James Garner was born April 7, 1928, in Norman, Okla. He dropped out of high school and joined the Merchant Marines, then won a Purple Heart for his Korean War Service. When a friend cast him in the Broadway production of "The Caine Mutiny Court Martial," he got the acting bug.Garner debuted on-screen in 1956's Toward the Unknown (his first of many soldier roles) and the next year was cast in the popular TV Western "Maverick." His easygoing style enlivened many a comedy and action film in the '60s and '70s -- among them The Great Escape, The Americanization of Emily, Grand Prix, Support Your Local Sheriff! and Skin Game -- and he had another TV success with "The Rockford Files."
Garner moved into character roles in the '80s, nabbing a Best Actor Oscar nomination for Murphy's Romance (1985). Other Garner appearances include Victor/Victoria, Maverick (feature version) and Space Cowboys.
Support Your Local SheriffJames Garner stars in this Wild West parody as a sharpshooting drifter who stumbles upon the lawless gold rush town of Calendar and winds up appointed as the new sheriff. With memorable performances from Bruce Dern as the villainous Joe Danby and Joan Hackett as Prudy Perkins, the requisite damsel... Read More
Grand PrixJohn Frankenheimer's spectacular auto-racing epic won Oscars for editing, sound and sound effects. When American Grand Prix driver Pete Aron (James Garner) is fired after crashing in Monaco and injuring his British teammate, Scott Stoddard (Brian Bedford), he starts driving for a Japanese team.... Read More
Streets of LaredoIn this sequel to the "Lonesome Dove" miniseries, Texas Ranger Captain Call (James Garner) takes on one last mission, tracking down a killer as a freelance bounty hunter. With Pea Eye Parker tagging along, he crosses paths with such Western luminaries as Judge Roy Bean and John Wesley Harding. The... Read More
My Name Is Bill W.Based on the inspiring true story of the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, this moving drama stars James Woods in an Emmy-winning performance as Bill Wilson, a successful stockbroker who loses everything in the 1929 stock market crash. After succumbing to depression and drink, he eventually sobers up... Read More
Barbarians at the GateThis seriocomedy based on the RJR-Nabisco leveraged buyout neatly encapsulates the greed that became synonymous with the 1980s. James Garner has never been better as charming, covetous CEO F. Ross Johnson. Johnson grabs for the brass ring when he tries to buy out the conglomerate, only to run up... Read More
