The stern actor Joe Don Baker, who rose to prominence in Walking Tall as vigilante sheriff Buford Pusser before appearing as both an ally and a villain in the James Bond films, passed away at the age of 89.
A gifted football player
One of the actors who never required the limelight to steal a scene was Joe Don Baker. He added a gritty charm to every character he played, whether it was trading lines with James Bond or hitting a bat in Walking Tall.
Throughout his lengthy career, which lasted until his retirement in 2012, Baker amassed 57 picture credits, repeatedly demonstrating his status as one of Hollywood’s most quietly reliable talents. Underappreciated? Of course. Not to be forgotten? Definitely.
Baker, who was born in Groesbeck, Texas, in 1936, began his career as an Army soldier and football player at North Texas State before making a dramatic shift to acting. He never looked back after relocating to New York and joining the renowned Actors Studio.
Baer’s style to acting was greatly impacted by two of his greatest role models: Spencer Tracy and the rebellious Robert Mitchum, with whom he subsequently costarred in Cape Fear.
How Things Were Changed by Walking Tall
Baker’s breakthrough performance was in Walking Tall (1973), in which he portrayed a sheriff with a baseball bat who used his fists and a lot of grit to fight for justice.In its bold advertising campaign, Walking Tall asked viewers, “When was the last time you stood up and applauded a movie?”
Both critics and viewers praised the film, which became an unexpected hit and thrust Joe Don Baker into the public eye. Baker claims that the movie not only caused a sensation in Hollywood but also sparked political change elsewhere.
Guess what happened after it ran for six months in Thailand? He once asserted, “One hundred thousand farmers and students grabbed guns, pitchforks, and sticks to topple the damn rip-off government.”
The tough actor would go on to star in more than 50 movies, including big blockbusters like Cape Fear, Mars Attacks!, and Reality Bites, as well as gritty crime films like Charley Varrick and cult favorites like Mitchell. However, a lot of fans will never forget Baker’s special place in the Bond universe.
Bond antagonist
He became the first American to play a Bond villain in 1987 when he played armaments dealer Brad Whitaker alongside Timothy Dalton in The Living Daylights.
He accomplished the uncommon accomplishment of switching sides less than ten years later, appearing alongside Pierce Brosnan’s Bond as CIA operative Jack Wade in Golden Eyes and Tomorrow Never Dies.
Baker also made waves in the TV industry, most notably for his role as CIA agent Darius Jedburgh in the highly regarded British miniseries Edge of Darkness, which solidified his appeal on a global scale and won him a BAFTA nomination.
Friends and admirers recall him as considerate and compassionate, despite the fact that he is frequently portrayed as a heavy. He was “a beacon of kindness and generosity,” according to his obituary, which also notes that he loved reading, the outdoors, and cats in particular.
You know, they don’t believe that large people like us are romantic or anything. In 1992, Baker stated, “You do the best you can as you can ’cause you want to be hired again,” adding, “Or we can’t play comedy or something.” They rehire you because they enjoy it.
His final big-screen appearance was in the 2012 film Mud, where he received the Robert Altman Award and appeared on screen alongside Matthew McConaughey. He then quietly stopped performing.
From 1969 until their 1980 divorce, Baker was wed to Maria Dolores Rivero-Torres. He is survived by relatives in his hometown of Texas, and they did not have any children.
Reason for death
A former brother-in-law told The Washington Post that Joe Don Baker passed away on May 7, 2025, at the age of 89, from lung cancer at an assisted living home in Los Angeles.
Even though he passed away earlier this month, it wasn’t made public until May 15.
From gritty, grounded, and unforgettable, Joe Don Baker forged a career on his own terms, from dusty westerns to the glamorous world of MI6. Thank you for all the memories, and rest in peace!
