Actor Joe Don Baker Dies Age 89

Joe Don Baker, renowned for his tough-guy roles and iconic portrayal of Sheriff Buford Pusser in the cult classic vigilante film Walking Tall, has died at the age of 89. Baker's career, spanning from the 1960s, included significant roles in films such as Charley Varrick, The Natural, Fletch, and Martin Scorsese's Cape Fear, as well as notable television appearances. He is uniquely remembered in the James Bond franchise for playing two distinct characters: the villainous arms dealer Brad Whitaker in The Living Daylights and CIA agent Jack Wade in GoldenEye and Tomorrow Never Dies. Walking Tall, a major box-office success, resonated deeply in the early 1970s as a vigilante narrative during a time of political unrest, with Baker himself acknowledging the film's cultural impact. His final film appearance was in 2012's Mud, and he received critical acclaim for his role as Alabama governor Jim Folsom in the TNT miniseries George Wallace. Baker's family announced his death on May 7, and his funeral is scheduled in Mission Hills, California.