James Garner

In his three-hour Archive interview, James Garner (1928-2014) discusses his early life and what attracted him to acting. He describes his days as a struggling actor/model, and tells of his big break on Broadway in "The Cain Mutiny." He recalls almost being cast in the series Cheyenne and being cast as "Bret Maverick" in the classic western series Maverick. He details his years on the program, discussing his co-stars and various writers and directors and explains the contract dispute that lead to his exit from the series. Garner also outlines his career in feature films, including "The Americanization of Emily" and "Gran Prix" and his short-lived series, Nichols. He discusses at length playing "Jim Rockford" on The Rockford Files, speaks of his subsequent made-for-television movies, including Heartsounds (with Mary Tyler Moore), and the 13-hour mini-series Space. Garner also touches on the short-lived series, Man of the People. Karen Herman and Morrie Gelman conducted the interview on March 17, 1999 in Los Angeles, CA.