Walking Tall actor Joe Don Baker has died, aged 89.
Baker died on May 7, according to a public obituary page shared by his family. A cause of death has not been revealed. According to his obituary, a funeral service will be held on May 20, and will be private to friends and family.
Joe Don Baker was best known for his role as Sheriff Buford Pusser in 1973’s Walking Tall, as well as two separate roles across three James Bond films. He first joined the 007 franchise as Brad Whitaker in The Living Daylights opposite Timothy Dalton, and later starred as Jack Wade in GoldenEye and Tomorrow Never Dies alongside Pierce Brosnan.
Baker was also celebrated for his performances in films such as Cool Hand Luke, Charley Varrick, The Outfit, Mitchell, Cape Fear, The Distinguished Gentleman, Congo, Mars Attacks! and The Dukes of Hazzard. His last film role was in 2012’s Mud.
He got his break in acting through several TV appearances in shows like Honey West and Iron Horse before transitioning into film. He would return to TV occasionally for roles in Gunsmoke, Lancer, Eischied, In The Heat of the Night and more. His most prominent TV role was as Darius Jedburgh in the acclaimed mini-series Edge of Darkness, for which he was nominated for the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor.
Joe Don Baker was married to Maria Dolores Rivero-Torres from 1969 until their 1980 divorce and is survived by relatives in Groesbeck.
The official James Bond account on X (formerly Twitter) has paid tribute to the late Joe Don Baker following news of his death. They wrote: “We are really sad to hear of the passing of Joe Don Baker at the age of 89. The Texan actor played villain Brad Whitaker in THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS and CIA agent Jack Wade in GOLDENEYE and TOMORROW NEVER DIES.”
We are really sad to hear of the passing of Joe Don Baker at the age of 89. The Texan actor played villain Brad Whitaker in THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS and CIA agent Jack Wade in GOLDENEYE and TOMORROW NEVER DIES. pic.twitter.com/Fop4Kb1IGd
— James Bond (@007) May 15, 2025
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