James Garner
American actor and producer of film and television.
James Scott Garner was born James Scott Bumgarner on April 7, 1928, in Norman, Oklahoma, and died on July 19, 2014. He worked as an actor and producer in both film and television. Over his career, he received one Academy Award nomination, won three Golden Globes from seven competitive nominations plus the Cecil B. DeMille Award, and took home two Primetime Emmys from fifteen nominations.
Garner first became a TV star playing the title gambler Bret Maverick on the Western series *Maverick* (1957–62), a role he later revived in the sequel *Bret Maverick* (1981–82). In the 1970s, he starred as private investigator Jim Rockford on *The Rockford Files* (1974–80). He also headlined more than fifty movies, among them *The Great Escape* (1963), *The Americanization of Emily* (1964), *Grand Prix* (1966), *Support Your Local Sheriff!* (1969), *Victor/Victoria* (1982), and *Murphy’s Romance* (1985), the last of which earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.
Garner was the youngest of three boys born to Weldon Warren Bumgarner and Mildred Scott. His father had some German ancestry; his mother, who died when Garner was five, was half Cherokee. The family was Methodist and ran a general store on the east side of Norman. After their mother’s death, Garner and his brothers lived with relatives. He attended Wilson Elementary, Norman Junior High, and Norman High School.
In 1934, his father remarried, reuniting the family. One stepmother, Wilma, beat all three boys and once forced Garner to wear a dress in public as punishment. At age 14, he fought back, knocking her down and choking her to stop the abuse; she left and never returned. His brother Jack called her “a damn no-good woman.” Garner’s last stepmother, Grace, he loved and called “Mama Grace,” saying she was more of a mother than anyone else.
After his father’s marriage to Wilma ended, the father moved to Los Angeles, leaving Garner and his brothers in Norman. At 16, near the end of World War II, Garner joined the U.S. Merchant Marine. He liked the work and his shipmates but suffered chronic seasickness and stayed only a year. He followed his father to Los Angeles in 1945, briefly attended Hollywood High School without graduating, and helped his dad lay carpet.
- Born
- April 7, 1928, in Norman, Oklahoma
- Died
- July 19, 2014
- Field
- Actor and producer
- Nationality
- American
- Known for
- Maverick, The Rockford Files, The Great Escape, Murphy's Romance
Lore & Background
Garner was born James Scott Bumgarner in Norman, Oklahoma, the youngest child of Weldon Warren Bumgarner and Mildred Scott. His mother died when he was five years old, and he was sent to live with relatives. He later had a volatile relationship with a stepmother who beat him and forced him to wear a dress in public; at age 14 he fought back, and she left the family. He joined the U.S. Merchant Marine at age 16 near the end of World War II, but chronic seasickness led him to leave after a year. He later enlisted in the California Army National Guard and served in the Korean War as a rifleman, receiving two Purple Hearts.
After the war, Garner was persuaded by a producer to take a nonspeaking role in the Broadway production of The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, where he studied Henry Fonda. He moved to television commercials and then to television roles. In 1957, he was cast as the lead in Maverick after a producer noticed his comedic facial expressions in an earlier TV episode. Garner changed his last name from Bumgarner to Garner after the studio credited him as 'James Garner' without permission. He starred in Maverick from 1957 to 1960, then left after a dispute with Warner Bros. He later reprised the role in the sequel series Bret Maverick (1981–82).
In the 1970s, Garner starred as private investigator Jim Rockford on The Rockford Files (1974–80). He also appeared in more than 50 theatrical films, earning an Oscar nomination for Best Actor for Murphy's Romance (1985). He won three Golden Globe Awards and two Primetime Emmy Awards.
Reader's Guide
James Garner's significance lies in his dual success in television and film, spanning decades. He became a household name as Bret Maverick, a role that showcased his comedic timing and charm, and later as Jim Rockford, a private investigator that became iconic in 1970s television. His film career included major roles in classics such as The Great Escape and Grand Prix, and he earned critical acclaim with an Academy Award nomination for Murphy's Romance. Garner's military service in the Korean War, where he was wounded twice and received two Purple Hearts, added depth to his public persona. His legacy is marked by his ability to transition between genres and media, and his work continues to be referenced in popular culture. He was nominated for 12 Golden Globe Awards and 15 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning three and two respectively.
Did You Know?
- He received his second Purple Heart in 1983, 32 years after being wounded by friendly fire in Korea.
- Garner never graduated from high school but earned his diploma while in the Army.
- He was voted the most popular student at Hollywood High School.
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