Actor Joe Don Baker Has Died

Prolific character actor Joe Don Baker, known for supporting roles across many films ranging from “Cape Fear” and “Walking Tall” to multiple James Bond film roles, has died. He was 89.

The actor’s family announced the news today and indicated that Baker passed away on May 7th. His cause of death was not revealed. Baker was known for action and drama roles, and more specifically, being able to play characters both tough and cheery.

His first big screen role was an uncredited appearance in 1967’s “Cool Hand Luke”. He followed that up with several westerns before breaking through playing real-life Tennessee Sheriff Buford Pusser in the original “Walking Tall” in 1973.

Baker played a famed baseball player in “The Natural,” a corrupt police chief in “Fletch,” a brutish detective in “Mitchell,” a sadistic contract killer in “Charley Varrick,” a morally dubious P.I. in “Cape Fear,” a telecom company owner in “Congo,” a small town governor in “The Dukes of Hazzard” movie, and as ‘King’ in “Mud”.

He was well known to James Bond fans. The actor played the arms dealing lead villain Brad Whitaker in the Timothy Dalton-led “The Living Daylights,” and appeared in the role of CIA agent Jack Wade in Pierce Brosnan’s first two Bond films “Goldeneye” and “Tomorrow Never Dies”.

Other film roles include “The Outfit,” “Junior Bonner,” “Welcome Home Soldier Boys,” “Framed,” “Golden Needles,” “Final Justice,” “Joysticks,” “The Shadow of Chikara,” “Getting Even,” “Reality Bites,” “The Distinguished Gentleman,” “Leonard Part 6,” “Mars Attacks,” “Joe Dirt”, and “Strange Wilderness”.

On TV, he scored a British TV award nomination for his work in Martin Campbell’s acclaimed mini-series “Edge of Darkness,” and several awards nominations for his supporting work as Big Jim Folsom in the telemovie “George Wallace”. Other TV credits include “In the Heat of the Night,” “The Streets of San Francisco,” “Ironside,” “Mission: Impossible,” “Mod Squad,” “Lancer,” “Gunsmoke,” Bonanza,” “Eischied,” “Citizen Cohn,” and “The Cleaner”.

Our sincerest condolences go out to his family, friends and fans.

Source: Yahoo

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