About James Garner of ‘Maverick,’ ‘Rockford Files,’ Dies at 86, James Garner dead at 86

Amiable film and television actor James Garner, who. In the popular television series "Maverick" and played "The Rockford Files",

died on Saturday at his home in Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles He was 86 How many popular leading men of Hollywood's heyday, boasted Garner All American good looks and a winning personality, conducted him through comedy and drama alike. Garner won two Emmys and broke a total of 15 nominations. He had his greatest impact in television, first on "Maverick" in the 50s and then in the 70's on "The Rockford Files", for which he won an Emmy in 1977. He later appeared in several quality telepics including "Promise," "My Name is Bill W." and "Barbarians at the Gate", as well as the occasional strong feature like "Victor   Victoria" and "Murphy's Romance," for which he his only Oscar nomination for lead actor captured. RECOGNITION: James Garner gracefully carried the weight of Stardom Garner found its way through a friend, theater producer Paul Gregory Showbiz: It was during the rehearsals of the Broadway bound cueing actor Lloyd Nolan Garner nonspeaking has finally caught a role in production in 1954, where he said "The Caine Mutiny Court Martial." and he just studied the game's stars, Henry Fonda. After studying with Herbert Berghof, Garner landed a role in the touring production of "Caine". Back in Los Angeles in 1955, he secured minor roles in the TV series "Cheyenne." Impressed, Warner Bros. gave him a screen test and a contract at $ 200 per week. He paid his contributions in supporting roles in "Towards the Unknown", "The girl he left behind." And "Shootout at Medicine Bend" as well as some TV functions He was the first really noticeable in a role as Marlon Brando buddy in "Sayonara", after which he was assigned in a Supporting Role "Darby Rangers." When "Darby" result Charlton Heston walked away from the film, Garner inherited his first starring role, but the reviews were mixed. The real boost to his career came in a roll now are indelibly associated with him that the Bret Maverick in the comedy Western that ABC debuted in 1957; the role and series fit his dry personality like a glove. Originally, the story of the Maverick brothers of Garner and Jack Kelly was played, but changing "Maverick" quickly became all about Garner character who uses his wits to get out of trouble. Other actors were shooting in and out with Clint Eastwood as the devil's gunslinger. "Maverick" led to a long relationship between Garner and his creator, Roy Huggins. The actor was with the series until 1960, when he quit over a dispute with Warners. "I'm playing me," Garner said of the role. "Bret Maverick is lazy: I'm lazy and I like it, lazy.." Lazy or not, the actor told the Golden Globe for most promising newcomer in 1958 male and earned his first Emmy nomination in 1959 for "Maverick". . "Cash McCall" In the meantime, Warner served him frustrating dishes like "Up Periscope" and taking advantage of a suspension during the Writers Guild strike of 1960, Garner Warners sued for breach of contract   and won   with whom he more be a free agent and demand for his services. He appeared in deals before landing a supporting role in "The Children's Hour" with Shirley MacLaine and Audrey Hepburn. His roles in films even better: "Boys' Night Out" and especially "The Great Escape" earned him the best advice. He said he drew on his experience in the Korean War, during which he, the company scroungers, for the latter role. For a time ready to face the aging Cary Grant romantic comedy leading man coat with films like "The Thrill of It All" (1963), "The Wheeler Dealers" and inherit it seemed "Move Over Darling." Arthur Hiller gave him a meatier assignment, in the satire "The Americanization of Emily," against the then red hot Julie Andrews. Then he caught the thriller "36 Hours" and a few indifferent comedy, "The Art of Love" and "A man could Get Killed". The films were now A budget, but "Duel in Diablo," "Mr. Buddwing" and "Grand Prix", which gave him a yen for car races were not particularly memorable. During this time he played in westerns, including "Hour of the Gun" (in which he played Wyatt Earp), comedy western "Support Your Local Sheriff," "They only kill their masters", "Marlowe" and "Skin Game." But television roles brought him more importance, where after a short NBC western series "Nichols" in 1971, he hit paydirt with comedic strand Detective "The Rockford Files", which ran 1974 80 and won him an Emmy in 1977 and more four nominations. Huggins along with Stephen J. Cannell for the crime series recycling many of the plots of "Maverick." Many Garner friends had roles in the series, including Joe Santos and Stuart Margolin recurring as his friends. Margolin said at the time that Garner worked long shifts, has to do his own stunts and remained behind the camera lines for the other cast members. But his old injuries and pay disputes led Garner to call it quits, even if the show drew high ratings on NBC. He again essayed "Bret Maverick" for one season in 1981., But a bad back, litigation with MCA TV about "Rockford" syndication payments (he finally settled, allegedly for several million dollars), and finally circumcised heart surgery his ability to endure the rigors of a TV series. He reteamed with Andrews in Blake Edwards 'musical "Victor   Victoria" in 1982, and he landed a plum role opposite Sally Field in the comedy   romance "Murphy's Romance" in 1985. He essayed an older Wyatt Earp in Edwards' "Sunset "opposite Bruce Willis as Tom Mix and did the underwhelming" Fire in the Sky "in 1983. in 1994, he took a small role in the bigscreen version of" Maverick "with Mel Gibson in the main, what the star a run for his money in the likability department. In 1996, he starred as ex president against Jack Lemmon in "My Fellow Americans." The best of his later work, however, came on television in such TV movie dramas like "Heart Sounds" with Mary Tyler Moore in 1984, directed by Glen Jordan, who also led him by "Promise" in 1986. in 1989 he was for "My Name Is Bill W." celebrated with James Woods. In the 1992 HBO movie "Barbarians at the Gate," the actor in a dismal performance offered tough. Quieter, but no less effective, was "Breathing Lessons" opposite Joanne Woodward. His bigscreen career in the 2000s dealt with the Clint Eastwood directed veteran astronaut comedy "Space Cowboys," chick pic "Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood" and 2004 hit tearjerker "The Notebook" in which Garner and Gena Rowlands played the older versions of a few of Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams shown. On the small screen, Garner repeated on the ABC comedy "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Daughter" 2003 05. He also expressed to God for the short lived NBC series "God, the Devil and Bob", played the chief justice in CBS 'Supreme Court drama "First Monday" and portrays Mark Twain in a 2002 Hallmark adaptation of Twain's "Roughing it." Born James Bumgarner in Norman, Oklahoma, he left high school to be a merchant seaman before moving to Los Angeles, enrolled at Hollywood High and then back to Norman, where he joined the Oklahoma State National Guard. He went briefly to carpet in his father's business in Los Angeles to work until he called to service in the Korean War. He was more than a year on the Korean peninsula and was awarded the Purple Heart before his release in 1952. He studied business administration at the University of Oklahoma but left after one semester, ready to move in the direction of acting. Garner played with Mariette Hartley in a series of commercials for Polaroid noted in the 1970s. He won the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 2005. Garner is survived by his wife, the former Lois Clarke, whom he survived married since 1956; Daughter Greta "Gigi" Garner; and an adopted daughter, Kimberly, from Clarke's first marriage.