Joe Don Baker dies aged 89
Joe Don Baker's film credits include GoldenEye, Cape Fear and The Dukes of Hazzard.
NEWS
17 min
Newsdesk
James Bond actor Joe Don Baker has passed away at the age of 89.
The screen star's family announced on Thursday that Baker died on 7 May. They did not divulge his cause of death.
Throughout his career, Baker was best known for playing "tough guy" characters on both sides of the law.
He made his Bond debut as the villainous arms dealer Brad Whitaker in 1987's The Living Daylights, starring Timothy Dalton in the lead role, and later returned as a CIA agent named Jack Wade in 1995's GoldenEye and 1997's Tomorrow Never Dies, starring Pierce Brosnan as 007.
Baker is also well known for playing offbeat CIA agent Darius Jedburgh in the 1985 BBC television series Edge of Darkness, for which he was nominated for a Best Actor BAFTA TV Award.
He also starred in films including Walking Tall, Charley Varrick, Mitchell, Fletch, Cape Fear, Mars Attacks!, The Dukes of Hazzard and Reality Bites.
Baker made his last on-screen appearance in 2012's Mud alongside Matthew McConaughey, Sam Shepard and Reese Witherspoon. The cast and crew were honoured with the Robert Altman Award for the film at the Independent Spirit Awards.
He was married to Maria Dolores Rivero-Torres from 1969 to 1980.
His funeral service will be held in Mission Hills, California on Tuesday.