Latest news with #Actor'sStudio
USA Today
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Joe Don Baker, actor known for 'James Bond,' 'Walking Tall' roles, dies at 89
Joe Don Baker, actor known for 'James Bond,' 'Walking Tall' roles, dies at 89 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 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 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."
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Joe Don Baker, star of 'Walking Tall 'and the James Bond films 'Tomorrow Never Dies and GoldenEye,' dies at 89
Actor Joe Don Baker, best known for his role as Sheriff Buford Pusser in the unexpected 1973 box-office hit Walking Tall, died May 7, his family announced. He was 89. Baker's death was shared in an obituary, in which he is mourned by his "small but very close circle of friends who will miss him eternally." No cause of death was provided. Entertainment Weekly has reached out to the actor's reps for additional comment. "Joe Don was a beacon of kindness and generosity. His intellectual curiosity made him a voracious reader, inspiring a great love of nature and animals, particularly cats. Throughout his life, Joe Don touched many lives with his warmth and compassion, leaving an indelible mark on everyone fortunate enough to know him," his obituary reads. As remembered by his community, the Texas-born Baker was a college athlete before serving two years in the U.S. Army, and subsequently moving to New York to study at the Actor's Studio. The actor began his career with bit parts in movies and television — mostly westerns such as The Big Valley (1965-1969), Bonanza (1959-1973), Guns of the Magnificent Seven (1969), and Wild Rovers (1971) — before garnering mainstream attention with his supporting role alongside Steve McQueen in Sam Peckinpah's Junior Bonner (1972). It was a year later that Baker scored his breakthrough role as real-life Tennessee wrestler-turned-sheriff Buford Pusser in Walking Tall. Baker became known for his "tough guy" characters who walked on either side of the law, whether they were a rugged lawman or an intimidating villain. His ability to bounce between the two was most notably apparent in his appearance in three James Bond films in which he played two different characters on both sides of the law. He first portrayed villainous arms dealer Brad Whitaker in The Living Daylights, which starred Timothy Dalton in 1987. Baker returned to the franchise in 1995's GoldenEye and 1997's Tomorrow Never Dies as Pierce Brosnan's CIA associate Jack Wade. Baker would go on to appear in films like Martin Scorsese's Cape Fear, Congo, Mars Attacks!, Joe Dirt, and The Dukes of Hazzard. His last big-screen role was in the 2012 film Mud, before he retired from acting after performing in 57 movies, according to his obituary. "As we say goodbye to Joe Don, we hold onto the memories and the love he shared with us," the obituary concludes. "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." Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
Euronews
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
'Walking Tall' and three-time James Bond star dies aged 89
Celebrated American actor Joe Don Baker has died at the age of 89. A cause of death has not been disclosed. Best known for his role as the justice-seeking sheriff Buford Pusser in the 1973 vigilante film Walking Tall, Joe Don Baker leaves behind him a lasting legacy of screen roles. The late actor's obituary reads: 'Joe Don was a beacon of kindness and generosity. His intellectual curiosity made him a voracious reader, inspiring a great love of nature and animals, particularly cats. Throughout his life, Joe Don touched many lives with his warmth and compassion, leaving an indelible mark on everyone fortunate enough to know him.' Born on 12 February 1936 in Groesbeck, Texas, Baker played football for North Texas State College and, upon graduating in 1959, served a two-year stint in the Army before moving to New York City to study acting at the Actor's Studio. He would remain a lifelong member of the famed organization. During his long career, until his retirement in 2012, he performed in 57 movies, starring in Walking Tall, Mitchell and his last film role in Jeff Nichols' acclaimed coming-of-age drama, also starring Matthew McConaughey, Mud – for which he won the Robert Altman Award. He also appeared in Martin Scorsese's Cape Fear, Tim Burton's Mars Attacks! and performed in numerous television productions, including a starring role in the popular series Eischied, Mission: Impossible, Gunsmoke, and in the acclaimed British television production of Edge of Darkness, which earned him a Best Actor nomination from the British Academy of Television. Many film fans will remember Joe Don Baker for appearing in not one but three James Bond films of the 1980s and 90s. He played the villainous Brad Whitaker in The Living Daylights (1987) opposite Timothy Dalton as James Bond – earning the distinction of being the first American Bond villain. He then switched sides by playing 007's CIA ally Jack Wade in both GoldenEye (1995) and Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), opposite Pierce Brosnan as Bond. Joe Don Baker was married to Maria Dolores Rivero-Torres from 1969 until their 1980 divorce. They did not have children and he is survived by relatives in Groesbeck.
Voice of Belady
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Voice of Belady
Fadwa Attia from Egypt about play(Fares reveals the hidden)
Mohamed Sobhi's directorial vision, from the very first scene, is presented by Sobhi using the technique of merging the cinema screen with theatrical performance, using footage from the character of Faris Faris Balajwad in the series, which he played years ago, to confirm a specific identity at the beginning of the play. He takes us back to the very first scene of that, enthusiastically entering the scenes of that train—the train that expresses the history and identity of a nation, and the Al-Sadawi family, who came from different places for the inheritance and do not know each other—and a discussion about the treasure in the scene that follows, in an enjoyable transition between Cairo Station and the scene of the apartment in which they will live, which is the family home, conveying to us the concerns of the Egyptian household, from free education and its concerns to Afrocentricity, which is trying to steal the identity of the ancient Egyptians, to the conscientious censorship of our lives, to artificial crying, globalization, technology, and the mobile phone that has torn the Egyptian family apart. All of this is done in successive scenes in the first act as they search for the treasure amidst a succession of slogans, songs, lighting, and sets, and an attempt to decipher the treasure between the two heroes of the play, Mohamed Sobhi and Wafaa Sadek. By inviting the 22 heirs of Hafez Naguib to search for the treasure of their great patriotic grandfather, the land usurped by Maysoun, Mudalla Ghazi. These heirs include traitors, agents, pessimists, frustrated opportunists, superficial and greedy individuals. They resorted to deception until they were burdened with debts in their quest to fulfill the terms of the protocols of the rulers of Zion to the letter, ending with their dispersal, despairing and hopeless, due to their lack of true awareness of what was being plotted against them. A play by the Fares Studio troupe, Uncovering the Hidden. This is the Actor's Studio band, founded by the star Mohamed Sobhi in the eighties. With the team spirit, expressing the dreams of young people today, raising the slogan of awareness of the Palestinian cause. These are the names of the actors and actresses. This play revolves around the events of a knight's play, which reveals the hidden, set against a melodramatic background. A true artistic, comedic, musical, and theatrical show, presented by the Actor's Studio troupe, written and directed by Mohamed Sobhy, with Ayman Fatia participating in the book, decor by Mohamed El-Gharbawy, lyrics by Abdullah Hassan, music by Sherif Hamdan, and starring: Mohamed Sobhy (Fares), Wafa Sadek (Baheya), Kamal Attia (Dahab), Rehab Hussein (Maison), Angelica Ayman (Nidal), Laila Fawzy (Souad), Dalida (Shaimaa), Mustafa Youssef (Ghazy), Mohamed Shawky (Shawky), Lamia Orabi (Abla), Dalia Nabil (Malak), Michael William (Michael William, Daqdaq), Abou Heiba (Sand), Helmy Galal (Aref the lawyer), Mohamed Abdel Moaty (Mukhtar), Alaa Fouad (Kamal), Khaled Mohamed (the final man), Gamal Abdel Nasser(Sadon), Walid Hany, James: Mahmoud El-Sherif (Rahma), Remasib (Sara), Lamar Awad (Hanin), Bilal Mohamed (Seif). The play consists of two acts, each with seven scenes, and achieves harmony in all elements between the various sets and theatrical scenery, from the station to the apartment to the palace to the grounds. The smooth and effortless performance, the spirit of a loving team, the various topics including the identity of the homeland, the Palestinian cause, the golden billion, education issues, and others, and the emphasis on "We are all one, Muslim and Christian, hand in hand."The music, theatrical lighting, and the integrated visual image with integrated scenography, in addition to the appropriate clothing for each actor and actress, the songs and performance in singing as well, with a new return to emphasize identity, homeland, and belonging, and a reminder of the integration of cinematic presentation with theater, by integrating the character of Fares, who appeared to us years ago in the series 'Fares without a Horse,' so that the prologue at the beginning of the play became the first scene that attracted the audience. As for the children, he presented them in the impact of technology and artificial intelligence on their lives, bringing us to our lives and what is in them, so that we can stand with ourselves, fully aware of the external threats from Israel to the challenges within our daily lives. Thus, 'Fares Uncovers the Hidden' is a historical show that displays the past, present, and future in the best play presented at the level of public and private sector theater, to sit on the throne of the summit in terms of occupying first place compared to shows that did not achieve the same artistic and moral value, achieving the difficult equation in a complete artistic show. The play 'Fares Uncovers the Hidden' occupied first place
