Profiles in Grieco (Part I)

If you’re a regular GIK reader you know that I am a big fan of The Olympics. One of my favorite parts of the games is the “athlete profiles” they do every night. These segments give you the chance to see all of the pain and suffering competitors have endured in order to take the ice in Torino or Turin or whatever the hell we’re calling it these days. Watching the profiles has helped me invest in athletes I’ve never heard of who hail from countries I’m not sure really exist. The profiles have also made me long for the mighty hammer and sickle of the former Soviet Union, but that’s another story altogether. Anyway, I thought it might be a good idea to profile some of the lesser-known performers who make appearances on GIK from time to time. While I don’t know if they fought back from a torn Achilles or battled unspeakable cold and hunger to become actors, I do know a little about their movie histories. Some of you will be familiar with the men and women of the profiles, and others will have no idea who I am talking about. Regardless, I hope you all gain a greater appreciation for their work. I also intend to carry this bit on beyond The Olympics, so if there is someone you think the people need to know about please let me know.

Joe Don Baker
Joe Don Baker plays a cocky Texas asshole like no one else. His work as the police chief in Fletch helped to make that film one of the greatest of all time. You might also remember Joe Don from the few Bond movies where he plays boorish Americans who end up either betraying or helping 007 in some way depending on the movie. While the that fact that he is in Congo, Mars Attacks, Eddie Murphy’s The Distinguished Gentleman, and the immortal Leonard Part 6 elevates him to an elite level in the world of Grieco, it is his portrayal of the Babe Ruth-like “Bomber” in The Natural that will always endear Joe Don Baker to me. He’s only in the movie for like 10 minutes, but his swagger and spitting are unparalleled. He manages to steal scenes from Redford and Duvall, and that is saying something because Duval is awesome and Redford is almost as damn handsome as Rob Lowe. Almost. Joe Don is so good in the film I can actually forgive him for his participation in Reality Bites.

As Hollywood continues to rely on hot young stars with their rock-hard abs and humorless outlook on life, the sun is setting on the likes of Joe Don Baker. I encourage you to check out all of his work before it is too late, and watch for Strange Wilderness, the Bigfoot comedy he’s currently working on with Harry Hamlin and Ernest Borgnine. It should be awesome.