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Joe Don Baker, the actor known for starring in “Walking Tall” and three James Bond movies, has died. He was 89.
Baker died on May 7, according to an obituary shared by his family on Tuesday. No cause of death was announced.
“Joe Don was a beacon of kindness and generosity,” the obituary read. “His intellectual curiosity made him a voracious reader, inspiring a great love of nature and animals, particularly cats. Throughout his life, Joe Don touched many lives with his warmth and compassion, leaving an indelible mark on everyone fortunate enough to know him.”
“Walking Tall” star Joe Don Baker has died at the age of 89. (Everett Collection)
Born on Feb. 12, 1936, Baker spent his early years in Groesbeck, Texas, and attended North Texas State College. After graduating with a degree in business administration, he served in the U.S. Army for two years before moving to New York to pursue an acting career.
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According to his obituary, Baker studied at the Actors Studio and launched his career in theater before moving to Los Angeles. He made his onscreen debut in a 1965 episode of the crime drama “Honey West” and his first foray into film was an appearance in 1967’s “Cool Hand Luke.”
Baker went on to appear in dozens of TV shows and movies over his nearly five-decade career. He is best known for his starring role as Sheriff Buford Pusser in the hit 1973 crime thriller “Walking Tall.” He also appeared as a character actor in three different James Bond movies, including 1987’s “The Living Daylights” starring Thomas Dalton, 1995’s “GoldenEye” and 1997’s “Tomorrow Never Dies” opposite Pierce Brosnan.
Baker is pictured with Pierce Brosnan in 1997’s “Goldeneye.” (United Artists/Everett Collection)
The actor had other notable roles in “Mitchell,” “Charlie Varrick” “The Natural,” “Fletch,” “Mars Attacks!,” “Reality Bites” and Martin Scorsese’s “Cape Fear” remake.
On the small screen, Baker starred as the titular NYPD detective on the crime thriller series “Eischeid” and made appearances on shows including “Gunsmoke,” “Lancer,” “Edge of Darkness,” “Mission: Impossible” and “In the Heat of the Night.”
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Baker appeared in dozens of movies and TV shows over his nearly five-decade career. (CBS via)
Baker earned a BAFTA nomination for best actor for his performance in the British miniseries “Edge of Darkness.” The actor made his final on-screen appearance in 2012’s “Mud,” starring Matthew McConaughey, before retiring that year.
According to his obituary, Baker was married for 11 years but did not have children. His obituary noted that the actor is “survived by relations in his native Groesbeck, who will forever cherish his memory. He is mourned by a small but very close circle of friends who will miss him eternally.”
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The actor retired in 2012. (Jim Smeal/Ron Galella Collection via)
A funeral service for Baker will be held next Tuesday in Mission Hills, California.
“As we say goodbye to Joe Don, we hold onto the memories and the love he shared with us. Though he may no longer be with us in body, his spirit will always remain, a guiding light in the lives he touched. Rest in peace, Joe Don,” his obituary concluded. “You will be dearly missed but never forgotten.”
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