Actor Joe Don Baker dies at 89
But his biggest claim to fame was as the former professional wrestler turned lawman Buford Pusser in 1973’s “Walking Tall.”
WASHINGTON — Actor Joe Don Baker, who starred as the rugged Sheriff Buford Pusser in the box office hit “Walking Tall,” has died at the age of 89, his family announced.
In an obituary posted online, Baker’s family remembered him as “a beacon of kindness and generosity.”
“Throughout his life, Joe Don touched many lives with his warmth and compassion, leaving an indelible mark on everyone fortunate enough to know him,” the obituary reads.
Baker first became a well-known public figure in 1972, when he starred in Sam Peckinpah’s “Junior Bonner,” followed by a role the next year as a mob hitman in “Charley Varrick.”
But his biggest claim to fame was as the former professional wrestler turned lawman Buford Pusser in 1973’s Walking Tall.
He also played in a number of James Bond flicks. First, Baker was the villainous arms dealer Brad Whitaker in 1987’s “The Living Daylights,” starring against Timothy Dolton as 007. He swapped sides to play CIA agent Jack Wade in 1995 and 1997 for “GoldenEye” and “Tomorrow Never Dies” alongside Pierce Brosnan.
Baker, who was born in Groesbeck, Texas, graduated from North Texas State College (now named the University of North Texas), obtaining a bachelor’s degree in business administration.,
But after a two-year stint in the U.S. Army, Baker swapped careers, studying acting in New York before moving to L.A. for his acting career.
Before retiring in 2012, Baker had roles in 57 films.
He was married from 1969 to 1980, but had no children.
“He is survived by relations in his native Groesbeck, who will forever cherish his memory,” his obituary reads. “He is mourned by a small but very close circle of friends who will miss him eternally.”