Hollywood has lost a legend today as CNN reports that James Garner, best known for his iconic role in TV's 'The Rockford Files,' has died at the age of 86. Police were called to Garner's residence on Saturday and believe he died of natural causes.

Dubbed the "everyman actor," Garner is widely considered one of the first actors to have success in both film and television. Garner took one of his most famous roles in the television series 'Maverick,' which aired from 1957 to 1962.

He went on to star in various films such as 'Hour of the Gun,' 'Grand Prix,' and 'Marlowe' before returning to television in 'The Rockford Files' in 1974. Garner played Jim Rockford, a modern private investigator solving various crimes in each episode. The show lasted for six seasons and was deemed a success. Garner continued to reprise the role of Jim Rockford for various made for TV films long after the show ended.

Garner's next biggest role was in 2000's 'Space Cowboys' with Clint Eastwood and Tommy Lee Jones, as well as the 2004 romantic drama 'The Notebook,' where he played an older version of Ryan Gosling's character.

Since 2005, Garner had mostly retired from the spotlight, having contributed his voice to a couple of animated productions.

 

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