Veteran actor Joe Don Baker, known for his roles in the James Bond franchise and the 1973 film Walking Tall, passed away on May 7, 2025, at the age of 89. His family confirmed his death.
Baker had a unique place in the James Bond universe, portraying both a villain, arms dealer Brad Whitaker, in The Living Daylights (1987), and a returning ally, CIA agent Jack Wade, in GoldenEye (1995) and Tomorrow Never Dies (1997). He was one of only three actors to appear as both an antagonist and a supporting character in the long-running spy series.
Born on February 12, 1936, in Groesbeck, Texas, Baker was a college football player before serving in the Army. He later moved to New York to pursue acting, studying at the prestigious Actors Studio. His career began on Broadway in the 1960s, followed by appearances in popular television shows like Gunsmoke and Mission: Impossible.
Baker’s breakout film role came as the tough, real-life sheriff Buford Pusser in Walking Tall. Over a career spanning several decades, he appeared in 57 films, including Mitchell, Charlie Varrick, and Mud, for which the cast received a Robert Altman Award. He also garnered critical acclaim for his television work, earning a BAFTA nomination for the British series Edge of Darkness and a nomination for the miniseries George Wallace.
Baker retired from acting in 2012. Remembered for his kindness and his love of nature and cats, he did not have children and is survived by relatives in Texas and close friends.
A funeral service is scheduled for May 20, 2025, at Utter McKinley Mortuary in Mission Hills, California.