Joe Don Baker, star of 3 James Bond films and Walking Tall, dies aged 89
His family shared a statement calling him a "beacon of kindness and generosity".
Actor Joe Don Baker – best known for his lead role in 1973 film Walking Tall and for starring in three different James Bond films – has died at the age of 89.
Baker appeared in The Living Daylights as villain Brad Whittaker before returning to the world of 007 era in the Pierce Brosnan era, this time as CIA Agent Jack Wade in both GoldenEye and Tomorrow Never Dies.
In addition to those role and the aforementioned Walking Tall, other notable film credits from Baker's career included Charley Varrick, The Natural, Fletch, Cape Fear and Mars Attacks! and The Dukes of Hazzard.
Meanwhile, on the small screen he appeared in the 1985 BBC drama Edge of Darkness, a role which earned him a nomination for the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor.
His screen acting career first began on American TV in the mid-'60s and would go on to span five decades, with his final appearance coming in Jeff Nichols's 2012 drama Mud, starring Matthew McConaughey.
His death was announced in a statement by his family which described him as a "beacon of kindness and generosity".
It continued: "Throughout his life, Joe Don touched many lives with his warmth and compassion, leaving an indelible mark on everyone fortunate enough to know him.
"As we say goodbye to Joe Don, we hold onto the memories and the love he shared with us."
Following the news, a number of fans and admirers paid tribute on social media.
One fan wrote on X (formerly Twitter): "Woke up to the sad news of tough guy movie legend #JoeDonBaker's passing last week. If there was ever an actor who embodied that realistic working-class American badass archetype, Baker was the one. Rest easy, and go 'head on, good sir."
Another added: "Sad to hear the news of Joe Don Baker’s passing. Even though he played a villain in THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS, I’ll always remember him as Wade from GOLDENEYE & TOMORROW NEVER DIES. Charming, down-to-earth, always there when you needed him."
And actor and writer Rufus Jones praised Baker's work in Edge of Darkness, which he described as: "One of the greatest TV series ever made, that paved the way for the era of novelistic TV we now live in."
He continued: "British audiences had never really seen a performance like Joe Don Baker’s. Huge, utterly believable, loveable, terrifying. Bon Voyage, you great actor."
Authors
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.
