'Dearly missed but never forgotten':James Bond actor Joe Don Baker, who appeared in three 007 films, has died aged 89

Sky News AU

15-05-2025

Hollywood legend Joe Don Baker has died aged 89, his family has confirmed.
The Texas-born star passed away on May 7 in Southern California, where he had lived in recent years.
His cause of death has not been disclosed.
Baker's acting career spanned nearly five decades, beginning in 1965 with an appearance on the television series Honey West.
He shot to prominence in the early 1970s, playing Steve McQueen's younger brother in Junior Bonner (1972), before landing the lead in the hit crime drama Walking Tall (1973).
Based on a true story, Walking Tall followed a Southern sheriff who took on organised crime with nothing but a wooden club and sheer determination- a role that cemented Baker's place as a Hollywood "tough guy".
But it was his work in the James Bond franchise that made him a familiar face to international audiences.
Baker first appeared in The Living Daylights (1987) as a rogue Soviet general opposite Timothy Dalton's Bond.
He later returned to the franchise in a very different role- as CIA operative Jack Wade- in GoldenEye (1995) and Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), both alongside Pierce Brosnan.
Beyond Bond, Baker enjoyed a prolific career in television, starring in the crime drama Eischied and earned a BAFTA nomination for his performance in the acclaimed British mini-series Edge of Darkness.
His final film role was a small but poignant part in the 2012 drama Mud, starring Matthew McConaughey.
Born on February 12, 1936, in Groesbeck, Texas, Baker played football at North Texas State College before serving two years in the Army.
He later moved to New York City to study at the prestigious Actors Studio.
Reflecting on his early days of acting, Baker once credited his ability to listen as the key to being accepted into the Studio.
"I did a scene with a girl, and she did most of the talking, so I listened," he recalled in a 1986 video interview.
"Come to find out, that's what you're supposed to do when you act- listen."
He was married to Maria Dolores Rivero-Torres for 11 years, and while he did not have children, he is survived by relatives in his hometown of Groesbeck.
"As we say goodbye to Joe Don, we hold onto the memories and the love he shared with us," his family said in a statement.
"Though he may no longer be with us in body, his spirit will always remain, a guiding light in the lives he touched.
"Rest in peace, Joe Don. You will be dearly missed but never forgotten."