James Bond actor Joe Don Baker dies aged 89
He starred in three 007 films.
Three-time James Bond actor Joe Don Baker has died aged 89, his family have announced.
Baker played the franchise’s first American villain as smarmy arms trader Brad Whitaker in the 1987 film The Living Daylights with Timothy Dalton as 007.
He also played good guy CIA Agent Jack Wade in Pierce Brosnan’s first two outings as James Bond in GoldenEye in 1995 and Tomorrow Never Dies in 1997.
Baker died on May 7, his family stated in an obituary. No further details, including the cause of death, were given.
Rising to fame in the late 60s, Baker established himself as an action star with supporting roles in Westerns Guns of the Magnificent Seven and Wild Rovers.
His breakthrough role was real-life Tennessee Sheriff Buford Pusser in the 1973 movie Walking Tall. It told the story of Pusser becoming a lawman in McNairy County after a career as a professional wrestler.
Baker starred in three Bond films as both a villain and a good guy (Picture: Rex) He performed opposite both Dalton and Brosnan as 007 (Picture: Rex)That same year, Baker also starred as a mafia hitman in neo-noir crime film Charley Varrick, which helped cement his reputation as a Hollywood star and ‘tough guy’ character actor.
He followed Charley Varrick with a role in films including Mitchell, The Outfit, Golden Needles, Framed and Checkered Flag or Crashed, in which he starred opposite Susan Sarandon.
In 1984, Baker starred in the Oscar-nominated sports film The Natural alongside stars including Robert Redford, Glenn Close, Kim Basinger and Robert Duvall.
The following year, he played a police chief in the Chevy Chase comedy Fletch.
Baker gained a reputation in Hollywood for playing ‘tough guy’ characters (Picture: CBS via Getty Images)Baker’s credits in the 90s include romantic comedy Reality Bites, the first film directed by Ben Stiller, and the Martin Scorsese classic Cape Fear, along with Robert De Niro and Jessica Lange.
After starring in James Bond, Baker performed in films including The Dukes of Hazzard with Jessica Simpson and Strange Wilderness.
His last film credit is 2012 coming-of-age film Mud, which starred Matthew McConaughey and Reese Witherspoon. Baker also has a role in the upcoming western Cowboys from Hell.
Over on the small screen, Baker appeared in shows including Mission: Impossible in 1971, In the Heat of the Night in 1989, and The Cleaner in 2009.
Baker starred in multiple TV shows, including Mission: Impossible (Picture: CBS via Getty Images)For his portrayal of offbeat CIA agent Darius Jedburgh in the BBC series Edge of Darkness, he was nominated for a Bafta TV Award for best actor.
More to follow.
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