Editing James Garner (section)

==Career==
===Earliest acting roles (1954-1957)===
{{more citations needed section|date=May 2017}}
In 1954, [[Paul Gregory (producer)|Paul Gregory]], a friend whom Garner had met while attending Hollywood High School, persuaded Garner to take a nonspeaking role in the [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] production of ''[[The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial (play)|The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial]]'', where he was able to study [[Henry Fonda]] night after night.<ref name="Indie2"/> During the week of Garner's death in 2014, [[Turner Classic Movies|TCM]] broadcast a marathon, July 28, of a dozen of his movies,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wiebe |first=Sheldon |title=TCM Remembers James Garner With An all-Day Marathon, July 28th! – EclipseMagazine |url=http://eclipsemagazine.com/tcm-remembers-james-garner-with-an-all-day-marathon-july-28th/ |access-date=2024-04-25 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Kiesewetter |first=John |title=TCM salutes James Garner all day Monday |url=https://www.cincinnati.com/story/tvandmediablog/2014/07/28/james-garner-tcm-turner-classic-movies-doris-day-julie-andrews/13262615/ |access-date=2024-04-25 |website=The Enquirer |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-07-21 |title=TCM to honor James Garner with 12-film marathon |url=https://www.newsday.com/entertainment/tv/tcm-to-honor-james-garner-with-12-film-marathon-s11617 |access-date=2024-04-25 |website=Newsday |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=CALIFORNIAN |first=THE BAKERSFIELD |date=2014-07-23 |title=TCM shakes up schedule for James Garner marathon |url=https://www.bakersfield.com/news/tcm-shakes-up-schedule-for-james-garner-marathon/article_9f64d6be-853a-50f6-93f3-c74ea8d1935a.html |access-date=2024-04-25 |website=The Bakersfield Californian |language=en}}</ref> introduced by [[Robert Osborne]], who said that Fonda's gentle, sincere persona rubbed off on Garner, greatly to Garner's benefit.

Garner subsequently moved to television commercials<ref name="Scotsman">{{cite news|first=Brian|last=Pendreigh|url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/obituaries/obituary-james-garner-actor-1531120|title=Obituary: James Garner, actor |newspaper=[[The Scotsman]]|date=2014-07-21|access-date=2016-07-24}}</ref> and eventually to television roles. In 1955, Garner was considered for the lead role in the Western series ''[[Cheyenne (1955 TV series)|Cheyenne]]'', which went to [[Clint Walker]] because the casting director could not reach Garner in time (according to Garner's autobiography). Garner wound up playing an Army officer in the 1955 ''[[Cheyenne (1955 TV series)|Cheyenne]]'' pilot titled "Mountain Fortress". His first film appearances were in ''[[The Girl He Left Behind]]'' and ''[[Toward the Unknown]]'' in 1956. Also in 1956, Garner appeared with [[Ralph Bellamy]] and [[Gloria Talbott]] in a half-hour television episode of ''[[Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre]]'' titled "Star Over Texas" in which a rivalry exists between Bellamy and Garner over Talbott until they're attacked by a group of [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]].

In 1957, he had a supporting role in the TV anthology series episode on ''[[Conflict (American TV series)|Conflict]]'' entitled "[[Man from 1997]]," portraying Maureen's brother "Red"; the show stars [[Jacques Sernas]] as Johnny Vlakos, Gloria Talbott as Maureen, and [[Charlie Ruggles]] as elderly Mr. Boyne, a [[Time travel|time-travelling]] [[librarian]] from 1997, and involved a 1997 Almanac that was mistakenly left in the past by Boyne and found by Johnny in a bookstore.<ref>{{YouTube|FBlfxbH1w3Y|title=''The Man From 1997'' (TV Pilot)}}</ref> The series' producer [[Roy Huggins]] noted in his [[Archive of American Television]] interview that he subsequently cast Garner as the lead in ''[[Maverick (TV series)|Maverick]]'' due to his comedic facial expressions while playing scenes in "Man from 1997" that were not originally written to be comical (Huggins knew this because he'd written the episode himself). Garner changed his last name from Bumgarner to Garner after the studio had credited him as "James Garner" without permission. He then legally changed it upon the birth of his child, when he decided she had too many names.<ref name=GoogleVideo/>
{{clear right}}

===''Maverick'' (1957–1960)===

[[File:James Garner Karen Steele Maverick premiere 1957.jpg|thumb|right|upright|With [[Karen Steele]] in ''Maverick'']]
[[File:James Garner Louise Fletcher Maverick 1959.JPG|thumb|right|upright|With [[Louise Fletcher]] in ''Maverick'']]
[[File:James Garner Bret Maverick Jack Kelly Bart Maverick.JPG|thumb|right|upright|With [[Jack Kelly (actor)|Jack Kelly]] in ''Maverick'']]
After several feature film roles, including ''[[Sayonara]]'' (1957) with [[Marlon Brando]], Garner got his big break playing the role of professional gambler [[Maverick (TV series)#James Garner as Bret Maverick|Bret Maverick]] in the Western series ''[[Maverick (TV series)|Maverick]]'' from 1957 to 1960.<ref name="New York Times"/> In 1959, he was nominated for the [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series]] for his performance as Bret Maverick.<ref name="Yantz" />

Only Garner and series creator [[Roy Huggins]] thought ''Maverick'' could compete with ''[[The Ed Sullivan Show]]'' and ''[[The Steve Allen Show]]'' but for two years it beat both in the time slot. The show almost immediately made Garner a household name.<ref name="Indie2"/>

Garner was the lone star of ''Maverick'' for the first seven episodes but production demands forced the studio, [[Warner Bros.]], to create a Maverick brother, [[Maverick (TV series)#Jack Kelly as Bart Maverick|Bart Maverick]], played by [[Jack Kelly (actor)|Jack Kelly]]. This allowed two production units to film different story lines and episodes simultaneously, necessary because each episode took an extra day to complete, meaning that eventually the studio would run out of finished episodes to air partway through the season unless another actor was added.

Critics were positive about the chemistry between Garner and Kelly and the series occasionally featured popular cross-over [[List of Maverick episodes|episodes]] starring both Maverick brothers as well as numerous brief appearances by Kelly in Garner episodes. This included the famous "[[Shady Deal at Sunny Acres]]," upon which the first half of the 1973 movie ''[[The Sting]]'' appears to be based, according to Roy Huggins' [[Archive of American Television]] interview. Garner and guest star [[Clint Eastwood]] staged a fistfight in an episode titled "[[Duel at Sundown (Maverick)|Duel at Sundown]]", in which Eastwood played a vicious and cowardly gunslinger. Although Garner quit the series after the third season because of a dispute with Warner Bros.,<ref name="Indie2" /> he did make one fourth-season ''Maverick'' appearance, in an episode titled "[[List of Maverick episodes|The Maverick Line]]" starring both Garner and Jack Kelly that had been filmed in the third season but held back to run as the season's first episode if Garner lost his lawsuit against Warner Bros. Garner won in court, left the series, and the episode was run in the middle of the season instead.

The studio attempted to replace Garner's character with a Maverick cousin who had lived in Britain long enough to gain an English accent, featuring [[Roger Moore]] as [[Maverick (TV series)#Roger Moore as Beau Maverick|Beau Maverick]], but Moore left the series after filming only [[List of Maverick episodes#Fourth season (1960-1961)|14 episodes]]. Warner Bros. had also hired [[Robert Colbert]], a Garner [[look-alike]], to play a third Maverick brother named [[Maverick (TV series)#Robert Colbert as Brent Maverick|Brent Maverick]]. Colbert only appeared in two episodes toward the end of the season. That left the rest of the series' run to Kelly, alternating with reruns of episodes with Garner during the fifth season. Garner still received billing during the opening series credits for these newly produced Kelly episodes, aired in the 1961–1962 season, although he did not appear in them and had left the series two years previously. The studio did, however, reverse the [[Billing (performing arts)|billing]], at the beginning of each show and in advertisements during the fifth season, billing Kelly above Garner.<ref name=":0" />{{Rp|page=74}}

Garner played the [[lead role]] in ''[[Darby's Rangers (1958 film)|Darby's Rangers]]'' (1958). Originally slated for a supporting role, he was given the lead when [[Charlton Heston]] turned down the part. He performed well as [[William Orlando Darby]], who was approximately Garner's age during World War II. Following Garner's success in ''Maverick'' and ''Darby's Rangers'', Warner Bros. gave Garner two more major theatrical films to be filmed during breaks in his ''Maverick'' shooting schedule: ''[[Up Periscope]]'' (1959) with [[Edmond O'Brien]] and the romantic drama ''[[Cash McCall]]'' (1960) with [[Natalie Wood]].<ref>{{cite news|title=James Garner: Obituary|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/10978889/James-Garner-obituary.html|website=The Telegraph|access-date=14 July 2017|date=July 20, 2014}}</ref>

===1960s===
[[File:Hepburn Garner & MacLaine The Children's Hour Promo Still.jpg|right|thumb|upright|With [[Audrey Hepburn]] and [[Shirley MacLaine]] in ''[[The Children's Hour (film)|The Children's Hour]]'']]
After his acrimonious departure from Warner Bros. in 1960, Garner briefly found himself [[Blacklisting|graylisted]] by Warner until director [[William Wyler]] hired him for a starring role in ''[[The Children's Hour (film)|The Children's Hour]]'' (1961) with [[Audrey Hepburn]] and [[Shirley MacLaine]], a drama about two teachers surviving scandal started by a student. After that, the graylist was broken and Garner abruptly became one of the busiest leading men in cinema. In ''[[Boys' Night Out (film)|Boys' Night Out]]'' (1962) with [[Kim Novak]] and [[Tony Randall]] and ''[[The Thrill of It All (film)|The Thrill of It All]]'' (1963) with [[Doris Day]], he returned to comedy. Garner also starred opposite Day in ''[[Move Over, Darling]]'', a 1963 [[remake]] of 1940's ''[[My Favorite Wife]]'' in which Garner portrayed the role originally played by [[Cary Grant]]. (The remake had begun as ''[[Something's Got to Give]]'', but was recast and retitled after [[Marilyn Monroe]] died and [[Dean Martin]] chose to withdraw as a result.)

Next came the war dramas ''[[The Great Escape (film)|The Great Escape]]'' (1963) with [[Steve McQueen]], [[Paddy Chayefsky]]'s ''[[The Americanization of Emily]]'' (1964) with [[Julie Andrews]], and [[Roald Dahl]]'s ''[[36 Hours (1964 film)|36 Hours]]'' (1965) with [[Eva Marie Saint]] (all three pictures are set in [[World War II]] and both the latter two films involve [[D-Day]]). In the smash hit ''The Great Escape'', Garner played the second lead for the only time during the decade, supporting fellow ex-TV series cowboy McQueen among a cast of British and American screen veterans including [[Richard Attenborough]], [[Donald Pleasence]], [[David McCallum]], [[James Coburn]], and [[Charles Bronson]] in a story depicting a mass escape from a German [[prisoner of war]] camp based on a [[The Great Escape (book)|true story]]. The film was released in the same month as ''The Thrill of It All'', giving Garner two hit films at the box office at the same time.
''The Americanization of Emily'', a literate [[anti-war film|antiwar]] [[D-Day]] comedy, featured a [[screenplay]] written by [[Paddy Chayefsky]] and remained Garner's favorite of all his work.<ref>[http://www.filmmonthly.com/Profiles/Articles/JGarner/JGarner.html "Lowly Brother Amidst The Sisterhood"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303200018/http://www.filmmonthly.com/Profiles/Articles/JGarner/JGarner.html |date=March 3, 2016 }} ''Film Monthly'' (June 3, 2002); retrieved on June 2, 2008</ref><ref name=MurrayR-SAG-JG-LAA>Murray, Rebecca. Press Release: "James Garner Honored with the Screen Actors Guild's Life Achievement Award". [[Screen Actors Guild]] (January 29, 2005) Retrieved on June 2, 2008</ref> In 1963, exhibitors voted him the 16th most popular star in the US<ref>'Doris Day Heads Top 10' ''The Washington Post and Times-Herald'' (1959–1973) [Washington, D.C.] Jan 14, 1964: A27. Also 1965 Classic "36 Hours"</ref> and it was hoped that he might be a successor to [[Clark Gable]].<ref name=stars>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=May 15, 1968|page=1|last=Beaupre|first=Lee|title=Rising Skepticism On Stars}}</ref>  He also made ''[[Mister Buddwing]]'' (1966), a picture depicting a man suddenly suffering from amnesia while sitting on a bench in [[Central Park]].

[[File:James Garner and Katharine Ross in Mr. Buddwing.jpg|thumb|left|upright|With [[Katharine Ross]] in ''[[Mister Buddwing]]'' (1966)]]

{{anchor|Cherokee Productions}}
By October 1964, Garner had formed his own independent film production company, Cherokee Productions.<ref name="New York Times"/><ref>{{cite web |title=ABOUT |url=https://www.jgarf.org/about |website=James Garner Animal Rescue Fund |access-date=19 April 2022 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |title=James Garner's Car Up for Charity Auction |url=https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2022/01/17/2367913/0/en/James-Garner-s-Car-Up-for-Charity-Auction.html |website=GlobeNewswire News Room |access-date=19 April 2022 |language=en |date=17 January 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=ABOUT |url=https://www.cherokeeproductions.com/page2 |website=Cherokee Productions |access-date=19 April 2022 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Cherokee Productions (Firm) |url=http://worldcat.org/identities/lccn-no2011035708 |website=[[WorldCat Identities]] |access-date=19 April 2022 |archive-date=19 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220419235759/http://worldcat.org/identities/lccn-no2011035708/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Cherokee Productions |url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b944eeea2 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220419235758/https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b944eeea2 |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 19, 2022 |website=[[British Film Institute]] |access-date=19 April 2022 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California on October 22, 1964 · 74|url=http://www.newspapers.com/newspage/382491287/|access-date=2021-06-02|website=Newspapers.com|date=22 October 1964 |language=en  |quote=No Longer a Maverick: Wooing James Garner into an extended contract of any kind is difficult. Once burned, he dreads the fire, but if Metro has their way his Cherokee Productions will be making three films for the studio Garner's take $1,500,000. The first. "Caravans," with a locale in Afghanistan, involves a beautiful heiress and an adventurer. The studio admits they'll settle for this one if they can't tie up the package deal. }}</ref> He next starred in the Cherokee co-production,<ref>{{cite web |title=The Art of Love (1965) |url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/18644-THE-ARTOFLOVE |website=[[AFI Catalog]] |access-date=19 April 2022}}<!-- https://catalog.afi.com/Search?searchField=ProductionCompany&searchText=Cherokee --></ref> [[Norman Jewison]]'s romantic comedy ''[[The Art of Love (1965 film)|The Art of Love]]'' (1965) with [[Dick Van Dyke]] and [[Elke Sommer]]. The [[Western (genre)|Westerns]] ''[[Duel at Diablo]]'' (1966) with [[Sidney Poitier]] and ''[[Hour of the Gun]]'' (1967) with Garner as [[Wyatt Earp]] and [[Jason Robards Jr.]] as [[Doc Holliday]] followed, as well as the comedy ''[[A Man Could Get Killed]]'' (1966) with [[Melina Mercouri]] and [[Tony Franciosa]]. ''[[Grand Prix (1966 film)|Grand Prix]]'' (1966) with [[Eva Marie Saint]] and [[Yves Montand]], directed by [[John Frankenheimer]] and co-produced through Garner's Cherokee Productions, left Garner with a fascination for car racing that he often explored by actually racing during the ensuing years.<ref name="New York Times">{{cite news|title=James Garner, Witty, Handsome Leading Man, Dies at 86|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/21/movies/james-garner-actor-dies-at-86.html|access-date=July 21, 2014|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=July 20, 2014}}</ref> The expensive [[Cinerama]] epic by [[MGM]] did not fare as well as expected at the box office and, together with the poor performance of his last six films, he was blamed for the movie not doing better, which damaged Garner's theatrical film career.<ref name=stars/>

In 1969, despite opposition from some at MGM and having to plead his case, Garner played [[Raymond Chandler]]'s [[Philip Marlowe]] in ''[[Marlowe (1969 film)|Marlowe]]'',<ref name=stars/><ref name="LA Times">{{cite news|last1=McNamara|first1=Mary|title=James Garner dies; actor changed what a hero could be like|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-james-garner-appreciation-20140721-column.html|access-date=July 21, 2014|work=Los Angeles Times|date=July 20, 2014}}</ref> a [[neo-noir]] featuring an early extended kung fu scene with the martial artist and actor [[Bruce Lee]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Gerstenzang|first1=Peter|title=James Garner's Five Best Sleeper Films|url=http://www.villagevoice.com/2014-07-16/film/james-garner-movies|access-date=July 21, 2014|work=Village Voice|date=July 21, 2014|archive-date=July 22, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140722043501/http://www.villagevoice.com/2014-07-16/film/james-garner-movies/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The same year, Garner scored a hit with the comedy Western ''[[Support Your Local Sheriff!]]'' with [[Walter Brennan]] and [[Jack Elam]].

===1970s===
====''Nichols'' (1971–1972)====
[[File:James Garner and Margot Kidder 1971.png|right|thumb|upright|With [[Margot Kidder]] in ''[[Nichols (TV series)|Nichols]]'']]
In 1971, Garner returned to television in an offbeat series, ''[[Nichols (TV series)|Nichols]]'', in which his character was killed and replaced by a less colorful twin brother at the end of the series. In one explanation for the unusual denouement, the recast as the character's somewhat more normal twin brother would have hopefully created a more popular series with few cast changes.<ref name="USATodayBio">{{cite web | url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2014/07/20/actor-james-garner-appreciation-robert-bianco/12909399/ | title=Appreciation: James Garner, reluctant hero | work=USA Today | access-date=July 20, 2014}}</ref> However, according to Garner's 1999 videotaped Archive of American Television interview, Garner killed his character because they had already cancelled the show and played his own twin because they had to finish the episode.<ref name="AATInterview">{{cite interview |last=Garner |first=James |subject-link= James Garner |interviewer= Karen Herman, Morrie Gelman |title=Interview with James Garner |url=http://www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/james-garner |location=Los Angeles, California |date=March 17, 1999 |work=[[Archive of American Television]] |access-date=July 21, 2014}}</ref>

====Feature films====
Also in 1969 he starred in ''[[Support Your Local Gunfighter!]]'' (similar to the Western spoof ''Support Your Local Sheriff!''), while in the frontier comedy ''[[Skin Game]]'', Garner and [[Louis Gossett Jr.]] starred as con men pretending to be a slaveowner and his slave during the pre-[[American Civil War|Civil War]] era.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Garner Files: A Memoir|first1=James|last1=Garner|first2=Jon|last2=Winokur|publisher=Simon & Schuster|year=2011|page=258}}</ref> The following year, Garner played a small town sheriff investigating a murder in ''[[They Only Kill Their Masters]]'' with [[Katharine Ross]]. He appeared in two [[Disney]] films also starring [[Vera Miles]] as his [[leading lady]], ''[[One Little Indian (film)|One Little Indian]]'' (1973), featuring [[Jodie Foster]] in an early minor role, and ''[[The Castaway Cowboy]]'' (1974) with [[Robert Culp]].

====''The Rockford Files'' (1974–1980)====
[[File:James Garner Rockford Files 1974.JPG|right|thumb|upright|Garner in the 1974 episode "Tall Woman in Red Wagon" featuring [[Sian Barbara Allen]] with David Morick as the county coroner]]
[[File:James Garner James Whitmore Jr. Rockford Files 1977.JPG|thumb|right|upright|With [[James Whitmore Jr.]] in ''[[The Rockford Files]]'' (1977)]]
In the 1970s, Roy Huggins had an idea to remake ''Maverick'', but this time as a modern-day [[private detective]]. Huggins worked with co-creator [[Stephen J. Cannell]] to rekindle the success of ''Maverick'', eventually recycling many of the plots from the original series in ''[[The Rockford Files]]'', according to both Huggins' and Cannell's [[Archive of American Television]] interviews. Starting with the 1974 season, Garner appeared as [[private investigator]] Jim Rockford for six seasons, for which he received an [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series|Emmy Award for Best Actor]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.emmys.com/celebrities/james-garner|title=James Garner &#124; Television Academy|website=Emmys.com|date=July 19, 2014|access-date=July 24, 2016}}</ref> in 1977. In the 2016 book titled ''[[TV (The Book)]]'', film and television critic [[Matt Zoller Seitz]] stated that the series gave Garner "the role he was put on earth to play".<ref>{{cite book|last1=Sepinwall|first1=Alan|last2=Seitz|first2=Matt Zoller|author-link1=Alan Sepinwall|author-link2=Matt Zoller Seitz|title=TV (The Book): Two Experts Pick the Greatest American Shows of All Time|date=September 6, 2016|publisher=[[Grand Central Publishing]]|isbn=978-1455588190|pages=237–238|title-link=TV (The Book)}}</ref> Veteran character actor [[Noah Beery Jr.]] played Rockford's father "Rocky".

Between 1978 and 1985, Garner co-starred with [[Mariette Hartley]], who had made an [[Emmy Awards|Emmy]]-nominated appearance on ''The Rockford Files'', in 250 TV commercials for [[Polaroid Corporation|Polaroid]], a manufacturer of [[instant film]] and cameras.<ref>{{Citation |title="The Rockford Files" Paradise Cove (TV Episode 1979) - IMDb |url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0688030/characters/nm0366866 |access-date=2023-03-10}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Mariette Hartley |url=https://www.emmys.com/bios/mariette-hartley |access-date=2023-03-10 |website=Television Academy |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=James Garner remembered by co-star Mariette Hartley |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/movies/chi-mariette-hartley-remembers-james-garner-20140721-column.html |access-date=2023-03-10 |website=Chicago Tribune|date=21 July 2014 }}</ref> They portrayed a bantering, bickering couple so convincingly that some viewers believed that the two were married.<ref>{{Cite web |title=It Didn't Happen in 60 Seconds, but Her Ads with Jim Garner Developed Mariette Hartley's Career |author-first1=Sue|author-last1=Reilly|date=8 October 1979|url=https://people.com/archive/it-didnt-happen-in-60-seconds-but-her-ads-with-jim-garner-developed-mariette-hartleys-career-vol-12-no-15/ |access-date=2023-03-10 |website=People|language=en}}</ref> After six seasons, ''The Rockford Files'' was cancelled in 1980. The physical toll on Garner resulted in his doctor ordering him to take some time off to rest.<ref name=A&E-Biography>"James Garner: Hollywood Maverick." ''[[Biography (TV series)|Biography]]'' (October 2, 2000)</ref> Appearing in nearly every scene of the series, doing many of his own stunts—including one that injured his back—was wearing him out.<ref name=A&E-Biography/> A knee injury from his National Guard days worsened in the wake of the continuous jumping and rolling, and he was hospitalized with a bleeding ulcer in 1979.<ref name=A&E-Biography/> When Garner's physician ordered him to rest, the studio immediately cancelled ''The Rockford Files''.

[[Stuart Margolin]] (who played Angel Martin in ''The Rockford Files'') said that despite Garner's health problems in the later years of ''The Rockford Files,'' he would often work long shifts, unusual for a starring actor, staying to do off-camera lines with other actors, doing his own stunts despite his knee problems.<ref name=A&E-Biography/> When Garner later made ''The Rockford Files'' television movies, he said that 22 people (with the exception of series co-star Beery, who died late in 1994) came out of retirement to participate.<ref name=A&E-Biography/>

In July 1983, Garner filed suit against [[Universal Pictures|Universal Studios]] for [[United States dollar|US$]]16.5 million in connection with his ongoing dispute from ''The Rockford Files.'' The suit charged Universal with "breach of contract; failure to deal in good faith and fairly; and fraud and deceit". Garner alleged that Universal was "[[Hollywood accounting|creatively accounting]]", two words that are now part of the Hollywood lexicon.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/james-garner-a-lawyer-reflects-720549 |title=James Garner: A Lawyer Reflect0s on the Actor's Legal Legacy |date=July 23, 2014 |first=Neville |last=Johnson |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref> The suit was eventually settled out of court in 1989. As part of the agreement, Garner could not disclose the amount of the settlement.<ref name=Strait/><ref name=Variety-1998-09-14>[https://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=print_story&articleid=VR1117480358&categoryid=18 Garner files 'Files' suit] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119074911/http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=print_story&articleid=VR1117480358&categoryid=18 |date=January 19, 2012 }}. – [[Reuters]]. – (c/o ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]];'' September 14, 1998). Retrieved on June 1, 2008</ref>

"The industry is like it always has been. It's a bunch of greedy people," he stated in 1990.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/07/20/showbiz/james-garner-death/ |title=Famed actor James Garner dies at 86 |first=Todd |last=Leopold |date=July 21, 2014 |publisher= CNN }}</ref> Garner sued Universal again in 1998 for $2.2 million over syndication royalties. In this suit, he charged the studio with "deceiving him and suppressing information about syndication". He was supposed to receive $25,000 per episode that ran in syndication, but Universal charged him "distribution fees". He also felt that the studio did not release the show to the highest bidder for the episode reruns.<ref name=Variety-1998-09-14/>

====''The New Maverick'' (1978)====
Garner and Jack Kelly reappeared as Bret and Bart Maverick in a 1978 made-for-television film titled ''[[The New Maverick]]'' written by [[Juanita Bartlett]], directed by [[Hy Averback]], and also starring [[Susan Sullivan]] as [[Poker Alice]]. As had often been the case in [[List of Maverick episodes|episodes]] of the original series, Bret's brother Bart shows up only briefly toward the end.

''The New Maverick'' served as the pilot for a failed television series, ''[[Young Maverick]]'', featuring the adventures of Bret and Bart's younger cousin Ben Maverick, portrayed in both ''The New Maverick'' and ''Young Maverick'' by [[Charles Frank]]. The series itself, which presented Garner for only a few moments at the beginning of the first show, was canceled so rapidly that some of the episodes filmed were never broadcast in the United States. Despite the title, Frank was three years older than Garner had been at the launch of the original series.

===1980s===
[[File:James Garner 1987.jpg|left|thumb|upright|Garner in 1987]]

====''Bret Maverick'' (1981–1982)====
After the abrupt disappearance of ''Young Maverick'' two seasons earlier, an attempt to make a "Maverick" series without Garner, he returned to his earlier TV role in 1981 in the revival series ''[[Bret Maverick]]'', but NBC unexpectedly canceled the show after only one season despite reasonably good ratings. Critics noted that the scripts did not measure up to the [[List of Maverick episodes|episodes]] starring Garner in [[Maverick (TV series)|the first series]]. Jack Kelly ([[Maverick (TV series)#Jack Kelly as Bart Maverick|Bart Maverick]]) was slated to become a series regular had the show been picked up for another season. Kelly was presented with a stack of finished scripts featuring Bart Maverick for the upcoming second season, and he appeared in the last scene of the final episode in a surprise guest appearance.

====TV movies====
During the 1980s, Garner played dramatic roles in a number of television films, including ''[[Heartsounds]]'' with [[Mary Tyler Moore]] featuring the true story of a doctor (played by Garner) who is deprived of oxygen for too long during an operation and wakes up mentally impaired; ''[[Promise (1986 film)|Promise]]'' with [[James Woods]] and [[Piper Laurie]], about dealing with a mentally ill adult sibling; and ''[[My Name Is Bill W.]]'' with James Woods, in which Garner portrays the founder of [[Alcoholics Anonymous]]. In 1984, he played the lead in [[Joseph Wambaugh]]'s ''[[The Glitter Dome (film)|The Glitter Dome]]'' for [[HBO Pictures]], which was directed by his ''Rockford Files'' co-star [[Stuart Margolin]]. The film generated a mild controversy for a bondage sequence featuring Garner and co-star [[Margot Kidder]].<ref>{{cite news| url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/19963/The-Glitter-Dome/overview | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071109094021/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/19963/The-Glitter-Dome/overview | url-status=dead | archive-date=2007-11-09 | department=Movies & TV Dept. | work=[[The New York Times]] | first=Hal | last=Erickson | author-link=Hal Erickson (author) | date=2007 |title=The Glitter Dome}}</ref>
In 1984 he also starred in the movie ''[[Tank (film)|Tank]]'', about a soon-to-be retiring US Army Command Sergeant Major named Zack Carey who butted heads with a corrupt local sheriff after an incident with one of his deputies off base and used a privately owned [[M4 Sherman|Sherman tank]] to exact justice.

====''Murphy's Romance'' (1985)====
Garner's only [[Academy Awards|Oscar]] nomination was for [[Best Actor in a Leading Role]] for the film ''[[Murphy's Romance]]'' (1985), opposite [[Sally Field]]. Field and director [[Martin Ritt]] had to fight the studio, [[Columbia Pictures]], to have Garner cast, since he was regarded as a TV actor by then despite having co-starred in the box office hit ''[[Victor/Victoria]]'' opposite [[Julie Andrews]] two years earlier. Columbia did not want to make the movie, because it had no "sex or violence" in it. But because of the success of ''[[Norma Rae]]'' (1979), with the same star (Field), director, and screenplay writing team ([[Harriet Frank Jr.]] and [[Irving Ravetch]]), and with Field's new production company (Fogwood Films) producing, Columbia agreed. L wanted [[Marlon Brando]] to play the part of Murphy, so Field and Ritt had to insist on Garner.<ref>Cameron, Julia. – "Garner Fits Romantic Role, Not Hollywood Pigeonhole." ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' (January 19, 1986)</ref><ref>Laurence, Robert P. "Garner doesn't go by the book in role in 'Breathing Lessons.'" ''[[San Diego Union-Tribune]]'' (February 6, 1994)</ref><ref>Rosenthal, Phil. "Garner Remains TV's Class Act." ''[[Daily News of Los Angeles]]'' (February 6, 1994). Retrieved on August 3, 2008</ref> Part of the deal from the studio, which at that time was owned by [[The Coca-Cola Company]], included an eight-line sequence of Field and Garner saying the word "Coke," and also having Coke signs appear prominently in the film.<ref>Baltake, Joe. "The Packaging of Hollywood of Advertising."
''[[Sacramento Bee]]'' (May 13, 1990)</ref><ref>"Blowing Smoke – They've Coma a Long Way, Baby, In pushing Cigarettes on Screen. ''[[Sacramento Bee]]'' (January 14, 1996). Retrieved on August 3, 2008</ref> In [[A&E Network|A&E]]'s ''[[Biography (TV series)|Biography]]'' of Garner, Field reported that her on-screen kiss with Garner was the best cinematic kiss she had ever experienced.<ref name=A&E-Biography-JGHM>Nelson, Ted.  "James Garner: Hollywood Maverick." ''A&E Biography'' (2000). New York: A & E Home Video; {{ISBN|978-0-7670-3361-9}}</ref>

====''Sunset'' (1988)====
Garner played [[Wyatt Earp]] (whom he physically resembled) in two very different movies shot 21 years apart, [[John Sturges]]'s ''[[Hour of the Gun]]'' in 1967 and [[Blake Edwards]]'s ''[[Sunset (1988 film)|Sunset]]'' in 1988. The first film was a realistic depiction of the [[Gunfight at the O.K. Corral|O.K. Corral shootout]] and its aftermath, while the second centered around a comedic fictional adventure shared by Earp and silent movie cowboy star [[Tom Mix]]. Earp had actually worked as a consultant for Western films during the [[silent film]] era toward the end of his life. The movie features [[Bruce Willis]] as Mix in only his second movie role. Although Willis was billed over Garner, the film actually gave more screen time and emphasis to Earp.{{citation needed|date=May 2017}}

For the second half of the 1980s, Garner also appeared in several of the North American market [[Mazda]] television commercials as an on-screen spokesman.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-02-10-fi-2280-story.html|title=Mazda Drops Garner to Try New Route in Commercials|last=Horovitz|first=Bruce|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=February 10, 1989|access-date=July 22, 2014}} "four-year stint as a spokesman for Mazda... contract expires in March" (i.e. March 1985–89)</ref>

===1990s===
In 1991, Garner starred in ''[[Man of the People (TV series)|Man of the People]]'', a television series about a con man chosen to fill an empty seat on a city council, with [[Kate Mulgrew]] and [[Corinne Bohrer]].<ref>{{cite magazine|first=TV |last=Guide |url=https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/man-of-the-people/cast/202891|title=Man of the People - Full Cast & Crew|magazine=TV Guide|access-date=December 11, 2021}}</ref> Despite reasonably fair ratings, the show was canceled after only 10 episodes.

In 1993, Garner played the lead in a well-received [[HBO]] movie, the true story ''[[Barbarians at the Gate (film)|Barbarians at the Gate]]'', and went on to reprise his role as Jim Rockford in eight ''The Rockford Files'' made-for-TV movies beginning the following year.<ref>{{cite book|author=Strait, Raymond|year=1985|title=James Garner|publisher=New York: St. Martin's|page=[https://archive.org/details/jamesgarner00stra/page/295 295]|isbn=978-0-312-43967-5|url=https://archive.org/details/jamesgarner00stra/page/295}}</ref> Practically everyone in the original cast of recurring characters returned for the new episodes except Noah Beery Jr., who had died in the interim.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Tate |first1=Marsha Ann |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aD1ZEAAAQBAJ |title=What America Watched: Television Favorites from the Cornfields to the Cosmos, 1960s-1990s |last2=Houser |first2=Earl |date=2022-01-11 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-1-4766-4465-3 |pages=319 |language=en}}</ref> According to Garner's memoir ''The Garner Files'', he insisted upon being fully paid in cash before the shooting began on each of the Rockford TV-movies.

In 1994, Garner played Marshal Zane Cooper in a movie version of ''[[Maverick (film)|Maverick]]'', with [[Mel Gibson]] as [[Maverick (TV series)#1994 film adaptation|Bret Maverick]] (in the end it is revealed that Garner's character is the father of Gibson's Maverick) and [[Jodie Foster]] as a gambling lass with a fake Southern accent.<ref>{{cite news|title=SUMMER SNEAKS '94: Was, Is and Always a Maverick: His signatures are Rockford and Maverick – can anybody in Hollywood do cool and canny better than James Garner?|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=May 15, 1994|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-05-15-ca-57884-story.html|access-date=November 23, 2010|first=Carla|last=Hall}}</ref>

In 1995, he played lead character Woodrow Call, an ex-lawman, in the TV miniseries sequel to ''[[Lonesome Dove (miniseries)|Lonesome Dove]]'' entitled ''[[Streets of Laredo (miniseries)|Streets of Laredo]]'', based on [[Larry McMurtry]]'s novel. In 1996, Garner and [[Jack Lemmon]] teamed up in ''[[My Fellow Americans]]'', playing two former presidents who uncover scandalous activity by their successor ([[Dan Aykroyd]]) and are pursued by murderous [[NSA]] agents.<ref name="http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=myfellowamericans.htm">{{cite web|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=myfellowamericans.htm|title=Box Office Mojo – My Fellow Americans|access-date=September 14, 2011}}</ref> In addition to a major recurring role during the last part of the run of TV series ''[[Chicago Hope]]'', Garner also starred in two short-lived series, the animated ''[[God, the Devil and Bob]]'' and ''[[First Monday]]'', in which he played a fictional version of the Supreme Court's [[Chief Justice of the United States]].

===2000s and 2010s===
In 2000, after an operation to replace both knees,<ref name="http://articles.latimes.com/2000/apr/12/entertainment/ca-18538"> {{cite news|last=King|first=Susan|title=At 'Chicago Hope,' They've Called In a Maverick Talent|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=April 12, 2000|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-apr-12-ca-18538-story.html|access-date=July 23, 2014}}</ref> Garner appeared with [[Clint Eastwood]], who had played a villain in the original ''Maverick'' series in the episode "[[Duel at Sundown (Maverick)|Duel at Sundown]]," as astronauts in the movie ''[[Space Cowboys]]'',<ref name="Indie"/> also featuring [[Tommy Lee Jones]] and [[Donald Sutherland]].

In 2001, Garner voiced Commander Rourke in ''[[Atlantis: The Lost Empire]]''. In 2002, following the death of [[James Coburn]], Garner took over Coburn's role as TV commercial voiceover for Chevrolet's "Like a Rock" advertising campaign. Garner continued to voice the commercials until the end of the campaign. Also in 2002, he played [[Sandra Bullock]]'s father in ''[[Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (film)|Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood]]'' as Shepard James "Shep" Walker. After the death of [[John Ritter]] in 2003, Garner joined the cast of ''[[8 Simple Rules]]'' as [[CJ Barnes|Grandpa Jim Egan]] (Cate's father)<ref>{{cite magazine|title=James Garner to Join '8 Simple Rules'|url= https://people.com/celebrity/james-garner-to-join-8-simple-rules|access-date=December 11, 2021|magazine=People|date=October 16, 2003}}</ref> and remained with the series until it finished in 2005.

In 2004, Garner starred as the older version of [[Ryan Gosling]]'s character in the film version of [[Nicholas Sparks (author)|Nicholas Sparks]]'s ''[[The Notebook]]'' alongside [[Gena Rowlands]] as his wife, directed by [[Nick Cassavetes]], Rowlands's son. The [[Screen Actors Guild]] nominated Garner as best actor for "Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sagawards.org/awards/nominees-and-recipients/11th-annual-screen-actors-guild-awards|title=The 11th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards|website=Sagawards.org|access-date=2016-07-24}}</ref> In 2006, Garner made his last personal appearance in the film ''[[The Ultimate Gift]]'' as billionaire Howard "Red" Stevens.  In 2010, Garner voiced [[Shazam (wizard)|Shazam]] in ''[[Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam]]''.<ref>{{cite news|title=R.I.P. TV and Film Icon James Garner, 1928–2014|url=https://comicbook.com/blog/2014/07/20/r-i-p-tv-and-film-icon-james-garner-1928-2014|access-date=July 21, 2014|publisher=Comicbook.com}}</ref>

===Memoir===
[[File:James Garner and daughter Kim 1958.JPG|left|thumb|upright|With stepdaughter Kim in 1958]]
On November 1, 2011, [[Simon & Schuster]] published Garner's autobiography ''The Garner Files: A Memoir''. In addition to recounting his career, the memoir, co-written with nonfiction writer Jon Winokur, detailed the childhood abuses Garner suffered at the hands of his stepmother. It also offered frank, unflattering assessments of some of Garner's co-stars such as [[Steve McQueen]] and [[Charles Bronson]]. In addition to recalling the genesis of most of Garner's hit films and television shows, the book also featured a section where the star provided individual critiques for every one of his acting projects accompanied by a star rating for each. Garner's three-time co-star [[Julie Andrews]] wrote the book's foreword. [[Lauren Bacall]], [[Diahann Carroll]], [[Doris Day]], [[Tom Selleck]], [[Stephen J. Cannell]], and many other Garner associates, friends, and relatives provided their memories of the star in the book's coda.<ref name="MJref">{{cite web|url=http://www.express.co.uk/expressyourself/287535/James-Garner-Why-Steve-McQueen-was-like-my-little-brother|title=James Garner: Why Steve McQueen was like my little brother|date=December 3, 2011|access-date=July 20, 2014}}</ref>

The "most explosive revelation" in his autobiography was that Garner smoked marijuana for much of his adult life. "I started smoking it in my late teens," Garner wrote.

{{blockquote|I drank to get drunk but ultimately didn't like the effect. Not so with grass. It had the opposite effect from alcohol: it made me more tolerant and forgiving. I did a little bit of cocaine in the Eighties, courtesy of John Belushi, but fortunately I didn't like it. But I smoked marijuana for 50 years and I don't know where I'd be without it. It opened my mind and now it eases my arthritis. After decades of research I've concluded that marijuana should be legal and alcohol illegal.<ref name="MJref"/>}}

===Awards and nominations===
Garner was nominated for 15 Emmy Awards during his television career, winning twice: in 1977 as Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (''The Rockford Files''), and in 1987 as executive producer of ''[[Promise (1986 film)|Promise]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.emmys.com/bios/james-garner|title=James Garner|publisher=Academy of Television Arts and Sciences|access-date=2014-08-16}}</ref>

For his contribution to the television industry, Garner received a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] at 6927 Hollywood Boulevard.<ref name="Indie">{{cite news|first=Ella|last=Alexander|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/james-garner-dead-the-notebook-and-rockford-files-actor-dies-aged-86-9617193.html|title=James Garner death: The Notebook, Maverick and Rockford Files actor dies aged 86|newspaper=[[The Independent]]|date=2014-07-20|access-date=2016-07-24}}</ref>

In 1990, he was inducted into the [[Western Performers Hall of Fame]] at the [[National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum]] in [[Oklahoma City, Oklahoma]]. He was also inducted into the [[Television Hall of Fame]] that same year. In February 2005, he received the [[Screen Actors Guild]]'s Lifetime Achievement Award.<ref name="irish"/><ref name="Indie"/> He was also nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role that year, for ''[[The Notebook]]''. When Morgan Freeman won that prize for his work in ''[[Million Dollar Baby]]'', Freeman led the audience in a sing-along of the original ''Maverick'' theme song, written by [[David Buttolph]] and [[Paul Francis Webster]].<ref>{{cite web |title=James Garner honored at SAG awards |url=https://www.today.com/popculture/james-garner-honored-sag-awards-wbna6920176 |website=Today |date=6 February 2005 |publisher=The Associated Press |access-date=27 March 2020}}</ref>

In 2010, the [[Television Critics Association]] gave Garner its annual Career Achievement Award.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Association
! Category
! Nominated work
! Result
|-
| 1958
| [[Golden Globe Award]]
| [[Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year - Actor|Most Promising Newcomer – Male]]
| ''[[Sayonara]]''
| {{won}}
|-
| 1959
| [[Primetime Emmy Award]]
| [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series|Best Actor in a Leading Role (Continuing Character) in a Dramatic Series]]
| ''[[Maverick (TV series)|Maverick]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| 1963
| rowspan="2" | [[Golden Globe Award]]
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy|Best Motion Picture Actor – Musical/Comedy]]
| ''[[The Wheeler Dealers]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| 1978–1980
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Television Series Drama|Best TV Actor – Drama]]
| rowspan=3|''[[The Rockford Files]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| 1977
| rowspan="2" | [[Primetime Emmy Award]]
| rowspan="2" | [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series|Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series]]
| {{won}}
|-
| 1976, 1978–1980
| {{nom}}
|-
| 1981
| [[Golden Globe Award]]
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Television Series Musical or Comedy|Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series – Comedy/Musical]]
| rowspan=2|''[[Bret Maverick]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| 1982
| [[Primetime Emmy Award]]
| [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series|Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| 1984
| [[Golden Globe Award]]
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Miniseries or Television Film|Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV]]
| rowspan=2|''[[Heartsounds]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| 1985
| [[Primetime Emmy Award]]
| [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie|Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or a Special]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| 1985
| [[Academy Awards]]
| [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor in a Leading Role]]
| rowspan=2|''[[Murphy's Romance]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| 1985
| rowspan="2" | [[Golden Globe Award]]
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy|Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy/Musical]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| 1986
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Miniseries or Television Film|Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV]]
| rowspan=3|''[[Promise (1986 film)|Promise]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| 1987
| rowspan="4" | [[Primetime Emmy Award]]
| [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie|Outstanding Drama/Comedy Special]]
| {{won}}
|-
| 1987
| [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie|Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Special]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| 1989
| [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie|Outstanding Drama/Comedy Special]]
| rowspan=2|''[[My Name is Bill W.]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| 1989
| [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie|Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Special]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| 1990
| [[Golden Globe Award]]
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Miniseries or Television Film|Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV]]
| rowspan=2|''[[Decoration Day (film)|Decoration Day]]''
| {{won}}
|-
| 1991
| [[Primetime Emmy Award]]
| [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie|Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Special]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| 1993
| [[Golden Globe Award]]
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Miniseries or Television Film|Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV]]
| rowspan=2|''[[Barbarians at the Gate (film)|Barbarians at the Gate]]''
| {{won}}
|-
| 1993
| [[Primetime Emmy Award]]
| [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie|Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Special]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| 1994
| [[Golden Globe Award]]
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Miniseries or Television Film|Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV]]
| rowspan=2|''[[Breathing Lessons]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| 1994
| [[Primetime Emmy Awards]]
| [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie|Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Special]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| 1994
| rowspan="5" | [[Screen Actors Guild Award]]
| rowspan="3" | [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie|Outstanding Performance in a TV Movie or Miniseries]]
| ''The Rockford Files: I Still Love L.A.''
| {{nom}}
|-
| 1995
| ''The Rockford Files: A Blessing in Disguise''
| {{nom}}
|-
| 1998
| ''Lagalese''
| {{nom}}
|-
| 2004
| [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role|Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role]]
| ''[[The Notebook]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| 2004
| [[Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award|Life Achievement Award]]
|
| {{won}}
|-
| 2008
| rowspan="2" | [[TCA Awards]]
| rowspan="2" | [[TCA Career Achievement Award]]
|
| {{nom}}
|-
| 2010
|
| {{won}}
|}

===Statue===

On April 21, 2006, a {{convert|10|ft|m|adj=mid|-tall}} bronze statue of Garner as [[Maverick (TV series)#James Garner as Bret Maverick|Bret Maverick]] was unveiled in Garner's hometown of [[Norman, Oklahoma]],<ref name="Indie" /> with Garner present at the ceremony.