As Garner increasingly learned the tricks of the trade, he began landing small roles in television series and commercials. After he obtained a contract with Warner Brothers, Garner had his first large film role in The Girl He Left Behind in 1956, starring Natalie Wood and Tab Hunter. Garner went on to co-star in several successful films including Sayonara, starring Marlon Brando (nominated for Best Actor), Miyoshi Umeki, and Red Buttons (who won Oscars for Best Supporting Actress and Actor respectively).
By 1957, Garner’s talents were rewarded with his lead in the highly successful television series Maverick. The show ran from 1957 to 1962, and Garner even earned an Emmy nomination for Best Actor in a Dramatic Series in 1959. While the show was originally intended to focus on Jack Kelly’s character, Bart Maverick, Garner quickly won the audience’s heart with his humor and good-natured charm. His character Bret Maverick truly became the star. Garner eventually left the show in 1960 due to monetary disputes.
Returning to the lucrative medium of film, Garner starred in several successful movies including 1963’s The Great Escape, for which Garner was nominated for a Golden Laurel Award; The Thrill of it All, with Doris Day; The Wheeler Dealers in 1963, nominated for Golden Globe Best Actor; and The Americanization of Emily, with Julie Andrews. Taking various other roles, it was his work in the 1966 film Grand Prix that sparked a love for professional racing and a desire to pursue the sport. Garner eventually settled for merely supporting a professional racing team.
In 1969, Garner’s film Support Your Local Sheriff was a major success, and even prompted a similar television show entitled Nichols in 1971. Both shows featured Garner as a lawman who resorted to wits rather than firepower. The show was eventually canceled, but just a few years later, Garner would land the role with which he is most widely associated. The Rockford Files ran from 1974 to 1980 and retained its popularity throughout its run. Garner earned Emmy nominations consecutively from 1976 to 1980, winning the prestigious award in 1977. For his portrayal of an easygoing wry private investigator, Garner was also nominated three years in a row for a Golden Globe from 1978 through 1980.
Teaming up with Julie Andrews again, Garner costarred in Victor/Victoria in 1982. In 1985, Garner costarred with Sally Field in Murphy’s Romance and received an Oscar and Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor. Despite working steadily, it wasn’t until 1993 that Garner would again enjoy critical success. For Barbarians at the Gate, Garner was nominated for an Emmy and a Golden Globe and in 1994, Garner spoofed his own television series in the film remake of Maverick. Playing Bret Maverick Sr. to Mel Gibson’s Bret Maverick Jr., this charming comedy also starred Jodie Foster and proved to be a huge commercial success.
In 1998 Garner made the star-studded film Twilight, with Susan Sarandon, Paul Newman, Gene Hackman, and Reese Witherspoon; and in 2000 starred with Clint Eastwood, Tommy Lee Jones, and Donald Sutherland in Space Cowboys. In 2004, Garner starred in the successful romantic comedy The Notebook, and he also acted for two seasons in the late John Ritter television series 8 Simple Rules…For Dating My Teenage Daughter. Never one to take a break, Garner is currently in varying stages of production for The Ultimate Gift and The Magic Shoe.
Perhaps explaining Garner’s draw to Western inspired films and television, he himself is part Cherokee Indian. He has been married to Lois Clarke since 1956, marrying just fourteen days after they met. The couple has two children together.
YUDDY
