James Garner

In 1954 Garner had a nonspeaking role in the Broadway production of The Caine Mutiny Court Martial[?]. He moved on to television commercials, and then to television roles. His first film role was in The Girl He Left Behind[?], but in the late 1950s he starred in a popular Western series, Maverick[?], rotating the starring role with Jack Kelly[?] and Roger Moore. But Garner's popularity eventually made him the sole star of the series. He became a favorite of American fans for this role.

In the 1960s he starred in such films as The Thrill of It All[?], Move Over, Darling[?], The Great Escape, The Americanization of Emily[?], Grand Prix[?] (which gave him a car racing bug) and Support Your Local Sheriff![?].

In the 1970s he returned to television in another popular role, that of a private investigator in The Rockford Files[?]. In 1986, he received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor for Murphy's Romance.

In 1994, Garner co-starred with Mel Gibson in the movie version of his original Maverick[?] role.