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Newsweek
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
James Bond' Villain and Star of 'Walking Tall' Dead at 89
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. He was once a Bond villain—and later, a Bond ally. Joe Don Baker, an actor whose gravel-voiced authority and range made him a fixture in espionage thrillers, crime dramas, and television procedurals, has died at the age of 89. No cause was disclosed. Baker left a lasting impression on the James Bond franchise with his dual roles across two different eras of the series. In The Living Daylights (1987), he appeared as arms dealer Brad Whitaker, a power-hungry antagonist battling Timothy Dalton's Bond. Nearly a decade later, he returned in a very different capacity—as Jack Wade, a rumpled, cigar-chomping CIA agent who lent his support to Pierce Brosnan's Bond in GoldenEye (1995) and Tomorrow Never Dies (1997). As Deadline noted, it's a rare distinction to appear in the Bond canon as both a foe and friend of 007. Before his Bond appearances, Baker rose to national prominence with a lead role in Walking Tall (1973). He portrayed Buford Pusser, a former wrestler turned small-town sheriff who wages war on crime and corruption in rural Tennessee. The film, based loosely on a true story, was a box office hit and tapped into a cultural moment of rising skepticism toward government and institutions. Although he declined to participate in the sequels, the role became one of the most defining of his career. Joe Don Baker Circa 1980's Joe Don Baker Circa 1980's Ralph Dominguez/MediaPunch Born in Groesbeck, Texas, in 1936, Baker studied at the University of North Texas before continuing his training at the Actors Studio in New York. His early work included appearances on television shows such as The Big Valley and Mod Squad. He went on to play supporting roles in films including Guns of the Magnificent Seven (1969) and Don Siegel's Charley Varrick (1973), where his portrayal of a menacing hit man earned critical notice. His career spanned several decades and genres. He played a baseball team owner in The Natural (1984), a private investigator in Martin Scorsese's Cape Fear (1991), and a disillusioned father in Reality Bites (1994). On the small screen, he was a frequent guest star in crime and action series including Murder, She Wrote, Walker, Texas Ranger, and In the Heat of the Night. Though never a conventional leading man, Baker was valued in the industry for his consistency and screen presence. He was an actor with the ability to dominate a scene without overshadowing it. He retired from acting in the early 2000s and kept a low profile in later years. Baker died on May 7 and a funeral service is due to be held on May 20, 2025, at Utter McKinley Mortuary, Mission Hills, California, according to an obituary published on the website Legacy. "Joe Don's 11-year marriage produced no offspring. He is survived by relations in his native Groesbeck, who will forever cherish his memory. He is mourned by a small but very close circle of friends who will miss him eternally," said the tribute.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Joe Don Baker, star of 'Walking Tall 'and the James Bond films 'Tomorrow Never Dies and GoldenEye,' dies at 89
Actor Joe Don Baker, best known for his role as Sheriff Buford Pusser in the unexpected 1973 box-office hit Walking Tall, died May 7, his family announced. He was 89. Baker's death was shared in an obituary, in which he is mourned by his "small but very close circle of friends who will miss him eternally." No cause of death was provided. Entertainment Weekly has reached out to the actor's reps for additional comment. "Joe Don was a beacon of kindness and generosity. 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," his obituary reads. As remembered by his community, the Texas-born Baker was a college athlete before serving two years in the U.S. Army, and subsequently moving to New York to study at the Actor's Studio. The actor began his career with bit parts in movies and television — mostly westerns such as The Big Valley (1965-1969), Bonanza (1959-1973), Guns of the Magnificent Seven (1969), and Wild Rovers (1971) — before garnering mainstream attention with his supporting role alongside Steve McQueen in Sam Peckinpah's Junior Bonner (1972). It was a year later that Baker scored his breakthrough role as real-life Tennessee wrestler-turned-sheriff Buford Pusser in Walking Tall. Baker became known for his "tough guy" characters who walked on either side of the law, whether they were a rugged lawman or an intimidating villain. His ability to bounce between the two was most notably apparent in his appearance in three James Bond films in which he played two different characters on both sides of the law. He first portrayed villainous arms dealer Brad Whitaker in The Living Daylights, which starred Timothy Dalton in 1987. Baker returned to the franchise in 1995's GoldenEye and 1997's Tomorrow Never Dies as Pierce Brosnan's CIA associate Jack Wade. Baker would go on to appear in films like Martin Scorsese's Cape Fear, Congo, Mars Attacks!, Joe Dirt, and The Dukes of Hazzard. His last big-screen role was in the 2012 film Mud, before he retired from acting after performing in 57 movies, according to his obituary. "As we say goodbye to Joe Don, we hold onto the memories and the love he shared with us," the obituary concludes. "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." Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
