Award-winning actor Joe Don Baker, who played a villain in three different James Bond movies, has passed away at the age of 89. Baker was born February 12, 1936, in Groesbeck, Texas. He died May 7, 2025.

Baker played CIA agent Jack Wade in Goldeneye (1995) and Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), both with Pierce Brosnan as 007. Years earlier, Baker played black market arms dealer Brad Whittaker in The Living Daylights (1987), with Timothy Dalton as Bond.

Although Venomous (2001) was Baker’s only sci-fi or horror film, two of his movies were featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000: Mitchell (1975) and Final Justice (2984)

Born and raised in Texas, Baker attended North Texas State College, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He earned an athletic scholarship to the school. After college, he proudly wore his country’s uniform, serving in the U.S. Army for two years. After he was honorably discharged from the army, Baker went to New York City where he studied at the Actors Studio. After being on stage a few times (notably in June Havoc’s Marathon ’33, Baker moved on to television and eventually in movies. Between his north Texas accent and his Texan-sized frame 6’3″, , he found work in western TV shows and movies.

Western roles

• Big Valley Tom Lightfoot, a Harvard-educated Indian
• Bonanza Luke Harper
• Guns of the Magnificent Seven (1969) Slater
• The Wild Rovers (1971) Paul Buckman
• Junior Bonner (1972) Curly Bonner
• The Shadow of Chikara (1977) Wishbone Cutter
• The High Chaparral Yuma
• Lancer Clovis Horner, and Day Pardee
• Gunsmoke Woody Stoner
• Iron Horse Johnson

Espionage Roles

• The Living Daylights Brad Whittaker
• Goldeneye and Tomorrow Never Dies Jack Wade
• Edge of Darkness Darius Jedburgh
• Mission: Impossible Frank Kearney

Other Roles

The tole that brought Joe Don Baker to national attention was Sheriff Buford Pusser in Walking Tall (1973). Throughout the Seventies and ighties, Baker had a busy career on television and in movies. He often played a tough guy with iffy, gray morals: sometimes cops, sometimes criminals. He played Alabama governor Jim Folsom in the made-for-TV movie George Wallace (1997) and the title role in the crime drama Mongo’s Back in Town (1971). In Charley Varrick (1973), Baker portrayed Molly, a Mafia hitman. Baker played “Walkaway” Madden, a race car driver in Checkered Flag or Crash (1977) He moved fluidly between starring roles and supporting roles, drama and comedy, and heroes and villains. He appeared in more crime movies and TV shows than any other genre, He starred in Framed (1977) as Ron Lewis. Baker starred in The NaturaL (1983) as “the Whammer,” a baseball player loosely based on Babe Rith. His television appearances included In the Heat of the Night, Honey West, Felony squad, Dukes of Hazzard and Mod Squad, One of Baker’s best-known movies was Cape Fear (1991).

Awards and Honors

• British Academy Television Award NOMINATED 1986 Best Actor for Edge of Darkness
• CableACE Awad NOMINATED 1997 Best Supporting Actor in a Movie or Mini-Series for George Wallace
• Independent Spirit Award WON 2014 Robert Altman Award for Mud
• Satellite Award 1998 NOMINATED Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Mini-Series or Television Film for George Wallace
• DVD Premiere Award 1002 NOMINATED Best Supporting Actor for Venomous

Baker’s family announced his death in an obituary published on Tuesday, May 13; he was married for 11 years and had no children. The actor is mourned by a small but very close circle of friends who will miss him eternally.

Baker was married to Marlo Baker from 1969 until 1980. Our condolences to hid friends and family, and of course his many fans. Thank you for your service, Joe Don Baker, and thank you for a half-century of great performances.