Joe Don Baker, an actor who starred in the James Bond series, has sadly passed away at the age of 89.
Baker died on May 7, his family confirmed. The cause of death was not disclosed, per the Independent.
Standing six-foot-three with a presence as powerful as his performances, Baker built a decades-long career playing hardened characters on both sides of the law.
He first made waves in Westerns like Guns of the Magnificent Seven (1969) and Wild Rovers (1971), but it was his breakout role as real-life Tennessee Sheriff Buford Pusser in Walking Tall (1973) that launched him into stardom.
The film became an unexpected box office hit and cemented Baker's status as Hollywood's go-to for no-nonsense lawmen.
But it was his dual role in the James Bond universe that really made him a fan favorite.
Baker became arguably the first American Bond villain when he played shady arms dealer Brad Whitaker in The Living Daylights (1987), squaring off against Timothy Dalton’s 007.
Then he pulled off the rare Bondverse comeback, reappearing as CIA agent Jack Wade opposite Pierce Brosnan in both GoldenEye (1995) and Tomorrow Never Dies (1997).
Born on February 12, 1936, in Groesbeck, Texas, Baker faced hardship early. He lost his mother at age 12 and was raised by his aunt.
He studied business at North Texas State College (now the University of North Texas), where he also played linebacker. After graduating in 1958, he served two years in the U.S. Army before shifting gears and studying acting at New York’s famed Actors Studio.
From there, it was a grind in TV Westerns before scoring a major role alongside Steve McQueen in Junior Bonner (1972). His big break followed soon after, and the rest is movie history.
In 1985, Baker won critical acclaim for his turn as CIA agent Darius Jedburgh in the BBC miniseries Edge of Darkness, directed by future Bond director Martin Campbell.
The role earned him a BAFTA TV Award nomination for Best Actor. “I could have done that all my life, I think, or at least for years and been happy,” he once said of the experience.
Baker didn’t slow down, with standout roles including a private detective in Martin Scorsese’s Cape Fear (1991), an alcoholic military vet in A&E’s The Cleaner (2009), and King in Mud (2012) alongside Matthew McConaughey.
He officially retired from acting in 2012, capping off a career that spanned nearly 50 years and more than 50 films.
Off screen, Baker was married to Maria Dolores Rivero-Torres from 1969 to 1980. They had no children.
“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.
“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.”