Editing James Garner

{{short description|American actor (1928–2014)}}
{{about|the American actor|other uses|James Garner (disambiguation)}}
{{Use American English|date=September 2021}}{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = James Garner
| image              = James Garner Bret Maverick.JPG
| caption            = Garner as ''[[Maverick (TV series)|Maverick]]'' (1959)
| birth_name         = James Scott Bumgarner
| birth_date         = {{birth date|1928|4|7}}
| birth_place        = Denver, Oklahoma, now part of [[Norman, Oklahoma]], U.S.
| death_date         = {{death date and age|2014|7|19|1928|4|7}}
| death_place        = [[Los Angeles, California]], U.S.
| alma mater         = University of Oklahoma (Honorary Doctorate)
| occupation         = {{comma separated entries|Actor|producer}}
| years_active       = 1954–2014
| party              = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| spouse             = {{Marriage|Lois Josephine Fleischman Clarke|1956<!--Omission per template instructions-->}}
| children           = 2
| relatives          = [[Jack Garner]] (brother)
| module             = {{Infobox military person|embed=yes
   | allegiance    = United States
   | branch        =  {{ubl|[[United States Army National Guard]]| [[United States Merchant Marine]]}}
   | serviceyears  = {{ubl|1944–1946 <small>(Merchant Marine)</small>|1950–1952 <small>(Army)</small>}}
   | rank          = [[Corporal#United States|Corporal]]
   | unit          = {{ubl|[[California Army National Guard]]|[[5th Regimental Combat Team]]|[[24th Infantry Division (United States)|24th Infantry Division]]}}
   | battles       = {{ubl|[[World War II]]|[[Korean War]]}}
   |awards         = {{ubl|[[Combat Infantryman Badge]]| [[Purple Heart]] (2)| [[National Defense Service Medal]]| [[Korean Service Medal|Korean War Service Medal]]| [[Merchant Marine Combat Bar|Merchant Marine Combat Medal]]| [[Merchant Marine Atlantic War Zone Medal]]| [[Merchant Marine World War II Victory Medal]]| [[United Nations Service Medal for Korea]]| [[Presidential Unit Citation (United States)|United States Army Presidential Unit Citation]]| [[Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation]] }}}}
}}
'''James Scott Garner''' ([[né]] '''Bumgarner'''; April 7, 1928 – July 19, 2014) was an American actor. He played leading roles in more than 50 theatrical films, which included ''[[The Great Escape (film)|The Great Escape]]'' (1963) with [[Steve McQueen]]; [[Paddy Chayefsky]]'s ''[[The Americanization of Emily]]'' (1964) with [[Julie Andrews]]; ''[[Cash McCall]]'' (1960) with [[Natalie Wood]]; ''[[The Wheeler Dealers]]'' (1963) with [[Lee Remick]]; ''[[Darby's Rangers]]'' (1958) with [[Stuart Whitman]]; [[Roald Dahl]]'s ''[[36 Hours (1964 film)|36 Hours]]'' (1965) with [[Eva Marie Saint]]; as a [[Formula 1]] racing star in ''[[Grand Prix (1966 film)|Grand Prix]]'' (1966); [[Raymond Chandler]]'s ''[[Marlowe (1969 film)|Marlowe]]'' (1969) with [[Bruce Lee]]; ''[[Support Your Local Sheriff!]]'' (1969) with [[Walter Brennan]]; [[Blake Edwards]]'s ''[[Victor/Victoria]]'' (1982) with Julie Andrews; and ''[[Murphy's Romance]]'' (1985) with [[Sally Field]], for which he received an [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Academy Award]] nomination. He also starred in several television series, including popular roles such as [[Maverick (TV series)#James Garner as Bret Maverick|Bret Maverick]] in the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] 1950s [[Western (genre)|Western]] series ''[[Maverick (TV series)|Maverick]]'' and as [[Jim Rockford (television character)|Jim Rockford]] in the [[NBC]] 1970s [[Private investigator|private detective]] show, ''[[The Rockford Files]].''<ref name="irish">{{cite web|url=http://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/features/james-garner-in-the-rockford-files-was-an-irresistible-force-on-our-tv-screens-276303.html|title=James Garner in the 'Rockford Files' was an irresistible force on our TV screens|date=July 23, 2014|first=Michael|last=Moynihan|work=[[Irish Examiner]]}}</ref>

Garner's career and popularity continued into the 21st century with films such as ''[[Space Cowboys]]'' (2000) with [[Clint Eastwood]]; the animated film ''[[Atlantis: The Lost Empire]]'' (2001) (voice work) with [[Michael J. Fox]] and [[Cree Summer]]; ''[[The Notebook]]'' (2004) with [[Gena Rowlands]] and [[Ryan Gosling]]; and in his TV sitcom role as Jim Egan in ''[[8 Simple Rules]]'' (2003–2005).

==Early life==
Garner was born James Scott Bumgarner on April 7, 1928, in Denver, Oklahoma, (now under [[Lake Thunderbird]]).<ref name="Yantz">{{cite journal |last1=Yantz |first1=Mickel |title=The Maverick Comes Home to Oklahoma |journal=[[Chronicles of Oklahoma]] |date=Summer 2024 |volume=102 |issue=2 |pages=192–197}}</ref> His parents were Weldon Warren Bumgarner (1901–1986),<ref>Bumgarner is a surname of German origin, from German [[Baumgartner]] and [[Baumgärtner]], in English often written Baumgardner, Bumgardner, and Bumgartner</ref> a widower, and Mildred Scott ([[birth name|née]] Meek; 1907–1933), who died five years after his birth. His father was of part German ancestry. He claims his mother was half Cherokee.<ref>His surname is spelled, 'Bumgarner', as stated by Garner in an interview at "Archive of American Television Interview with James Garner (Part 1 of 6)"</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=05jyQPeLThsC&pg=PA5|title=The Garner Files: A Memoir|first1=James|last1=Garner|first2=Jon|last2=Winokur|first3=Julie|last3=Andrews|page=5|year=2011|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=9781451642629}}</ref><ref name="ABC bio">{{cite web|url=http://www.wchstv.com/abc/8simplerules/jamesgarner.shtml|title=James Garner|publisher=WCHS TV|access-date=September 12, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090519233352/http://www.wchstv.com/abc/8simplerules/jamesgarner.shtml|archive-date=May 19, 2009}}</ref><ref name="GoodHousekeeping-Mar76"><br />
(US Census records for 1900 show that Mr. Garner's maternal ancestor, Charles Meek, listed as "white", resided on the Choctaw Nation in Oklahoma.){{cite journal|date=March 1976|title=James Garner: A Really Nice Guy makes Good|journal=Good Housekeeping|location=New York City|publisher=The Hearst Corporation}} Page 46, photo caption: "Though Gigi Garner, 18, ..." Page 46, JG: "I was a terrible student and I never actually graduated from high school, but I got my diploma in the Army." Page 48: "my two daughters, Kim and Gigi" Page 48: "to his darkly pretty, very bright wife, Lois" Page 48, Lois: "When I first met him, I was an emotional wreck. My seven-year-old daughter, Kim, was in a hospital with polio." Page 58: "Jim's mother, who was half Cherokee Indian, a beautiful woman who died when he was five." (The interview was conducted on the set of ''Rockford Files'' and at his home with his wife and two daughters present, who lived at home. Kim's age was given as "27").</ref> His older brothers were [[Jack Garner]], also an actor, and Charles Warren Bumgarner (1924–1984), a school administrator.<ref name="normantranscript-x1492495785" >{{cite news|first=Andy|last=Rieger|title=Jack Garner dies at age 84|url=http://normantranscript.com/headlines/x1492495785/Jack-Garner-dies-at-age-84|work=[[Norman Transcript]]|date=September 15, 2011|access-date=September 28, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=<!--  https://web.archive.org/web/20120108175409/https://www.normantranscript.com/headlines/x1492495785/jack-garner-dies-at-age-84/  -->https://archive.today/20130104060320/http://normantranscript.com/headlines/x1492495785/Jack-Garner-dies-at-age-84|archive-date=January 4, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Dame Bernice Lake dies|url=https://variety.com/2011/scene/news/jack-garner-dies-at-85-1118042851/|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=September 14, 2011|access-date=September 28, 2011}}</ref> His family was Methodist.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.huntingtonnews.net/12746|title=Book Review: 'The Garner Files': Jim Rockford a Curmudgeon? Say It Ain't So!|publisher=Huntington News|access-date=April 4, 2012}}</ref> The family ran a general store at Denver Corner on the east side of Norman. 

After their mother's death, Garner and his brothers were sent to live with relatives.

Garner attended Wilson Elementary School, Norman Junior High and [[Norman High School]] ([[Norman Public Schools]]).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Transcript |first=Andy Rieger {{!}} For The |date=2022-05-22 |title=Column: How about a Norman celebrity home tour? |url=https://www.normantranscript.com/opinion/column-how-about-a-norman-celebrity-home-tour/article_bcdd9fe0-d922-11ec-94ae-e7c55b58422d.html |access-date=2024-04-25 |website=Norman Transcript |language=en}}</ref>

Garner was reunited with his family in 1934 when his father remarried,<ref name="Indie2">{{cite news|first=Robert |last=Sellers |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/james-garner-the-actor-known-for-his-portrayals-of-an-honourable-man-in-a-dishonourable-world-9617517.html|title=James Garner: The actor known for his portrayals of an honourable man in a dishonourable world &#124; Obituaries &#124; News|newspaper=[[The Independent]]|access-date=24 July 2016}}</ref> the first of several times.<ref name=GarnerFilesP15>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W6jiYnyLRgoC&pg=PA15|title=The Garner Files: A Memoir|first1=James|last1=Garner|first2=Jon|last2=Winokur|first3=Julie|last3=Andrews|page=15|year=2011|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=9781451642612}}</ref> He had a volatile relationship with one of his stepmothers, Wilma, who beat all three boys. He said that his stepmother also punished him by forcing him to wear a dress in public. When he was 14 years old, he fought with her, knocking her down and choking her to keep her from retaliating against him physically. She left the family and never returned.<ref>Grobel, Lawrence. ''The Art of the Interview''. New York: Three Rivers Press. 2004, p. 161. {{ISBN|1-4000-5071-5}}</ref><ref name=Strait>Strait, Raymond. ''James Garner''. New York, New York: St. Martin's Press. 1985. {{ISBN|0-312-43967-9}}</ref> His brother Jack later commented, "She was a damn no-good woman".<ref name=Strait />

:"I managed to steer pretty clear of it... I was doing all of it, but I never really got caught. I was a bad boy, but I just, you know, they never caught me at it." — James Garner<ref name="Triplett">{{Cite web |last=Triplett |first=Gene |title=The Garner files Retrospective honors actor's career |url=https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2001/07/27/the-garner-files-retrospective-honors-actors-career/62137334007/ |access-date=2024-04-25 |website=The Oklahoman |language=en-US}}</ref>

Garner's last stepmother was Grace, whom he said he loved and called "Mama Grace", and he felt that she was more of a mother to him than anyone else had been.<ref name=GarnerFilesP15/>

Shortly after Garner's father's marriage to Wilma broke up, his father moved to [[Los Angeles]], leaving Garner and his brothers in Norman.  After working at several jobs he disliked, Garner joined the [[United States Merchant Marine|U.S. Merchant Marine]] at age 16 near the end of [[World War II]]. He liked the work and his shipmates, but he had chronic [[seasickness]]<ref name="Indie2"/> and only lasted a year.<ref name="Triplett"/>

:"Garner followed his father to Los Angeles in 1945, attending Hollywood High while helping his dad lay carpet. The next five years were back and forth between California and Oklahoma, during which Garner worked in chick hatcheries and the oil fields, as a truck driver and grocery clerk, and even as a swim trunks model for Jantzen..."<ref name="Triplett"/>

After World War II, Garner joined his father in Los Angeles and was enrolled at [[Hollywood High School]], where he was voted the most popular student.  A high school gym teacher recommended him for a job modeling [[Jantzen]] bathing suits.<ref name=CunneffT-People>Cunneff, Tom. [http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,20146765,00.html "Jim Dandy"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303213134/http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0%2C20146765%2C00.html|date=March 3, 2016 }}. ''[[People (magazine)|People]]'' (February 7, 2005) Retrieved on May 30, 2008</ref> It paid well ([[United States dollar|$]]25 an hour) but, in his first interview for the Archives of American Television,<ref name=GoogleVideo>[http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=%22archive+of+american+television+interview+with+james+garner%22 James Garner interview]{{dead link|date=November 2016|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}} at [[Archive of American Television]] – (c/o Google Video; March 17, 1999)</ref> he said he hated modeling. He soon quit and returned to Norman.

There he played football and basketball at [[Norman High School]] and competed on the track and golf teams.<ref name=TW-OKIE-2007>[https://archive.today/20120914172629/http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=070715_1_CE12_spanc35828 "Proud to be an OKIE"]. ''[[Tulsa World]]'' (July 15, 2007)</ref> However, he dropped out in his senior year. In a 1976 ''[[Good Housekeeping]]'' magazine interview, he admitted, "I was a terrible student and I never actually graduated from high school, but I got my diploma in the Army."<ref name="GoodHousekeeping-Mar76"/>

===Military service===
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:James Garner receives the Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster.jpg|thumb|right|Garner receives a belated Korean War Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster at Los Angeles in 1983]] -->

Garner enlisted in the [[California Army National Guard]], serving his first 7 months in [[California]]. He was deployed to [[Korea]] during the [[Korean War]], and spent 14 months as a rifleman in the [[5th RCT|5th Regimental Combat Team]], then part of the 24th Infantry Division. He was wounded twice: in the face and hand by [[Fragmentation (weaponry)|fragmentation]] from a [[Mortar (weapon)|mortar]] round, and in the buttocks by [[friendly fire]] from U.S. fighter jets as he dove into a foxhole. Garner would later joke that "there was a lot of room involving my rear end. How could they miss?"<ref name="UPI">{{cite web |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1983/01/24/The-US-government-has-finally-given-actor-James-Garner/8102412232400/ |title=The U.S. government has finally given actor James Garner... |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=24 January 1983 |website=UPI |access-date=2 December 2023}}</ref>

Garner received the [[Purple heart winners|Purple Heart]] in Korea for his initial wounding. He also qualified for a second Purple Heart (for which he was eligible, since he was hit by friendly fire which "was released with the full intent of inflicting damage or destroying enemy troops or equipment"),<ref>{{cite news |last=Keeran |first=Joshua |date=24 December 2020 |title=Who is eligible to receive Purple Heart medal? |url=https://www.delgazette.com/2020/12/24/who-is-eligible-to-receive-purple-heart-medal/ |work=The Delaware Gazette |access-date=2 December 2023}}</ref> but did not actually receive it until 1983, 32 years after the event.<ref name=CunneffT-People/><ref>{{cite news |author=<!--not stated--> |date=25 January 1983 |title=Actor James Garner Receives Purple Heart 32 Years Late |work=The Oklahoman}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=<!--not stated--> |date=25 January 1983 |title=Garner Has a Heart...30 Years Late |work=Philadelphia Daily News}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=<!--not stated--> |date=12 May 1995 |title=Jim Garner Gets Behind a Cause |work=Philadelphia Daily News}}</ref> This was apparently the result of an error which was not rectified until Garner appeared on [[Good Morning America]] in November 1982, with presenter [[David Hartman (TV personality)|David Hartman]] making inquiries "after he learned of the case on his television show".<ref name="UPI"/> At the ceremony where he received his second Purple Heart, Garner understated: "After 32 years, it's better to receive this now than posthumously".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.kpbs.org/news/military/2014/07/21/james-garner-korean-war-purple-heart-army-marines |title=James Garner Served In Korean War, Awarded Purple Heart Twice  |last=Roth |first=Beth Ford |date=21 July 2014 |website=KPBS |access-date=2 December 2023}}</ref> Reflecting on his military service, Garner recalled: "Do I have fond memories? I guess if you get together with some buddies it's fond. But it really wasn't. It was cold and hard. I was one of the lucky ones."

====Awards====
{| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|colspan="12"|[[File:Combat Infantry Badge.svg|200px]]
|-
|colspan="12"|{{ribbon devices|number=1|type=oak|ribbon=Purple Heart ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|-
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=National Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=4|type=service-star|ribbon=Korean_Service_Medal_-_Ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=MM Combat bar.JPG|width=106}}
|-
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=USA Merchant Marine Atlantic War Zone Medal ribbon.png|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Merchant Marine Victory ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=United Nations Service Medal Korea ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|-
|colspan="12"|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force Presidential Unit Citation ribbon.svg|width=106}}{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Korean Presidential Unit Citation.png|width=106}}
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
|colspan="12"|[[Combat Infantry Badge]]
|-
|colspan="12"|[[Purple Heart Medal|Purple Heart]]
|-
| colspan="4"|[[National Defense Service Medal|National Defense<br />Service Medal]]
| colspan="4"|[[Korean Service Medal|Korean War<br />Service Medal]]
| colspan="4"|[[Merchant Marine Combat Bar|Merchant Marine<br />Combat Medal]]
|-
| colspan="4"|[[Merchant Marine Atlantic War Zone Medal|Merchant Marine<br />Atlantic War Zone Medal]]
| colspan="4"|[[Merchant Marine World War II Victory Medal|Merchant Marine<br />World War II Victory Medal]]
| colspan="4"|[[United Nations Service Medal for Korea|United Nations<br />Service Medal for Korea]]
|-
| colspan=6|[[Presidential Unit Citation (United States)|United States Army<br />Presidential Unit Citation]]
| colspan="6"|[[Presidential Unit Citation (South Korea)|Republic of Korea<br />Presidential Unit Citation]]
|}

==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.

==Personal life==
===Marriage and family===
Despite his popularity and sociable nature, Garner was seen by others as a down-to-earth man who kept his family life private.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lancasteronline.com/features/i-know-a-story-meeting-james-garner-a-down-to/article_923dd3c4-1669-11e4-a56f-001a4bcf6878.html|title=I Know A Story: Meeting James Garner, a down-to-earth star|publisher=LancasterOnline.com|date=August 3, 2014 |access-date=October 4, 2023}}</ref>
[[File:Jim Garner and his family, 1959.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Lois, Garner and family]]

Garner was married once, to Lois Josephine Fleischman Clarke,<ref>{{cite web|last=Walsten |first=Jessika |url=https://www.nexttv.com/news/rockford-files-star-james-garner-dies-132572 |title='Rockford Files' Star James Garner Dies|website=NextTV |date=2014-07-20 |access-date=2021-11-29}}</ref> whom he met at a party in 1956. They wed 16 days later on August 17, 1956. "We went to dinner every night for 14 nights. I was just absolutely nuts about her. I spent $77 on our honeymoon, and it about broke me."<ref name=CunneffT-People/> According to Garner, "Marriage is like the Army; everyone complains, but you'd be surprised at the large number of people who re-enlist."<ref>Garner, James, with Charlie Rose.  "An Hour with Actor James Garner." ''[[Charlie Rose (TV series)|Charlie Rose]]'' (March 26, 2002)</ref> His wife practiced [[Judaism]].<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.countryliving.com/life/entertainment/a44424/james-garner-and-lois-clarke-love-story/ |title = James Garner and Lois Clarke Dated for 14 Days Before Getting Married|date = August 18, 2017}}</ref>

When Garner and Clarke married, Lois' daughter from a previous marriage was nine years old and recovering from [[polio]].<ref name="GoodHousekeeping-Mar76" /> Garner had one daughter formally named Greta, called by her nickname "Gigi" with Lois who was born on January 4, 1958.<ref name="GoodHousekeeping-Mar76" />

Garner and his wife Lois were still married at his death in 2014, although they had had two periods of separation: the first for three months in 1970, and the second in 1979. The couple reunited two years later in September 1981.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=YBlbAAAAIBAJ&pg=4250%2C443056 | last=Beck | first=Marilyn | title=Garner: 'I like people who care' | newspaper=Bangor Daily News | date=January 1, 1982 | access-date=June 12, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/james-garner-the-actor-known-for-his-portrayals-of-an-honourable-man-in-a-dishonourable-world-9617517.html | title=James Garner: The actor known for his portrayals of an honourable man in a dishonourable world | website=The Independent | first=Robert | last=Sellers | date=July 20, 2014 | access-date=June 12, 2022}}</ref>

Garner stated that during this second period apart he split his time between Canada and "a rented house in the Valley." In each case Garner said the separations were caused by the stress of his acting career and were not due to marital problems. In the case of ''The Rockford Files'' he was in almost every scene while in constant pain due to his arthritic knees, and under tremendous stress from the studio.<ref name="CunneffT-People" /> Garner stated that when he quit the series in 1979, he simply needed to spend time alone in order to recover.<ref>{{Cite magazine | url=https://people.com/archive/cover-story-the-man-is-back-vol-23-no-16/ | title=The Man Is Back | first=Jane | last=Hall | date=April 22, 1985 | magazine=People | access-date=June 12, 2022 | language=en}}</ref>

Garner's death in 2014 was less than a month before their 58th wedding anniversary. His wife died seven years later, on October 21, 2021.

===Racing===
In his youth, Garner had raced with "hot cars" in "chases", but his interest in auto racing was magnified during preparations for the filming of ''[[Grand Prix (1966 film)|Grand Prix]]''. [[John Frankenheimer]], the director and impetus behind the project, was determined to make the film as realistic as possible. He was trying to determine which actor he could focus on for high speed takes. At his disposal were the services of [[Bob Bondurant]], a Formula 1 racer who was serving as technical consultant for the film. The first step was to place the actors in a two-seater version of a Formula 1 car to see how they would handle the high speeds. Bondurant noted that all the actors became quite frightened going over 240 kph, (149&nbsp;mph) except Garner, who returned to the pit laughing like an excited child. Said Bondurant, "This is your man".<ref name="Crowe">{{cite web|url=https://autoaction.com.au/2017/01/11/james-garners-grand-prix|last=Crowe|first=Jason|title=James Garner's Grand Prix|work=Auto Action|date=11 January 2017}}</ref> From there on out, all the actors were placed in a race driver training program except for Garner, whom Bonderant was assigned to personally train. Garner proved to be a good student, a hard worker and a talented driver. Compared to the other actors in the movie, Bondurant tagged Garner as being 'light years' ahead.<ref name="Crowe"/> By the end of the film Bonderant asserted that Garner could compete on a Formula 1 team, and would best some of the drivers currently in the field.<ref name="Warner Bros">{{cite AV media|people=Jonathan Strailey (producer)|title=Pushing the Limit: The Making of Grand Prix|type = Documentary film|date = 2006|publisher = Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.}}</ref>

Following the completion of ''Grand Prix'', Garner become involved in auto racing. From 1967 through 1969 Garner was an owner of the "American International Racers" (AIR) [[auto racing]] team.<ref name="ORMHOF"/> Motorsports writer William Edgar and Hollywood director [[Andy Sidaris]] teamed with Garner for the racing documentary ''[[The Racing Scene]]'', filmed in 1969 and released in 1970.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thisweekinmotors.com/james-garners-the-racing-scene-dvd|title=James Garner's "The Racing Scene"|website=Thisweekinmotors.com|date=2014-07-20|access-date=2016-07-24}}</ref> The team fielded cars at the [[24 Hours of Le Mans|Le Mans]], [[24 Hours of Daytona|Daytona]], and [[12 Hours of Sebring|Sebring]] endurance races, but is best known for raising public awareness in early off-road motor-sports events, in many of which Garner competed.<ref name="ORMHOF">{{cite web|url=http://www.ormhof.com/inductees/James-Garner.htm|title=Garner – 1978 inductee, Off-Road Hall Of Fame|publisher=Ormhof.com|date=April 7, 1928|access-date=April 25, 2010}}</ref> In 1978, he was one of the inaugural inductees in the [[Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame]].<ref name="ORMHOF"/>

Garner signed a three-year sponsorship contract with [[American Motors|American Motors Corporation]] (AMC).<ref>Foster, Pat. {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20090628070729/http://www.ramblerrogue.com/maverick.htm Maverick's Movin' Machine: James Garner's Racing SC/Rambler"]}}. Hemmings Muscle Machines magazine (c/o Rambler Rogue Registry)</ref> His shops prepared ten 1969 [[Rambler American|SC/Ramblers]] for the Baja 500 race.<ref>[http://www.arcticboy.com/media/american/BajaScram/bajaamer.html "1969 Rambler Americans in Baja"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160806073753/http://www.arcticboy.com/media/american/BajaScram/bajaamer.html|date=August 6, 2016}} – at ArcticBoy's Baja Scramble Pictures</ref> Garner did not drive in this event because of a film commitment in Spain that year. Nevertheless, seven of his cars finished the grueling race, taking three of the top five places in the sedan class.<ref>[http://www.javelinamx.com/JavHome/articles/air4wd.htm "Like Bounding Gazelles"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160312012337/http://www.javelinamx.com/JavHome/articles/air4wd.htm|date=March 12, 2016}} [[Motor Trend]] – (c/o JavelinAMX.com). August 1969</ref> Garner also drove the [[pace car]] at the [[Indianapolis 500]] race in 1975, 1977, and 1985 (see: [[list of Indianapolis 500 pace cars]]).<ref name="ORMHOF"/>

In 1987, Garner announced plans to partner with Larry Cahill to form a racing team to compete in the [[1988 CART PPG Indy Car World Series|1988 Indycar season]]. The intention was to base the team in [[Cedar Rapids, Iowa]], where Cahill operated his businesses. The estimated budget was $3.5 million. Plans for this team never came to fruition.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1987-08-28-8703050381-story.html|title=GARNER GETS INTO RACING ACT|website=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=28 August 1987 }}</ref>
Cahill later formed his own [[Cahill Racing|team]] to compete in the [[Indy Racing League]].

===Golf===
Garner was an avid golfer for many years. Along with his brother, Jack, he played golf in high school.<ref name=TW-OKIE-2007/> Jack even attempted a professional golfing career after a brief stint in the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] baseball farm system.<ref name="MontgomeryE-WD-2006-04-05">Montgomery, Ed. {{cite web|url=http://www.weatherforddemocrat.com/entertainment/cnhinsentertainment_story_096092050.html?keyword=topstory|title=Maverick coming home|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130108203330/http://www.weatherforddemocrat.com/entertainment/cnhinsentertainment_story_096092050.html?keyword=topstory|archive-date=2013-01-08}} ''The Norman Transcript'' (c/o ''The Weatherford Democrat''; April 6, 2006)</ref> Garner took it up again in the late 1950s to see if he could beat Jack.<ref name=CunneffT-People/> He was a regular for years at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am.<ref name=MontgomeryE-WD-2006-04-05/> In February 1990 at the AT&T Golf Tournament, he won the Most Valuable Amateur Trophy.<ref name="ABC bio"/> Garner appeared on Sam Snead's Celebrity Golf TV series, which aired from 1960 – 1963. These matches were 9-hole charity events pitting Snead against Hollywood celebrities.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hZldDAAAQBAJ&q=Garner+appeared+on+Sam+Snead%27s+Celebrity+Golf+TV+series&pg=PT112|title=James Garner: A Biography|last=Strait|first=Raymond|date=2016-06-13|publisher=Crossroad Press|language=en}}</ref>

===American football===
Garner was noted as an enthusiastic fan of the [[Oakland Raiders|Raiders]] in the [[National Football League|NFL]]; he regularly attended games and mixed with the players.<ref name=CBS-Raiders-2014-07-20>[https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/look-james-garner-who-died-at-86-was-a-huge-raiders-fan/ "James Garner, who died at 86, was a huge Raiders fan"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160309000708/http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/24629456/look-james-garner-who-died-at-86-was-a-huge-raiders-fan/ |date=March 9, 2016 }}CBS Sports July 20, 2014. Retrieved November 29, 2021</ref> He was also present when the Raiders won [[Super Bowl XVIII]] over the [[Washington Redskins]] in January 1984 at [[Tampa, Florida]].

===University of Oklahoma===
Garner was a supporter of the [[University of Oklahoma]], often returning to [[Norman, Oklahoma|Norman]] for school functions. When he attended [[Oklahoma Sooners football]] games, he frequently could be seen on the sidelines or in the press box. Garner received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree at OU in 1995.<ref name=NoTr-FavSon-2006-03-30>[https://archive.today/20130108144837/http://www.normantranscript.com/localnews/local_story_089005605/ "Favorite son returns for '89er Days"] – The Norman Transcript – March 30, 2006</ref>

In 2003, to endow the James Garner Chair in the School of Drama, he donated [[USD|$]]500,000 towards a total $1 million endowment for the first endowed position at the drama school.<ref name=NoTr-FavSon-2006-03-30/><ref name=NoTr--2006-03-12>[https://archive.today/20130108200832/http://www.normantranscript.com/localnews/local_story_071004240/ "Garner will choose movie for Norman celebration"], ''The Norman Transcript'' (March 12, 2006)</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Klinka |first=Karen |date=April 4, 2003 |title=Garner gives $500,000 for OU drama chair |url= https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2003/04/04/garner-gives-500000-for-ou-drama-chair/62050048007/|work= The Oklahoman|location=Norman,OK |access-date=January 22, 2024}}</ref>

===Politics===
[[File:Warner Brothers television westerns stars 1959.JPG|thumb|right|1959 [[Warner Bros.]] series leads [[Will Hutchins]] (''[[Sugarfoot]]''), [[Peter Brown (actor)|Peter Brown]] (''[[Lawman (TV series)|Lawman]]''), [[Jack Kelly (actor)|Jack Kelly]] (''[[Maverick (TV series)|Maverick]]''), [[Ty Hardin]] (''[[Bronco (TV series)|Bronco]]''), James Garner (''Maverick''), [[Wayde Preston]] ''([[Colt .45 (TV series)|Colt .45]]''), and [[John Russell (actor)|John Russell]] (''[[Lawman (TV series)|Lawman]]'')]]

Garner was a strong [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] supporter.

On August 28, 1963, Garner was one of several celebrities to join [[Martin Luther King Jr.]] in the "[[March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom]]."<ref name="Leopold">{{Cite web |last=Leopold |first=Todd |date=2014-07-20 |title=Famed actor James Garner dies at 86 |url=https://www.cnn.com/2014/07/20/showbiz/james-garner-death/index.html |access-date=2024-04-25 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref> In his autobiography, Garner recalled sitting in the third row listening to King's "[[I Have a Dream]]" speech.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Garner |first1=James |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W6jiYnyLRgoC&q=%22James+Garner%22+%22I+have+a+dream%22 |title=The Garner Files: A Memoir |last2=Winokur |first2=Jon |date=2012-10-23 |publisher=Simon and Schuster |isbn=978-1-4516-4261-2 |pages=97 |language=en}}</ref>
:"If there was an environmental cause, James Garner was there" — [[Zev Yaroslavsky]]<ref name="Sawicki">{{Cite web |last=Sawicki |first=Emily |date=2014-07-23 |title=Garner Remembered for 'Rockford Files,' Environmental Passion • The Malibu Times |url=https://malibutimes.com/article_de6b8e58-129a-11e4-9619-0019bb2963f4 |access-date=2024-04-25 |language=en-US}}</ref>
In July 1964, Garner, over a master plan for a 92-square-mile Santa Monica Mountains area, engaged in a public quarrel with [[Karl L. Rundberg#Mountains|Karl L. Rundberg]], a Los Angeles City Council member, at a council meeting.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.alamy.com/actor-james-garner-is-shown-july-30-1964-los-angeles-calif-the-actor-was-on-hand-for-a-city-council-hearing-on-a-controversial-master-plan-for-development-of-the-santa-monica-mountains-which-the-movie-folk-dont-want-changed-by-proposed-subdivisions-and-additional-population-ap-photo-image525565482.html | title=Actor James Garner is shown, July 30, 1964, Los Angeles, Calif. The actor was on hand for a City Council hearing on a controversial master plan for development of the Santa Monica Mountains which the movie folk don't want changed by proposed subdivisions and additional population. (AP Photo Stock Photo - Alamy }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2014-07-21 |title=James Garner nearly got into a fight to protect Santa Monica Mountains |url=https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-james-garner-santa-monica-mountains-20140721-story.html |access-date=2024-04-25 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="Vollmer">{{Cite web |last=Vollmer |first=Ted |date=1988-09-19 |title=Many Battles but No Winner : A tenacious Occidental Petroleum Corp. and ambivalent city officials have fought to a draw for 22 years over Palisades drilling. |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-09-19-me-1555-story.html |access-date=2024-04-25 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=1964-07-30 |title=Independent from Long Beach, California |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/719583846/ |access-date=2024-04-25 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en-US}}</ref> Later, Garner, [[Steve McQueen]] and [[Burt Lancaster]], became founding members of the ''Friends of the [[Santa Monica Mountains]]'' conservancy group, according to the book ''Transforming California'' by Stephanie S. Pincetl, but contested by Dash Stolarz, spokesperson for the state's [[Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy]]<ref name="Leopold"/><ref name="Sawicki"/><ref>{{Cite web |last=Steve |date=2018-12-02 |title=Mothers of the Santa Monica Mountains |url=https://venturacountytrails.org/WP/2018/12/02/mothers-of-the-santa-monica-mountains/ |access-date=2024-04-25 |website=venturacountytrails.org |language=en-US}}</ref>

In the 1980s, Garner worked against oil drilling offshore of [[Will Rogers State Beach]].<ref>* https://static.library.ucla.edu/oralhistory/pdf/masters/21198-zz000975hc-5-master.pdf
* https://ssmpa.com/resources/newsletters/2015%2001%20Newsletter%20v1_1.pdf
</ref><ref name="Sawicki"/><ref name="Vollmer"/>

From 1982, Garner gave at least $29,000 to Federal campaigns, of which over $24,000 was to Democratic Party candidates, including [[Dennis Kucinich]] (for Congress in 2002), [[Dick Gephardt]], [[John Kerry]], [[Barbara Boxer]], and various Democratic committees and groups.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newsmeat.com/celebrity_political_donations/James_Garner.php|title=NEWSMEAT - James Garner's federal campaign contributions|date=March 9, 2005|access-date=May 9, 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050309051230/http://www.newsmeat.com/celebrity_political_donations/James_Garner.php|archive-date=March 9, 2005|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
 
For his role in the 1985 CBS miniseries [[Space (miniseries)|''Space'']], the character's party affiliation was changed from [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] to Democrat, as in the book, to reflect Garner's personal views. Garner said, "My wife would leave me if I played a Republican."<ref>Thomas, Jack. "Keep Your Eye On This Space". ''Boston Globe'' (April 13, 1985)</ref>

===Friendship with Richmond Barthé===
Garner became a friend, supporter and main benefactor of African-American sculptor [[Richmond Barthé]], from the time the latter returned from Europe in 1977 and settled in Pasadena,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Richmond-Barthe|title=Richmond Barthé|date=March 2, 2025|website=Britannica}}</ref> until Barthé's death in 1989.

==Health issues and death==
[[File:Childrens Hour trailer screenshot 3.png|right|thumb|{{center|''Children's Hour'' trailer}}]]

Garner's knees became a chronic problem during the filming of ''The Rockford Files'' in the 1970s, with "six or seven knee operations during that time." In 2000, he underwent knee replacement surgery for both knees.<ref name=CunneffT-People/>

On April 22, 1988, Garner had [[Coronary artery bypass surgery|quintuple bypass heart surgery]].<ref>"Garner OK after Heart Bypass Operation." ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' (April 24, 1988)</ref> Though he recovered rapidly, he was advised to stop smoking. Garner eventually quit smoking 17 years later in 2005.<ref>Garner, James; Jon Winokur, introduction by Julie Andrews (2011). The Garner Files: A Memoir, p. 200.</ref>  "My dad had smoked since he was 12 years old," recalled daughter Gigi Garner.<ref>{{Cite web |last=World |first=Jimmie Tramel Tulsa |date=2023-09-23 |title=OKPOP celebrates acquisition of James Garner collection |url=https://tulsaworld.com/life-entertainment/local/movies-tv/okpop-celebrates-acquisition-of-james-garner-collection/article_625f4a0a-58c4-11ee-8281-4329c79b6c8d.html |access-date=2024-04-25 |website=Tulsa World |language=en}}</ref>

Garner underwent surgery on May 11, 2008, following a severe [[stroke]] he had suffered two days earlier.<ref name="GormanS-Reuters-2008-05-14">Gorman, Steve. [https://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSN1342989220080514 "James Garner undergoes surgery after stroke"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090110124002/https://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSN1342989220080514 |date=January 10, 2009 }}. [[Reuters]] (May 14, 2008). Retrieved on May 14, 2008</ref> His prognosis was reported to be "very positive".<ref name="GormanS-Reuters-2008-05-14"/>

On July 19, 2014, police and rescue personnel were summoned to Garner's [[Brentwood, Los Angeles|Brentwood]], Los Angeles home, where they found the actor dead at the age of 86.<ref>{{cite news|last=Leopold|first=Todd|url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/07/20/showbiz/james-garner-death/index.html|title=Famed actor James Garner dies at 86|website=CNN.com|date=2014-07-21|access-date=2016-07-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/21/movies/james-garner-actor-dies-at-86.html|title= Leading Man, Dies at 86 James Garner, Witty, Handsome|date=July 20, 2014|work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=July 21, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/10978889/James-Garner-obituary.html|title=James Garner – obituary|date=July 20, 2014|work=Daily Telegraph|access-date=July 21, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Natale|first=Richard|date=2014-07-20|title=James Garner of 'Maverick,' 'Rockford Files,' Dies at 86|url=https://variety.com/2014/tv/news/james-garner-of-maverick-rockford-files-dies-at-86-1201265361/|access-date=2021-09-17|website=Variety|language=en-US}}</ref> He had a heart attack caused by [[coronary artery disease]].<ref>{{cite news|title=James Garner died of a massive heart attack|url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/people/2014/07/29/james-garner-died-of-a-massive-heart-attack/13324359/|access-date=December 4, 2016|work=The Arizona Republic|date=July 29, 2014}}</ref> He had been in poor health since his stroke in 2008.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-28390309|title=Actor James Garner dies aged 86|date=July 20, 2014|work=BBC News}}</ref>

Longtime friends [[Tom Selleck]] (who worked with Garner on ''The Rockford Files''), [[Sally Field]] (who starred with Garner in ''Murphy's Romance''), and [[Clint Eastwood]] (who guest-starred with Garner on ''Maverick'' and starred in ''Space Cowboys'') reflected on his death. Selleck said, "Jim was a mentor to me and a friend, and I will miss him."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://people.com/celebrity/james-garner-looked-back-on-his-career-in-people-interview|title=James Garner: In His Own Words on The Notebook, Maverick and More|website=People.com|date=July 21, 2014 |access-date=October 23, 2017}}</ref> Field said, "My heart just broke. There are few people on this planet I have adored as much as Jimmy Garner. I cherish every moment I spent with him and relive them over and over in my head. He was a diamond."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/james-garner-dead-actor-mourned-719825|title=Hollywood Mourns James Garner|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=July 20, 2014| access-date=October 23, 2017}}</ref> Eastwood said, "Garner opened the door for people like [[Steve McQueen]] and myself."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/20/james-garner-tributes-film-television-tribute-actor|title=Film and television world pays tribute to actor James Garner|website=TheGuardian.com|date=July 20, 2014 |access-date=October 23, 2017}}</ref>

==Filmography==
{{main|James Garner filmography}}

==Recognition==
In 2004, Garner was given a [[Screen Actors Guild]] Life Achievement Award.

In 2006, a James Garner statue was installed at Main Street and Jones Avenue, Norman, Oklahoma.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Service |first=Jessica BruhaNorman Transcript / CNHI News |date=2014-07-21 |title=Family, friends recall James Garner's Norman roots |url=https://www.enidnews.com/news/family-friends-recall-james-garner-s-norman-roots/article_36e3417b-5b3b-55d1-96aa-7de482926f34.html |access-date=2024-04-25 |website=Enidnews.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Cannon |first=Jane Glenn |title=Norman gears up for Garner |url=https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2006/04/20/norman-gears-up-for-garner/61889338007/ |access-date=2024-04-25 |website=The Oklahoman |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Montgomery |first=Ed |date=2006-04-18 |title=James Garner statue unveiling Friday |url=https://www.normantranscript.com/news/local_news/james-garner-statue-unveiling-friday/article_21adf1dc-76d1-5424-a1b5-9abc89f616fa.html |access-date=2024-04-25 |website=Norman Transcript |language=en}}</ref>

==See also==
{{portal|Oklahoma|Film|Television|Biography}}
{{clear}}

==References==
===Notes===
{{Reflist}}

===Bibliography===
* {{cite book |last1=Garner |first1=James |last2=Winokur |first2=Jon |author-link2=Jon Winokur |others=Introduction by [[Julie Andrews]] |year=2011 |title=The Garner Files: A Memoir |publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]] |isbn=978-1-4516-4260-5 |oclc=709673421 }}
* {{cite book |last1=Riml |first1=Walter |author-link=Walter Riml |editor1-first=Helma |editor1-last=Türk |editor2-last=Riml |editor2-first=Dr. Christian |year=2013|title=Behind the Scenes... Gesprengte Ketten: The Great Escape |url=http://www.walter-riml.at/welcome/1962-the-great-escape/ |publisher=House Publication}} Photos of the shooting ''The Great Escape''.

==External links==
{{Commons category|James Garner}}
{{Wikiquote|James Garner}}
* {{AFI person | 77688-James-Garner }}
* {{Tcmdb name}}
* {{Emmys person|james-garner}}
* {{EmmyTVLegends name}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20051001004445/http://museum.tv/archives/etv/G/htmlG/garnerjames/garnerjames.htm James Garner] at the [[Museum of Broadcast Communications]]
* {{IMDb name}}
* {{Charlie Rose video|26951|James Garner interview|date=03/26/2002}}
* {{Facebook|officialjamesgarner}}
* [https://twitter.com/MavrocksGirl/ Gigi & James Garner] on [[Twitter]]
* [https://www.jgarf.org/ James Garner Animal Rescue Fund]

{{navboxes
| title = Awards for James Garner
| list  =
{{AARP Movies for Grownups Award for Best Grownup Love Story}}
{{EmmyAward DramaLeadActor 1976–2000}}
{{GoldenGlobeBestActorTVMiniseriesFilm}}
{{Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year Actor}}
{{ScreenActorsGuildAward LifeAchievement}}
{{TCA Career Achievement Award}}
{{1990 Television Hall of Fame}}
}}

{{authority control}}

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