R.I.P. James Garner

[E.J.]

I grew up watching re-runs of Maverick on Saturday mornings and later Rockford Files. He was 86.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/21/movies/james-garner-actor-dies-at-86.html?_r=1

[Cole Parker]

Sad. Wonderful, charismatic actor. My brother met him once; said he was charming and very human. That was what he showed on the screen as well.

C

[The Pecman]

Mr. Garner was a nice man and a real pro. I worked on the last season of Rockford Files for Universal (1979-1980), and I got to watch him shoot a few scenes from a distance. Never met him personally, but I know a half-dozen people who did work with him closely and they said he was a genuinely good guy, low key, no ego, no tantrums. What you saw on TV was pretty much the guy.

I think his last major film, the 1994 feature version of Maverick (with Mel Gibson), is an extremely underrated film -- very funny, full of surprises, and a very interesting, thoughtful film. Anybody reading Shattering Fate -- I know, I know, very late in getting updated -- will find out shortly I'm stealing a few choice bits from that movie. Hey, it's written by William Goldman, so at least I'm stealing from the best...