Joe Don Baker, a Hollywood veteran who first rose to fame as tough-talking Sheriff Buford Pusser in “Walking Tall,” has died, his family announced. He was 89.
The announcement of his May 7 death, published on Legacy.com by his family May 13, did not cite a cause.
A Texas native and army veteran, Baker infused a real-life sense of southern toughness into his roles. Studying at the Actor’s Studio in New York before traveling to Los Angeles to make it to the big screen, he guest spotted on a smattering of television shows before his big break came with “Walking Tall.”
The 1973 film, which chronicled the story of a Tennessee sheriff battling to save his hometown from corruption and vice, became an unexpected and overnight hit, propelling Baker to fame.
At 37, his not-yet-noticed acting prowess was suddenly gaining wide acclaim as critics across the country lauded the breakout star of the low-budget, if not thrilling, watch. Baker went on to play a host of characters on either side of the law − both detectives and cops, as well as troubled ex-cons and mafia men.
His roles were not limited to either side of the law enforcement equation, though. Across his almost 60 films, he portrayed several politicians as well as a star baseball player in Robert Redford’s “The Natural.”
Before his retirement in 2012, he made an indelible mark on the entertainment industry, famed not just for “Walking Tall” but also for “Charley Varrick,” in which he played a mafioso, and “Mitchell,” which saw him as a no-nonsense detective. Baker also starred in “Fletch” and became a “James Bond” regular, appearing in three 007 films.
Baker, who married Maria Dolores Rivero-Torres in 1969 before the pair divorced 11 years later, has no children.
“He is survived by relations in his native Groesbeck, who will forever cherish his memory. He is mourned by a small but very close circle of friends who will miss him eternally,” the obituary posted to Legacy.com reads.
“As we say goodbye to Joe Don, we hold onto the memories and the love he shared with us,” it continued. “Though he may no longer be with us in body, his spirit will always remain, a guiding light in the lives he touched. Rest in peace, Joe Don. You will be dearly missed but never forgotten.”
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