# James Garner filmography
The **James Garner filmography** comprises the screen work of the American actor [James Garner](https://www.edgepedia.org/james-garner) (born James Scott Bumgarner; April 7, 1928 – July 19, 2014), an Oscar-nominated performer whose career ran from the early 1950s until his retirement after a 2008 stroke. He worked in both film and television for more than 50 years, playing amiable, independent, often roguish characters, and is best known for two television series, *[Maverick](https://www.edgepedia.org/maverick-tv-series)* (ABC, 1957–1962) and *The Rockford Files* (NBC, 1974–1980).[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/james_garner) • [2](https://www.emmys.com/bios/james-garner) The American Film Institute catalog lists 64 titles for him as cast member or producer; IMDb credits him with 98 acting appearances, 27 producing credits, and one directing credit.[3](https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/PersonDetails/77688) • [4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001258/?showAllCredits=true)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Signature television roles | Bret Maverick in *Maverick* (ABC, 1957–1962) and Jim Rockford in *The Rockford Files* (NBC, 1974–1980)[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/james_garner) |
| Emmy record | 15 nominations and 2 wins in the Television Academy database: lead actor for *The Rockford Files* (1977) and drama/comedy special as executive producer of *Promise* (1987); inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1991[2](https://www.emmys.com/bios/james-garner) |
| Academy Award | Sole nomination, Best Actor, for *Murphy's Romance* (1985)[5](https://www.rogerebert.com/features/james-garner-1928-2014) |
| Highest- and lowest-rated films (Rotten Tomatoes) | *The Great Escape* (1963) at 94%; *The Art of Love* (1965) at 0%[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/james_garner) |
| Career span | Screen work from the early 1950s to 2010; retired after a 2008 stroke[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/james_garner) |
| Production company | Cherokee Productions, through which he produced some of his own films[6](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/Radio-Programming/TV-Stars-The-Complete-Directory-to-Prime-Time-1964-Present-B--221117.pdf) |
## Television series
**Maverick.** Garner's first major role was the charismatic card sharp Bret Maverick in the comedic western *Maverick*, which debuted on ABC in 1957. The series co-starred [Jack Kelly](https://www.edgepedia.org/jack-kelly-actor) as Bret's brother Bart. After prevailing in a 1960 breach-of-contract lawsuit against Warner Bros., which had withheld his pay during a writers' strike, Garner departed; the series continued for two additional seasons, and [Roger Moore](https://www.edgepedia.org/roger-moore) came aboard as Beau Maverick, a cousin.[2](https://www.emmys.com/bios/james-garner) He earned his first Emmy nomination for the role in 1959.[2](https://www.emmys.com/bios/james-garner) The part established the persona he would reuse throughout his career, the charming anti-hero and con-man type, and made him a household name.[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001258/?showAllCredits=true) • [7](https://www.the-independent.com/news/obituaries/james-garner-the-actor-known-for-his-portrayals-of-an-honourable-man-in-a-dishonourable-world-9617517.html)
**Nichols.** After roughly a decade devoted to feature films, Garner returned to television in 1971 with *Nichols* (also known as *James Garner as Nichols*), an NBC western drama set in the early twentieth century in which he played the title role. It was a flop and lasted only the 1971–72 season; when the show was canceled, Garner's character was shot dead, precluding any sequel.[2](https://www.emmys.com/bios/james-garner) • [8](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/garner-james-1928) • [4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001258/?showAllCredits=true)
**The Rockford Files.** Three years later came his most enduring role, the world-weary Los Angeles private eye Jim Rockford, in *The Rockford Files*, which aired on NBC from 1974 to 1980. The role brought Garner five Emmy nominations and one win, in 1977, for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.[2](https://www.emmys.com/bios/james-garner) The show ended in 1980 amid injuries Garner suffered during production and his discovery that [Universal Pictures](https://www.edgepedia.org/universal-pictures)' accounting would not share the show's profits with him.[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001258/?showAllCredits=true)
**Later series.** A year after leaving *Rockford*, Garner revived Bret Maverick as an older rancher and saloon owner in *Bret Maverick* (NBC, 1981), which brought another Emmy nomination in 1982.[9](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/Encyclopedias/Archive-Encyclopedia-of-Television/Encyclopedia-of-Television-Vol-2.pdf) • [2](https://www.emmys.com/bios/james-garner) His subsequent series credits included *Man of the People*, *Chicago Hope* (as Hubert Miller, CBS, 2000), *God, the Devil and Bob*, *First Monday*, and *Eight Simple Rules*, the last in 2004 after the death of the show's original lead, [John Ritter](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-ritter).[2](https://www.emmys.com/bios/james-garner) • [8](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/garner-james-1928) • [10](https://time.com/3009311/james-garner/) He also starred in the 13-hour miniseries *Space* and appeared in *Streets of Laredo*.[11](https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/james-garner) • [2](https://www.emmys.com/bios/james-garner)
## Feature films
Garner signed with Warner Bros. in 1956 and appeared in films including *Sayonara* (1957, as Captain Bailey) and *Darby's Rangers* (1958), his first lead.[2](https://www.emmys.com/bios/james-garner) • [3](https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/PersonDetails/77688) After leaving *Maverick* he worked mainly in features through the 1960s, in both drama and comedy. The AFI catalog records *The Children's Hour* (1961, Dr. Joe Cardin), *The Wheeler Dealers* (1963, Henry Tyroon), *Move Over, Darling* (1963, Nick Arden), *The Thrill of It All* (1963), *36 Hours* (1965), *Duel at Diablo* (1966), *Hour of the Gun* (1968, as [Wyatt Earp](https://www.edgepedia.org/wyatt-earp)), and *Grand Prix* (1969), [John Frankenheimer](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-frankenheimer)'s three-hour [Formula One](https://www.edgepedia.org/formula-one) racing film.[3](https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/PersonDetails/77688) • [12](https://time.com/3009166/james-garner-maverick/) His best-remembered 1960s titles include *The Great Escape* (1963), which Rotten Tomatoes rates at 94%, his highest-rated film, and the comedies *Support Your Local Sheriff!* (1969) and *Support Your Local Gunfighter* (1971).[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/james_garner) • [13](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/arts-the-maverick-who-went-full-circle-james-garner-had-all-it-took-to-be-a-fifties-film-star-except-the-snobbery-about-television-now-he-s-back-as-his-bestknown-character-s-father-david-thomson-on-a-hollywood-1417935.html) His lowest-rated film on the same scale is *The Art of Love* (1965) at 0%.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/james_garner)
After *The Rockford Files* ended, Garner returned to film with *Victor/Victoria* (1982), *Tank* (1984), and *Murphy's Romance* (1985), for which he received his only Academy Award nomination, for Best Actor, along with a Golden Globe nomination.[5](https://www.rogerebert.com/features/james-garner-1928-2014) • [4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001258/?showAllCredits=true) Later theatrical credits include *Sunset* (1988), with [Bruce Willis](https://www.edgepedia.org/bruce-willis), in a story of Wyatt Earp and [Tom Mix](https://www.edgepedia.org/tom-mix); the big-screen version of *Maverick* (1994), opposite [Mel Gibson](https://www.edgepedia.org/mel-gibson); *My Fellow Americans* (1996), as President Matt Douglas; *Twilight* (1998, as Raymond Hope); *Space Cowboys* (2000, as Tank Sullivan); *Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood* (2002, as Shep Walker); and *The Notebook* (2004, as Duke).[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001258/?showAllCredits=true) • [1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/james_garner) • [5](https://www.rogerebert.com/features/james-garner-1928-2014) He also did voice work in animation, voicing Commander Rourke in *Atlantis: The Lost Empire* (2001), Pat in *The Land Before Time X: The Great Longneck Migration* (2003), Doron in *Battle for Terra* (2007), and Shazam in *Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam* (2010).[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/james_garner) • [14](https://www.archytele.com/person/james-garner/movies-and-tv-shows)
## Television movies and producing
Garner appeared in more than a dozen made-for-television movies, including *The Long Summer of George Adams*, *The Glitter Dome*, *Promise*, *My Name Is Bill W.*, *Barbarians at the Gate*, *Breathing Lessons*, *Legalese*, *The Last Debate*, and *Roughing It*.[2](https://www.emmys.com/bios/james-garner) *Barbarians at the Gate* (1993), an HBO film about corporate greed in which he played Ross Johnson, drew strong reviews and an Emmy nomination.[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001258/?showAllCredits=true) • [2](https://www.emmys.com/bios/james-garner) *Breathing Lessons* (1994, as Ira Moran) brought another lead-actor nomination.[2](https://www.emmys.com/bios/james-garner)
Much of his later television work extended *The Rockford Files*: beginning in the mid-1990s he reprised Jim Rockford in a series of made-for-TV movies, including *The Rockford Files: I Still Love L.A.*, *A Blessing in Disguise* (1995), *If the Frame Fits*, *Friends and Foul Play*, *Punishment and Crime*, *Godfather Knows Best* (all 1996), *Murder and Misdemeanors* (1997), and *If It Bleeds... It Leads* (1999), several of which he also executive produced.[2](https://www.emmys.com/bios/james-garner) • [1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/james_garner)
As a producer, Garner's Emmy win came for the 1986 CBS telefilm *Promise*, in the Outstanding Drama/Comedy Special category.[2](https://www.emmys.com/bios/james-garner) A press release issued by Julien's Auctions ahead of the 2019 sale of his estate put his career total at 16 Emmy nominations and two wins, one for *Promise* as executive producer and one for *The Rockford Files* in 1977, plus his 1991 induction into the Television Academy Hall of Fame; the Academy's own database lists 15 nominations alongside the same two wins.[15](https://store.juliensauctions.com/Utilities/DownloadFile.ashx?id=%2Fimages%2Fpdfs-press%2FA000399-press-release-1.pdf) • [2](https://www.emmys.com/bios/james-garner)
## References
1. [James Garner Movies & TV Shows List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/james_garner)
2. [James Garner, Television Academy (Emmys) biography and awards database](https://www.emmys.com/bios/james-garner)
3. [James Garner filmography, AFI Catalog](https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/PersonDetails/77688)
4. [James Garner, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001258/?showAllCredits=true)
5. [James Garner: 1928-2014, RogerEbert.com](https://www.rogerebert.com/features/james-garner-1928-2014)
6. [The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows (excerpt), WorldRadioHistory](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/Radio-Programming/TV-Stars-The-Complete-Directory-to-Prime-Time-1964-Present-B--221117.pdf)
7. [James Garner obituary, The Independent](https://www.the-independent.com/news/obituaries/james-garner-the-actor-known-for-his-portrayals-of-an-honourable-man-in-a-dishonourable-world-9617517.html)
8. [Garner, James 1928-, Encyclopedia.com](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/garner-james-1928)
9. [Encyclopedia of Television, Vol. 2 (excerpt), WorldRadioHistory](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/Encyclopedias/Archive-Encyclopedia-of-Television/Encyclopedia-of-Television-Vol-2.pdf)
10. [James Garner, 1928-2014, Time](https://time.com/3009311/james-garner/)
11. [James Garner, Television Academy Interviews](https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/james-garner)
12. [James Garner: Tribute to a Marvelous Maverick, Time](https://time.com/3009166/james-garner-maverick/)
13. [The maverick who went full circle, The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/arts-the-maverick-who-went-full-circle-james-garner-had-all-it-took-to-be-a-fifties-film-star-except-the-snobbery-about-television-now-he-s-back-as-his-bestknown-character-s-father-david-thomson-on-a-hollywood-1417935.html)
14. [All James Garner Movies & Series, by Year, archytele](https://www.archytele.com/person/james-garner/movies-and-tv-shows)
15. [Property from the Estate of James Garner, Julien's Auctions press release](https://store.juliensauctions.com/Utilities/DownloadFile.ashx?id=%2Fimages%2Fpdfs-press%2FA000399-press-release-1.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Film people and crafts › Film actors and performers › Actor filmographies and performer list articles › Surnames A to F*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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