James Garner passes away

James Garner, the US star of hit TV series “The Rockford Files” and “Maverick” and films including “The Great Escape”, has died aged 86. Garner had suffered ill health since a severe stroke in 2008.

He won an Emmy for the role for playing Jim Rockford in 1977 and starred in 122 episodes of the hugely successful show from 1974 to 1980. He returned to it in the 1990s with eight “Rockford Files” TV movies.

The actor went on to be Oscar-nominated for best actor in 1986 for the romantic comedy “Murphy's Romance”, co-starring Sally Field, in which he played a small town pharmacist.

He also starred with Sandra Bullock and Ellen Burstyn in mother-daughter drama “Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood”, in 2002. From 2003 to 2005 he was in 45 episodes of US comedy “8 Simple Rules”.

In 2005, the veteran star was given a Screen Actor's Guild lifetime achievement award.

Source: BBC