president, who had been seeking his advice about a nuclear response. Harris described the scene as symbolic of moral paralysis when faced with immense pressure. “The president is asking for his advice and he hangs up the phone. Because he hears that they’ve got to the point where they’re deciding to respond to the attack, and he knows what that means,” he shared.
As Baker ascends to the rooftop and ultimately disappears from view, Harris added an intimate touch to his final line to Dever’s character, “That’s good.” He revealed that this line was inspired by Bruce Springsteen’s *The River* live album. “I took that line from Bruce Springsteen,” Harris said, recalling the singer’s story about his father’s quiet expression of care amidst hardship.
*A House of Dynamite* is now available for streaming on Netflix.
https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/2048107-a-house-of-dynamite-death-jared-harris-baker
