'Walking Tall' and three-time James Bond star Joe Don Baker dies aged 89

Celebrated American character Joe Don Baker has died astatine nan property of 89.

A origin of decease has not been disclosed.  

Best known for his domiciled arsenic nan justice-seeking sheriff Buford Pusser successful nan 1973 vigilante movie Walking Tall, Joe Don Baker leaves down him a lasting bequest of surface roles. 

The precocious actor’s obituary reads: “Joe Don was a beacon of kindness and generosity. His intelligence curiosity made him a voracious reader, inspiring a awesome emotion of quality and animals, peculiarly cats. Throughout his life, Joe Don touched galore lives pinch his warmth and compassion, leaving an indelible people connected everyone fortunate capable to cognize him.” 

Born connected 12 February 1936 successful Groesbeck, Texas, Baker played shot for North Texas State College and, upon graduating successful 1959, served a two-year stint successful nan Army before moving to New York City to study acting astatine nan Actor’s Studio.  

He would stay a lifelong personnel of nan famed organization. 

During his agelong career, until his status successful 2012, he performed successful 57 movies, starring successful Walking Tall, Mitchell and his past movie domiciled successful Jeff Nichols’ acclaimed coming-of-age drama, besides starring Matthew McConaughey, Mud – for which he won nan Robert Altman Award.

He besides appeared successful Martin Scorsese’s Cape Fear, Tim Burton’s Mars Attacks! and performed successful galore tv productions, including a starring domiciled successful nan celebrated bid Eischied, Mission: Impossible, Gunsmoke, and successful nan acclaimed British tv accumulation of Edge of Darkness, which earned him a Best Actor information from nan British Academy of Television. 

Many movie fans will retrieve Joe Don Baker for appearing successful not 1 but 3 James Bond films of nan 1980s and 90s.

He played nan villainous Brad Whitaker successful The Living Daylights (1987) other Timothy Dalton arsenic James Bond – earning nan favoritism of being nan first American Bond villain. He past switched sides by playing 007’s CIA state Jack Wade successful both GoldenEye (1995) and Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), other Pierce Brosnan arsenic Bond.  

Joe Don Baker was joined to Maria Dolores Rivero-Torres from 1969 until their 1980 divorce. They did not person children and he is survived by relatives successful Groesbeck.