Actor James Garner, whose whimsical style in the 1950s TV Western “Maverick” led to a stellar career in TV and films such as “The Rockford Files” and his Oscar-nominated “Murphys Romance,” has died, police said. He was 86. He was found dead of natural causes Saturday evening at his home in Brentwood, Los Angeles police officer Alonzo Iniquez said early Sunday. Police responded to a call around 8 p.m. and confirmed Garners identity from family members, Iniquez told The Associated Press. There was no immediate word on a more specific cause of death. Garner had suffered a stroke in May 2008, just weeks after his 80th birthday. Although he was adept at drama and action, Garner was best known for his low-key, wisecracking style, especially with his hit TV series, “Maverick” and “The Rockford Files.” His quick-witted avoidance of conflict provided a refreshingly new take on the American hero, contrasting with the steely heroics of John Wayne and the fast trigger of Clint Eastwood. Well into his 70s, the handsome Oklahoman remained active in both TV and film. In 2002, he was Sandra Bullocks father in the film “Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood.” The following year, he joined the cast of “8 Simple Rules … For Dating My Teenage Daughter,” playing the grandfather on the sitcom after star John Ritter, who played the father, died during the shows second season. When he received the Screen Actors Guilds lifetime achievement award in 2005, he quipped, “Im not at all sure how I got here.” “Maverick,” which co-starred Jack Kelly as brother Bart Maverick, made its debut on Sept. 22, 1957. Garner was born James Scott Bumgarner (some references say Baumgarner) in Norman, Okla. His mother died when he was 5, and friends and relatives cared for him and his two brothers for a time while his father was in California. In 1957, Garner married TV actress Lois Clarke, and the union prevailed despite some stormy patches. She had a daughter Kimberly from a previous marriage, and the Garners had another daughter, Gretta Scott. In the late 1990s, the Garners built a 12,000-square-foot house on a 400-acre ranch north of Santa Barbara. “My wife and I felt … wed just watch the sunset from the front porch,” Garner said in 2000. “But then the phone started ringing with all these wonderful offers, and we decided, `Heck, lets stay in the business for a while.“’ latimes/local/obituaries/la-me-james-garner-dies-20140720-story.html
Posted on: Sun, 20 Jul 2014 12:33:11 +0000
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