Hollywood actor Joe Don Baker, best known for his roles in three James Bond films and the cult classic Walking Tall, died on May 7, 2025, at age 89, according to his family.
Baker played both villain and ally in the Bond franchise—portraying arms dealer Brad Whitaker in The Living Daylights (1987) and CIA agent Jack Wade in GoldenEye (1995) and Tomorrow Never Dies (1997). He was one of only three actors to play both friend and foe in the Bond universe.
Born in Groesbeck, Texas, on February 12, 1936, Baker was a college football player before serving in the Army and pursuing acting in New York at the Actor’s Studio. He made his Broadway debut in the 1960s and later appeared in TV series such as Gunsmoke and Mission: Impossible.
His breakout film role came as a tough sheriff in Walking Tall (1973). Over a career spanning decades, he starred in 57 films, including Mitchell, Charlie Varrick, and Mud, for which he won a Robert Altman Award. He also earned a BAFTA nomination for the British TV series Edge of Darkness and a nod for the miniseries George Wallace.
Baker retired in 2012. Known for his kindness, love of nature, and cats, he never had children and is survived by relatives in Texas and close friends.
A funeral will be held on May 20, 2025, at Utter McKinley Mortuary in Mission Hills, California.