Joe Don Baker, the no-nonsense actor who shot to fame as vigilante sheriff Buford Pusser in Walking Tall and later crossed over into the James Bond franchise — as both villain and ally — has died at the age of 89.
A football talent
Joe Don Baker was one of those actors who never needed the spotlight to steal a scene. Whether he was swinging a bat in Walking Tall or trading lines with James Bond, he brought a gritty charm to every role he took on.
Over the course of his long career – which stretched all the way to his retirement in 2012 – Baker racked up 57 film credits, proving time and again that he was one of Hollywood’s most quietly dependable talents. Underrated? Absolutely. Unforgettable? Without a doubt.
Joe Don Baker on set of the movie “Mitchell” in 1975 / Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Born in 1936 in Groesbeck, Texas, Baker started out playing football at North Texas State and serving in the Army before taking a sharp left turn into acting. He moved to New York, joined the famed Actors Studio, and never looked back.
Two of Baer’s biggest role models were the rebellious Robert Mitchum — whom he later acted alongside in Cape Fear — and Spencer Tracy, both of whom deeply influenced his approach to acting.
How Walking Tall changed things
Baker’s breakout moment came in 1973 with Walking Tall, where he played a baseball-bat-wielding sheriff who fought for justice with his fists and a whole lot of grit. Walking Tall hit theaters with a gutsy ad campaign that challenged moviegoers: “When was the last time you stood up and applauded a movie?”
The film turned out to be an unexpected smash, winning over both critics and audiences, and it catapulted Joe Don Baker into the spotlight. According to Baker, the film didn’t just make waves in Hollywood; it stirred political change abroad as well.
”After it had a run in Thailand for six months, guess what? One hundred thousand students and farmers picked up sticks, pitchforks, and guns to overthrow the damn rip-off government,” he once claimed.
The rugged actor would go on to appear in over 50 films — including gritty crime flicks like Charley Varrick, cult classics like Mitchell, and major blockbusters like Cape Fear, Mars Attacks!, and Reality Bites. But for many fans, Baker will always be remembered for his unique distinction in the Bond universe.
Bond villain
In 1987, he starred as arms dealer Brad Whitaker opposite Timothy Dalton in The Living Daylights, becoming the first American to play a Bond villain.
Less than a decade later, he pulled off the rare feat of switching sides, popping up as CIA agent Jack Wade in both GoldenEye and Tomorrow Never Dies alongside Pierce Brosnan’s Bond.
In the TV world, Baker made waves too — most notably as CIA operative Darius Jedburgh in the critically acclaimed British miniseries Edge of Darkness, a performance that earned him a BAFTA nomination and cemented his international appeal.
Though often cast as a heavy, friends and fans remember him as thoughtful and kind. His obituary describes him as “a beacon of kindness and generosity,” adding that he had a deep love of nature, books, and especially cats.
“They don’t think big guys like us are romantic or anything, you know. Or we can’t play comedy or something,” Baker said in 1992 and continued: “You do the best you can as well as you can ’cause you want to be hired again. They like it so they hire you again.”
His last big-screen appearance came in 2012’s Mud, where he shared the screen with Matthew McConaughey and picked up the Robert Altman Award. After that, he quietly retired from acting.
Baker was married to Maria Dolores Rivero-Torres from 1969 until their divorce in 1980. They had no children, and he is survived by family members in his Texas hometown.
Cause of death
Joe Don Baker died of lung cancer at an assisted living facility in Los Angeles on May 7, 2025, at the age of 89, according to a former brother-in-law who spoke with The Washington Post.
Although his passing occurred earlier in the month, it wasn’t publicly announced until May 15.
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From dusty westerns to the slick world of MI6, Joe Don Baker carved out a career on his own terms — gruff, grounded, and unforgettable. RIP and thanks for all the memories!