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Sky News AU
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
'Dearly missed but never forgotten':James Bond actor Joe Don Baker, who appeared in three 007 films, has died aged 89
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."
Boston Globe
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Joe Don Baker, actor who found fame with ‘Walking Tall,' dies at 89
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up A low-budget production, directed by journeyman filmmaker Phil Karlson, it opened on Staten Island, N.Y., months before it arrived in Manhattan but proved to be a phenomenon. Vincent Canby, reviewing the film in the Times, called it 'relentlessly violent' but also 'uncommonly well acted.' Advertisement It was soon noticed and praised by a wide array of prominent critics. Pauline Kael of The New Yorker called it 'a volcano of a movie' and saw in Mr. Baker, a 37-year-old unknown with a decade of credits, mostly on television, 'the mighty stature of a classic hero.' 'The picture's crudeness and its crummy cinematography give it the illusion of honesty,' she wrote. Advertisement The character Mr. Baker played -- Sheriff Buford Pusser, whose weapon of choice is an oversize, homemade baseball bat -- was a real person. According to Variety, 'Walking Tall,' which was made for about $500,000, earned more than $40 million worldwide. Looking back in 2000, Vanity Fair saw the film's star as its secret weapon, writing that 'Walking Tall' had 'a major asset in Joe Don Baker, whose sideburns and greasy, likable rockabilly grin suggest a larger doughnut version of Elvis Presley.' Joe Don Baker was born Feb. 12, 1936, in Groesbeck, Texas, a small town east of Waco. He was the only child of Doyle Charles Baker, who managed a gas station, and Edna (McDonald) Baker. After his mother's death, in 1946, he was raised by an aunt. Joe Don Baker played football in high school and had no particular interest in acting. But in his senior year at North Texas State College (now the University of North Texas), he got a small part in a play. After graduating in 1958 and serving in the Army for two years, he headed for New York. He studied at the Actors Studio and made his Broadway debut in 1963 in 'Marathon '33,' a play written by actress June Havoc about Depression-era dance marathons. Both that and his next play, James Baldwin's 'Blues for Mister Charlie' (1964), were Actors Studio Theater productions. Mr. Baker made his television debut in a 1965 episode of the detective series 'Honey West,' as a truck driver in trouble with his employer. He had an uncredited part in the hit Paul Newman prison drama 'Cool Hand Luke' (1967) before making his official movie debut in 'Guns of the Magnificent Seven' (1969). Advertisement He was noticed in Sam Peckinpah's 'Junior Bonner' (1971), in which he played Steve McQueen's cheerfully dishonest younger brother. The character, Andrew Sarris wrote in The Village Voice, is 'a kind of Disneyland desperado, out to swindle all the senior citizens he can find.' After 'Walking Tall,' Mr. Baker made an equally impressive showing in the Don Siegel heist film " Charley Varrick" (1973). His character, a supremely confident Mafia hit man, is the kind who would shove a storekeeper in a wheelchair against a wall or literally kick a man when he's down. Otherwise, Mr. Baker was often the face of law enforcement: a drug-dealing police chief in Chevy Chase comedy thriller 'Fletch' (1985); another small-town Southern sheriff in 'The Grass Harp' (1995); a private detective who knows how to play tough in Martin Scorsese's 'Cape Fear' (1991). Mr. Baker, however, was far from typecast, in film or on television. In 'The Natural' (1984), starring Robert Redford, he was a 1920s baseball superstar meant to evoke Babe Ruth. He was bellicose Senator Joe McCarthy in HBO's 'Citizen Cohn' (1992) and Big Jim Folsom, a colorful midcentury Alabama governor, in 'George Wallace' (1997). He played a brutally sadistic ex-con in a leisure suit in 'Framed' (1975), Winona Ryder's father in 'Reality Bites' (1994), a rural Kansan ready to fight off space aliens with a shotgun in 'Mars Attacks!' (1996), a heroine's beer-guzzling father in 'Joe Dirt' (2001), and a detective's rich father-in-law in 'Poodle Springs' (1998). Mr. Baker appeared in three James Bond movies. He played a CIA agent in 'GoldenEye' (1995) and the same character in 'Tomorrow Never Dies' (1997), both starring Pierce Brosnan. That was a step up morally from his first Bond role: an arms dealer and historical-battle fanatic, up against Timothy Dalton, in 'The Living Daylights' (1987). Advertisement His marriage to Maria Dolores Rivero-Torres ended in divorce in 1980 after 11 years. No immediate family members survive. When asked how an inexperienced young man like him had been accepted into the prestigious Actors Studio, Mr. Baker was typically modest. 'I listened,' he said in a 1986 video interview. 'I did a scene with a girl, and she did most of the talking, so I listened. Come to find out, that's what you're supposed to do when you act is listen.' This article originally appeared in
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Joe Don Baker, Actor Known for 'GoldenEye' and 'Cape Fear', Dies at 89
Joe Don Baker, who appeared in three James Bond movies and films like The Natural and Cape Fear, died at 89 on Wednesday, May 7 Baker's family announced his death in an obituary published on Tuesday, May 13; he was married for 11 years and had no children The actor "is mourned by a small but very close circle of friends who will miss him eternally," his obituary readsJoe Don Baker, a Hollywood actor whose career spanned nearly five decades on the screen, has died. He was 89. Baker's family announced his death in an obituary published on on Tuesday, May 13; Baker died on Wednesday, May 7, according to the obituary. A cause of death was not immediately provided. "Joe Don was a beacon of kindness and generosity," one section of his obituary reads. "His intellectual curiosity made him a voracious reader, inspiring a great love of nature and animals, particularly cats. Throughout his life, Joe Don touched many lives with his warmth and compassion, leaving an indelible mark on everyone fortunate enough to know him." Baker was born on Feb. 12, 1936, and grew up in Texas. He graduated from North Texas State College in 1958 after receiving an athletic scholarship. After college, Baker served in the U.S. Army for two years and then moved to New York City, where he studied acting at the famed Actor's Studio and began performing on the stage, according to his obituary. Baker's onscreen career began in 1965, when he appeared on one episode of the television series Honey West; he first made an appearance in a feature film in 1967's classic Cool Hand Luke. Throughout his career, Baker notably appeared in three different James Bond movies — as a villain in 1987's The Living Daylights, opposite Timothy Dalton's Bond, and a CIA spy in 1995's GoldenEye and 1997's Tomorrow Never Dies, with Pierce Brosnan's 007 — in addition to movies like The Natural, Walking Tail and Martin Scorsese's Cape Fear. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "As we say goodbye to Joe Don, we hold onto the memories and the love he shared with us," his obituary reads. "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." Baker had not acted for the screen since he appeared in Matthew McConaughey's 2012 movie Mud. During his career, he received one nomination at the BAFTA Awards in 1986 for his work in the miniseries Edge of Darkness. According to Baker's obituary, he was married for 11 years and does not have any children. His funeral service will be held in Mission Hills, Calif., on Tuesday, May 20, at 10 a.m. local time. "He is survived by relations in his native Groesbeck, who will forever cherish his memory," Baker's obituary reads. "He is mourned by a small but very close circle of friends who will miss him eternally." Read the original article on People
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'60s teen idol Bobby Sherman diagnosed with stage 4 cancer
Bobby Sherman, famous as a teen idol singer and actor in the 1960s, has been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. Sherman's wife, Brigitte Poublon, confirmed the news to Fox News Digital. In a statement shared on Facebook, she addressed his "cherished fans," writing, "As many of you know, Bobby has been retired for some time and is no longer able to participate in cameos, sign autographs, or make appearances. Bobby Rydell, '60S Teen Idol And 'Bye Bye Birdie' Star, Dead At 79 "It is with a heavy heart that we share Bobby has recently been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. During this challenging time, we kindly ask for your understanding and respect for our privacy." Poublon concluded the statement, "Thank you so much for still remembering him. We really appreciate it." Read On The Fox News App Sherman began his career in Hollywood with appearances on episodes of "Honey West" and "The Monkees" before landing his breakout role in the 1968 Western series "Here Come the Brides." Click Here To Sign Up For The Entertainment Newsletter He also began a music career during that time with hit singles like "Little Woman," "Easy Come, Easy Go," "La La La" and "Julie, Do Ya Love Me." Throughout his career, he also appeared on shows like "Fantasy Island," "The Love Boat," and "Frasier," his last credited appearance in 1997. After an appearance on the TV show "Emergency!" in 1974, Sherman decided to change career paths and eventually leave entertainment to be a technical reserve police officer with the Los Angeles Police Department. Like What You're Reading? Click Here For More Entertainment News According to the Los Angeles Police Reserve Foundation's Facebook page, Sherman was also an EMT and, in 1999, was named LAPD Reserve Officer of the Year. Sherman was previously married to Patti Carnel, with whom he shares two sons. He married Poublon in 2010. Together, the couple began the Brigitte and Bobby Sherman Children's Foundation, which provides children in Ghana with education and article source: '60s teen idol Bobby Sherman diagnosed with stage 4 cancer
Fox News
28-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
'60s teen idol Bobby Sherman diagnosed with stage 4 cancer
Bobby Sherman, famous as a teen idol singer and actor in the 1960s, has been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. Sherman's wife, Brigitte Poublon, confirmed the news to Fox News Digital. In a statement shared on Facebook, she addressed his "cherished fans," writing, "As many of you know, Bobby has been retired for some time and is no longer able to participate in cameos, sign autographs, or make appearances. "It is with a heavy heart that we share Bobby has recently been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. During this challenging time, we kindly ask for your understanding and respect for our privacy." Poublon concluded the statement, "Thank you so much for still remembering him. We really appreciate it." Sherman began his career in Hollywood with appearances on episodes of "Honey West" and "The Monkees" before landing his breakout role in the 1968 Western series "Here Come the Brides." He also began a music career during that time with hit singles like "Little Woman," "Easy Come, Easy Go," "La La La" and "Julie, Do Ya Love Me." Throughout his career, he also appeared on shows like "Fantasy Island," "The Love Boat," and "Frasier," his last credited appearance in 1997. After an appearance on the TV show "Emergency!" in 1974, Sherman decided to change career paths and eventually leave entertainment to be a technical reserve police officer with the Los Angeles Police Department. According to the Los Angeles Police Reserve Foundation's Facebook page, Sherman was also an EMT and, in 1999, was named LAPD Reserve Officer of the Year. Sherman was previously married to Patti Carnel, with whom he shares two sons. He married Poublon in 2010. Together, the couple began the Brigitte and Bobby Sherman Children's Foundation, which provides children in Ghana with education and meals.
