‘Walking Tall’ Star Joe Don Baker, Known for James Bond Roles, Dies at 89

The Texas native died on May 7; his funeral service will be held on May 20 in Mission Hills, California.

Joe Don Baker attends Rolling Stones guitarist Ron Wood's gallery opening of celebrity portraits in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Nov. 1, 2002. David Klein/Getty Images

Actor Joe Don Baker, a Texas native known for portraying burly, tough-guy characters in his signature Southern drawl, has died at the age of 89.

Baker, who played Tennessee Sheriff Buford Pusser in the 1973 action film “Walking Tall,” died on May 7, his family announced in an online obituary on May 13.