Joe Don Baker
Biography
Joe Don Baker (February 12, 1936 - May 7, 2025) was an American film actor, perhaps best known for his roles as a Mafia hitman in Charley Varrick, real-life Tennessee sheriff Buford Pusser in Walking Tall, James Bond villain Brad Whitaker in The Living Daylights, and CIA agent Jack Wade in the James Bond films GoldenEye and Tomorrow Never Dies.
Gallery
Known For
Acting History
2013
Mud as King
2008Strange Wilderness as Bill Calhoun
2007The 50 Greatest Television Dramas as Self
2005The Dukes of Hazzard as Governor Jim Applewhite
2004Sam Peckinpah's West: Legacy of a Hollywood Renegade as Self (archive footage)
2003The Commission as Rep. Hale Boggs
2001Joe Dirt as Don, Brandy's Dad (uncredited)
2001Vegas, City of Dreams as Dylan Garrett
2000Inside 'The Living Daylights' as Self
2000Inside The Living Daylights as Self
1999Too Rich: The Secret Life of Doris Duke as Buck Duke
1998Poodle Springs as P.J. Parker
1997Tomorrow Never Dies as Wade
1997George Wallace as Big Jim Folsom
1997George Wallace as Big Jim Folsom
1997To Dance with Olivia as Horace
1996Mars Attacks! as Glenn Norris
1996The Grass Harp as Sheriff Junius Candle
1996The Siege at Ruby Ridge as Gerry Spence
1995GoldenEye as Jack Wade
1995Congo as R.B. Travis
1995Panther as Brimmer
1995The Underneath as Clay Hinkle
1994Felony as Donovan
1994Ring of Steel as Man in Black
1994Reality Bites as Tom Pierce
1993Complex of Fear as Det. Frank Farrel
1992The Distinguished Gentleman as Olaf Andersen
1992Citizen Cohn as Sen. Joseph McCarthy
1991Cape Fear as Claude Kersek
1990The Children as Cliffe Wheater
1989Criminal Law as Detective Mesel
1989Defrosting the Fridge as Hunter McCall
1987Leonard Part 6 as Snyderburn
1987The Killing Time as Carl Cunningham
1987The Living Daylights as Brad Whitaker
1987Abduction as Sheriff Onstad
1986Getting Even as King R. Kenderson
1985Edge of Darkness as Darius Jedburgh
1985Fletch as Chief Jerry Karlin
1984Final Justice as Geronimo
1984The Natural as The Whammer
1983Joysticks as Joseph Rutter
1982Wacko as Dick Harbinger
1980Power as Tommy Vanda
1979Eischied as Earl Eischied
1978To Kill a Cop as Chief Earl M. Eischied
1978To Kill a Cop as Chief Earl Eischied
1977The Pack as Jerry
1977Speedtrap as Pete Novick
1977The Shadow of Chikara as Wishbone Cutter
1977Checkered Flag or Crash as Walkaway Madden
1975Mitchell as Mitchell
1975Framed as Ron Lewis
1974Golden Needles as Dan Mason
1973The Outfit as Jack Cody
1973Doc Elliot as Aaron Hickey
1973Charley Varrick as Molly
1973Walking Tall as Buford Pusser
1972That Certain Summer as Phil Bonner
1972Junior Bonner as Curly Bonner
1972The Valachi Papers as Irish member of Valachi gang (uncredited)
1971Mongo's Back in Town as Mongo Nash
1971Welcome Home, Soldier Boys as Danny
1971Wild Rovers as Paul Buckman
1970Adam at Six A.M. as Harvey Gavin
1969Guns of the Magnificent Seven as Slater
1968Lancer
1968The Mod Squad
1968The Outsider as Billy Joe Corey
1967Cool Hand Luke as Fixer
1967The High Chaparral as Yuma
1967Judd for the Defense
1967Ironside
1966Mission: Impossible
1966Felony Squad
1965The F.B.I. as Alex Drake
1965Honey West as Rocky Hansen
1965The Big Valley as Tom Lightfoot
1959Bonanza as Luke Harper
1955Gunsmoke as Woody Stoner
1955Gunsmoke as Tom Butler