Joe Don Baker

Last updated
Joe Don Baker
Born (1936-02-12) February 12, 1936 (age 88)
Groesbeck, Texas, U.S.
EducationNorth Texas State (now University of North Texas)
OccupationActor
Years active1964–2012
Spouse
Marlo Baker
​
​
(m. 1969;div. 1980)​

Joe Don Baker (born February 12, 1936) is an American retired actor, known for playing "tough guy" characters on both sides of the law. [1] He established himself as an action star with supporting roles the Westerns in Guns of the Magnificent Seven (1969) and Wild Rovers (1971), before his breakthrough role as real-life Tennessee Sheriff Buford Pusser in the film Walking Tall (1973).

Contents

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Baker found success playing both leading and supporting roles, including a mafia hitman in Charley Varrick (1973), a brute force detective in Mitchell (1975), a legendary baseball player in The Natural (1984), a police chief in the Chevy Chase comedy Fletch (1985), and a morally-dubious private investigator in Martin Scorsese's Cape Fear (1991). He played both a villain and an ally in three James Bond films: as Brad Whitaker in The Living Daylights (1987) with Timothy Dalton, and as CIA agent Jack Wade in GoldenEye (1995) and Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) with Pierce Brosnan.

For his portrayal of offbeat CIA agent Darius Jedburgh in the BBC television serial Edge of Darkness (1985), he was nominated for a BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor. He was also nominated for a Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor for playing Alabama governor Big Jim Folsom in the made-for-television film George Wallace (1997).

Early life and education

Baker was born in Groesbeck, Texas, the son of Edna (née McDonald) and Doyle Charles Baker. He was raised by his aunt Anna Thompson after the death of his mother at age 12. [2] He played basketball and football (as linebacker and co-captain) at Groesbeck High School, [2] and attended North Texas State College in Denton on a sports scholarship, where he was a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. [3] He graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in 1958. [4]

After serving in the United States Army for two years, [5] Baker moved to New York City to study at the Actors Studio, of which he is a life member. [6] He cited Robert Mitchum (whom he'd work with in Cape Fear) and Spencer Tracy as his inspirations.

Career

Early roles

During the 1963–64 Broadway season, he appeared on stage in Marathon '33 at the ANTA Theatre in New York City. [7] His career had its roots in television, though he did appear in several movies, including an uncredited part in the 1967 film Cool Hand Luke . [8] He appeared in many television series, graduating to featured guest roles in such series as The Big Valley (in which he played a Harvard-educated Native American with a penchant for fighting) and Mod Squad (where he appeared as an illiterate vending machine robber). He was the title character in the 1971 TV movie Mongo's Back in Town , starring Telly Savalas.

Standing at 6'2" tall (189 cm), Baker's physical prowess and stereotypical Texas drawl would prove perfect in Westerns, both on film and television. While working regularly on television on shows such as Bonanza and Gunsmoke , he appeared in supporting roles in such films Guns of the Magnificent Seven (1969) and Blake Edwards' Wild Rovers , but his film career did not 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.

Lancer

Baker appeared in the pilot episode of 1968's Lancer , titled "The High Riders", as the main villain, "Day Pardee". This role was later fictionalized in Quentin Tarantino's 2019 film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood —changed to 'Decoteau' and played by Leonardo DiCaprio as Rick Dalton. He went on to appear in a later episode as Clovis Horner in 1970.

Walking Tall and stardom

His breakthrough came with the 1973 film Walking Tall , directed by Phil Karlson. [9] [10] He starred in the filmmaker's final work, Framed , two years later. Released in February as a regional exploitation picture, Walking Tall connected with audiences and became an unexpected hit, circulating 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 earned $23 million at the box office. His performance was praised by influential film critic Pauline Kael, but he decided not to star in the sequel.

Later that year, his work in Charley Varrick helped solidify Baker's reputation. He also co-starred with Robert Duvall in the 1973 crime film The Outfit and starred in the 1974 adventure film Golden Needles . In 1977 he had leading roles in Checkered Flag or Crash opposite Susan Sarandon and The Shadow of Chikara with Ted Neeley and Sondra Locke.

On April 10, 1978, the two part television program To Kill a Cop premiered. In it Baker is paired with Louis Gossett Jr. as police detective. [11] Baker co-starred with Karen Black in the miniseries Power (1980), a scarcely-disguised story of labor leader Jimmy Hoffa.

Baker played the Whammer, a baseball player modeled on Babe Ruth, in the 1984 baseball drama The Natural , which starred Robert Redford. 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 the 1991 remake of Cape Fear , hired by protagonist Sam Bowden (Nick Nolte) to protect his family from psychopathic ex-convict Max Cady (Robert De Niro).

Baker received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of North Texas in 1994.

While actor Carroll O'Connor was undergoing coronary 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 substituted while O'Connor's character was away at a police convention. More recently, he appeared in Joe Dirt , The Dukes of Hazzard , and Strange Wilderness .

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 (played by Benjamin Bratt) to help him start back down the road to sobriety. Baker played King in Mud (2012).

James Bond series

In 1987, Baker played the villainous arms dealer Brad Whitaker in the James 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 four 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 Ernst Stavro Blofeld in Diamonds Are Forever ; Walter Gotell, who appeared as Morzeny, the SPECTRE Island trainer, in From Russia with Love and as General Gogol, the chief of the KGB, in six films between 1977 and 1987; and Richard Kiel as Jaws, in The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker , becoming Bond's ally against villain Hugo Drax (Michael Lonsdale) in the latter film.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1967 Cool Hand Luke FixerUncredited
1969 Guns of the Magnificent Seven Slater
1970 Adam at Six A.M. Harvey Gavin
1971 Wild Rovers Paul Buckman
Welcome Home Soldier Boys Danny
1972 Junior Bonner Curly Bonner
The Valachi Papers Mad Dog Coll Uncredited
1973 Walking Tall Buford Pusser
Charley Varrick Molly
The Outfit Jack Cody
1974 Golden Needles Dan Mason
1975 Framed Ron Lewis
Mitchell Mitchell
1977 Checkered Flag or Crash Walkaway Madden
The Shadow of Chikara Wishbone Cutter
Speedtrap Pete Novick
The Pack Jerry
1982 Wacko Dick Harbiger
1983 Joysticks Joseph Rutter
1984 The Natural The Whammer
Final Justice Thomas Jefferson Geronimo III
1985 Fletch Chief Jerry Karlin
1986 Getting Even King R. Kenderson
1987 The Living Daylights Brad Whitaker
The Killing Time Carl Cunningham
Leonard Part 6 Nick Snyderburn
1988 Criminal Law Detective Mesel
1990 The Children Cliffe Wheater
1991 Cape Fear Claude Kersek
1992 The Distinguished Gentleman Olaf Anderson
1994Ring of SteelMan in Black
Reality Bites Tom Pierce
FelonyDonovan
1995 The Underneath Hinkle
Panther Brimmer
Congo R.B. Travis
The Grass Harp Sheriff Junius Candle
GoldenEye Jack Wade
1996 Mars Attacks! Glenn Norris
1997 Tomorrow Never Dies Jack Wade
2001Vegas, City of DreamsDylan Garrett
Joe Dirt DonUncredited
2003The Commission Hale Boggs
2005 The Dukes of Hazzard Governor Jim Applewhite
2008 Strange Wilderness Bill Calhoun
2012 Mud King

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1965 Honey West Rocky Hansen"Rockabye the Hard Way"
Iron Horse Johnson"Cougar Man"
1967 Judd for the Defense Merl Varney"Shadow of a Killer"
The Felony Squad Shep Taubus"My Mommy Got Lost"
1968 Bonanza Luke Harper"The Real People of Muddy Creek"
The Outsider Billy Joe Corey"A Wide Place in the Road"
1966–69 Gunsmoke Woody Stoner / Tom Butler2 episodes
— "Prime of Life" (1966)
— "Reprisal" (1969)
1968–70 Lancer Day Pardee / Santee / Clovis Horner3 episodes
— "The High Riders" (1968)
— "Cut the Wolf Loose" (1969)
— "Shadow of a Dead Man" (1970)
1969 The Big Valley Tom Lightfoot"Lightfoot"
Mod Squad Willie Turner"Willie Poor Boy"
1970 Bracken's World Nick Fontaine"Focus on a Gun"
The F.B.I. Alex Drake"Summer Terror"
The Most Deadly Game Alan"Breakdown"
1971 The High Chaparral Yuma"The Hostage"
Mission: Impossible Frank Kearney"The Miracle"
Mongo's Back in Town Mongo NashTV Movie
1972 Ironside Eric Blair"Camera... Action... Murder!"
That Certain Summer Phil BonnerTV Movie
1973 Doc Elliot Aaron Hickey"Pilot"
The Streets of San Francisco Leonard Collier Cord"Beyond Vengeance"
1978To Kill a CopChief Earl M. EishiedTV Movie
1979–80 Eischied Chief Earl Eishiedseries regular (13 episodes); also production consultant
1980 Power Tommy VandaTV Movie; also production executive
1985 Edge of Darkness Darius JedburghMiniseries (6 episodes)
Nominated – BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor
1987The Abduction of Kari SwensonSheriff OnstadTV Movie
1989 Screen Two Hunter McCall"Defrosting the Fridge"
In the Heat of the Night Tom Dugan / Acting Chief Tom Dugan4 episodes
— "Fifteen Forever"
— "Ladybug, Ladybug"
— "The Pig Woman of Sparta"
— "Missing"
1992 Citizen Cohn Senator Joseph McCarthy TV Movie
1993Complex of FearDetective Frank FarrelTV Movie
1996The Siege of Ruby RidgeGerry SpenceTV Movie
1997To Dance with OliviaHorace HenelyTV Movie
George Wallace Big Jim FolsomMiniseries
1998 Poodle Springs P.J. ParkerTV Movie
1999 Too Rich: The Secret Life of Doris Duke Buck DukeMiniseries
2009 The Cleaner Major Larry Duren"Last American Casualty"

Theater

YearTitleRoleVenueNotes
1963–64 Marathon '33 Mr. James ANTA Playhouse 48 performances
1964 Blues for Mister Charlie EllisANTA Playhouse148 performances
Also understudy for multiple parts (Rev. Phelps, Judge, Court Stenographer)

Awards and nominations

AwardYearCategoryWorkResult
British Academy Television Award 1986 Best Actor Edge of Darkness Nominated
CableACE Award 1997Best Supporting Actor in a Movie or Miniseries George Wallace Nominated
Independent Spirit Award 2014 Robert Altman Award Mud Won
Satellite Award 1998 Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film George WallaceNominated

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References

  1. ↑ "Joe Don Baker | Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 2024-07-25.
  2. 1 2 "Memories of Joe Don Baker". Geeks. Retrieved 2024-07-25.
  3. ↑ Monaco, James (1991). The Encyclopedia of Film. New York: Perigee Books. p. 1881. ISBN   978-0-399-51604-7.
  4. ↑ "Joe Don Baker | North Texan". northtexan.unt.edu. Retrieved 2024-07-25.
  5. ↑ Freese, Gene (2017-10-19). Classic Movie Fight Scenes: 75 Years of Bare Knuckle Brawls, 1914-1989. McFarland. p. 217. ISBN   978-1-4766-6943-4. [T]he beefy former Texas football player and Army veteran had a tendency to pack on the pounds and his days as a leading man were few. He settled into a career as a character actor.
  6. ↑ David Garfield (1980). "Appendix: Life Members of the Actors Studio as of January 1980". A Player's Place: The Story of the Actors Studio . New York: MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc. p.  277. ISBN   0-02-542650-8.
  7. ↑ Playbill, vol. 1 (January 1964) No. 1, Marathon ’33, p. 27.
  8. ↑ Rosebrook, Jeb; Rosebrook, Stuart. Junior Bonner: The Making of a Classic with Steve McQueen and Sam Peckinpah in the Summer of 1971. BearManor Media. p. 52.
  9. ↑ Kehr, Dave (May 18, 2012). "Idealistic Lawmen Taking Crime Very Personally". The New York Times .
  10. ↑ Freese, Gene (19 October 2017). Classic Movie Fight Scenes: 75 Years of Bare Knuckle Brawls, 1914-1989. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. p. 217. ISBN   978-1-4766-6943-4.
  11. ↑ "Monday". The Sun-Advocate. April 8, 1978. p. 11.
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