Tall, broad-shouldered character actor with a distinctive Texan drawl initially made a name for himself by appearing in various Western vehicles, both on television and in film, during the mid-1960s.
As his career progressed, he garnered attention for his portrayal of Steve McQueen's younger brother in the 1972 film Junior Bonner.
This notable performance was followed by his lead role as the titular character in the 1973 film Walking Tall, a biographical drama about a Southern sheriff who confronts corruption and gangsters with a large wooden club and a strong sense of justice.
The same year, he appeared in Don Siegel's bank heist drama Charley Varrick, playing a ruthless hit man named Molly.
While his subsequent film roles were not as memorable, he landed the part of police detective Earl Eischied in the 1978 film To Kill a Cop, which led to him reprising the role in the short-lived television series Eischied in 1979.
Over the years, he has demonstrated his versatility by taking on a range of roles, including comedic parts, lawmen, military men, politicians, and more.
Look out for his performances as a nosy police chief in the 1985 film Fletch, a megalomaniac general in The Living Daylights (1987),a redneck father in Mars Attacks! (1996),and intelligence operative Jack Wade in the James Bond films Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) and GoldenEye (1995).
