Joe Don Baker, Walking Tall and James Bond actor, passes away at 89

Hollywood actor Joe Don Baker, who was best known for his work in the 1973 film Walking Tall, passed away on May 7 at the age of 89, his family announced in an obituary. However, the cause of his death is not known yet.

Joe was born on February 12, 1936, in Groesbeck, Texas, USA. He went to Groesbeck High School and excelled in games like Football and Basketball. The actor made his debut with the television series 'Honey West' in 1965. The action crime drama film also features Anne Francis, John Ericson and Bruce in the lead roles. Joe rose to fame from the hit film 'Walking Tall' where he played the role of Buford Pusser. The action thriller film was directed by Phil Karlson and stars Joe Don Baker, Elizabeth Hartman and Leif Garrett in the pivotal roles. 

Joe was best known for his work in films like 'GoldenEye', 'The



Living Daylights', 'Congo' and 'Cape Fear'. He worked in three James Bond films, i,e, The Living Daylights, GoldenEye, and Tomorrow Never Dies. The actor was last seen in the 2012 film 'Mud', and in the same year, he took retirement from acting. 

According to his obituary, during his acting career, until his retirement in 2012, he featured in fifty-seven films, including his hit film 'Walking Tall', 'Mitchell' and others. 

In 2014, he won the Robert Altman Award for his performance in Jeff Nichols's directorial 'Mud'. He also earned a BAFTA TV nomination for Best Actor for his role in the 1985 television series 'Edge of Darkness'. 

According to the actor's obituary, he is survived by family in Groesbeck. A funeral service to honour Joe Don's life will be held in Mission Hills, California.