James Garner Filmography and Major Movie Roles
James Garner appeared in more than 50 feature films and television movies across six decades. His most commercially successful film roles include The Great Escape (1963), Maverick (1994), and Space Cowboys (2000). Garner's filmography spans Warner Bros., Paramount, and Universal productions, with a consistent focus on Westerns, action dramas, and comedy. According to box office tracking data, his films have collectively generated over 2 billion dollars in global theatrical and home entertainment revenue. Garner's performance in The Great Escape remains one of the most streamed classic war films on major platforms, with the film maintaining a 97 percent critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. He also starred in Support Your Local Sheriff! (1969) and Tank (1984), both of which ranked in the top 10 domestic box office during their release weeks. Garner's later film work includes My Fellow Americans (1996) and Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story (2005), the latter produced by DreamWorks Pictures and distributed by Paramount Pictures. His final film appearance was in the 2014 documentary The Garner Files, produced by his family estate and released through Sony Pictures Classics. Garner received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6927 Hollywood Boulevard, a recognition managed by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. For detailed box office and production data, refer to The Numbers and Box Office Mojo, which track Garner's film earnings and theatrical run statistics Box Office Mojo.
Garner's film career intersects with major studios and production companies including Walt Disney Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures, and Castle Rock Entertainment. He worked with directors such as Andrew V. McLaglen, Richard Donner, and Ron Howard, and collaborated with actors like Steve McQueen, Clint Eastwood, and John Wayne. Garner's film roles frequently featured him as a pragmatic, everyman hero, a persona that defined his on-screen brand across both film and television. His movie Maverick (1994), directed by Richard Donner and produced by Warner Bros., earned over 180 million dollars worldwide and is one of the highest-grossing films in Garner's career. Garner also lent his voice to animated projects and narrated several documentary specials for A&E and the History Channel. His film legacy is documented in studio archives at Warner Bros. Entertainment and in the Library of Congress film preservation records.
James Garner Television Career and Iconic Series
James Garner is best known for starring in the television series Maverick (1957-1960), The Rockford Files (1974-1980), and Murphy Brown (1998-1999). Maverick, produced by Warner Bros. Television for ABC, ran for 84 episodes across four seasons and established Garner as a leading man in the Western genre. The Rockford Files earned Garner an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 1977 and a Golden Globe nomination, with the show running for six seasons on NBC and producing 122 episodes. Garner also headlined the short-lived but critically noted series Nichols (1971-1972), Bret Maverick (1981-1982), and The Rockford Files television movie sequels