He was a likable every man.
Whether in his icon TV roles as Maverick
or Jim Rockford
rom-coms with Doris Day
Julie Andrews
or Sally Field
tearjerkers like The Notebook
or even Polaroid Camera commercials
James Garner seemed like the kind of fellow you'd want to have a beer with in the backyard.
He never seemed to make himself out to be something he wasn't and he seems to have chosen his roles carefully in order to build on on his simple persona.
But oh my - he was sexy. You don't even mind him in the 1970s fashion. James Garner was a real man - nothing soft about this guy - and every role he played reflected that. He was always the hero.
He had a long career that really only slowed down in 2008 when he has a stroke. The public never tired of seeing him and likely never would have.
Garner was only nominated for one Oscar, for his delightful turn in Murphy's Romance, which I think is one of the loveliest love stories. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it!
James Garner has left us at age 86, but luckily for us, he will never really leave us, because his work will live on.
I can't help but think of Mike Post's iconic Rockford Files theme this morning and thought I would share a snippet.
Rockford Files Season 1 intro from jonathan bogner on Myspace.
Thank you Jim Garner - you were a class act and I will miss you!
Stay safe out there! xoxo wendy
