Joe Don Baker is an American character actor and a life member of the Actors Studio, known
for iconic roles as a Mafia hitman in Charley Varrick, deputy sheriff Thomas Jefferson Geronimo
III in Final Justice, real-life Tennessee Sheriff Buford Pusser in Walking Tall, brute-force-with-a-badge
detective Mitchell in Mitchell, James Bond villain Brad Whitaker in The Living Daylights,
CIA Agent Jack Wade in the James Bond films GoldenEye and Tomorrow Never Dies, NYPD Chief
of Detectives Earl Eischied in the television police drama Eischied, and his BAFTA-nominated
performance in Edge of Darkness.
Life and career Baker was born in Groesbeck, Texas, the son
of Edna and Doyle Charles Baker.
He attended the University of North Texas.
In 1964 he appeared on stage in Marathon '33 at the ANTA Theatre in New York City.
His career had its roots in television, though he did appear in several movies, including
part in the 1967 film Cool Hand Luke.
He appeared in many television series, graduating to featured guest roles in such series as
The Big Valley and Mod Squad.
He was the title character in the 1971 TV movie Mongo's Back in Town, starring Telly
Savalas.
Physically impressive at nearly 6'3" tall, he was a natural for Westerns, both on the
big and little screens.
While working regularly on television on top shows like Bonanza and Gunsmoke, he appeared
in supporting roles in such films Guns of the Magnificent Seven and Blake Edwards' Wild
Rovers, but his film career didn't start to quicken until he scored the role of Steve
McQueen's younger brother in Sam Peckinpah's Junior Bonner, a film about a contemporary
rodeo cowboy, which was released in late 1972.
His breakthrough came with the 1973 film Walking Tall, directed by Phil Karlson.
Released in February as a regional exploitation picture, Walking Tall clicked with audiences
and became an unexpected hit, picked up for national distribution with a new TV ad campaign
using the slogan, "When was the last time you stood up and applauded a movie?"
The film eventually racked up $23 million at the box office.
Baker's performance was praised by Pauline Kael, but he turned down the sequel.
Later that year, his work in Charley Varrick helped solidify Baker's reputation.
He was praised for a courageous and offbeat portrait of the sadistic hitman Molly.
Baker was offered a cameo in the remake, but declined the offer.
He starred in the 1974 adventure film Golden Needles.
Baker has given many outstanding performances in a career spanning four decades.
In 1980, he became the first actor to receive $1,000,000 to star in a television series,
the short-lived Eischeid.
He was "The Whammer," a baseball player modeled after Babe Ruth, in the 1984 baseball drama
The Natural that starred Robert Redford.
In a scene, the Whammer takes three swings at pitches from the young Roy Hobbs to try
to impress a mysterious woman they have met on a train.
In 1985, he portrayed the corrupt Chief Jerry Karlin in Fletch.
In the UK, he played CIA agent Darius Jedburgh in the BBC Television drama serial Edge of
Darkness.
He was nominated for "Best Actor" by the British Academy Television Awards, losing to his co-star
Bob Peck.
Martin Scorsese directed him as a private detective in 1991's Cape Fear, hired by a
man whose family is being threatened by a psychopathic ex-convict.
While actor Carroll O'Connor was undergoing heart bypass surgery, Baker took his place
on the television series In the Heat of the Night.
Baker appeared as Captain Tom Dugan, a retired police captain who filled in while O'Connor's
character was away at a police convention.
More recently, he has had appearances in Joe Dirt, The Dukes of Hazzard and Strange Wilderness.
Baker played "King" in 2012's Mud with Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon and Sam Shepard.
James Bond series In 1987, Baker got the role of the villain
Brad Whitaker in the Bond film The Living Daylights, starring Timothy Dalton as 007.
In 1995 and 1997 Baker returned to the series, this time playing a different character, CIA
agent Jack Wade, in GoldenEye and Tomorrow Never Dies with Pierce Brosnan as Bond.
Baker is one of three actors to appear as both a Bond ally and a villain.
The others being Charles Gray who appeared as Henderson in You Only Live Twice and as
Blofeld in Diamonds Are Forever, and Walter Gotell who appeared as Morzeny, the Spectre
Island trainer, in From Russia with Love and as General Gogol, the head of the KGB, in
six films between 1977 and 1987.
The character of Wade is similar to that of CIA agent Darius Jedburgh, played by Baker
in the 1985 serial Edge of Darkness.
This serial was directed by Martin Campbell and considered by several critics to be his
best work.
Campbell also cast Baker as Wade in GoldenEye.
In 2009, Baker delivered another performance in The Cleaner on A&E, playing an alcoholic
military veteran attempting to help a friend cope with the loss of his son.
He hires William Banks to help him start back down the road to sobriety.
Filmography Honey West episode 15 "Rockabye the Hard Way"
as truckdriver Rocky Hansen Cool Hand Luke
Guns of the Magnificent Seven Adam at 6 AM
That Certain Summer Junior Bonner
"Welcome Home, Soldier Boys" Charley Varrick
Walking Tall The Outfit
Golden Needles Mitchell — also a Mystery Science Theater
3000 episode Framed
The Pack Speedtrap
Checkered Flag or Crash Eischeid
Joysticks Final Justice — also a Mystery Science Theater
3000 episode The Natural
Fletch Edge of Darkness
The Killing Time Leonard Part 6
The Living Daylights Criminal Law
Cape Fear The Distinguished Gentleman
Citizen Cohn Reality Bites
Congo GoldenEye
Panther The Grass Harp
Underneath Mars Attacks!
Tomorrow Never Dies George Wallace
Poodle Springs Vegas, City of Dreams
Joe Dirt The Commission
The Dukes of Hazzard Strange Wilderness
The Cleaner Mud
References
External links Joe Don Baker at the Internet Movie Database
Joe Don Baker at AllMovie Joe Don Baker at the University of Wisconsin's
Actors Studio audio collection Joe Don Baker fansite at the Wayback Machine
Joe Don Baker Tribute