'Maverick': A Look At James Garner's Cause Of Death

Actor James Garner was born in Norman, Oklahoma on April 7, 1928. He is best known for his portrayal of "Bret Maverick" in the Western TV show 'Maverick,' where he shared screen with actors Jack Kelly and Roger Moore, among others.

Although most people remember Garner for his appearance in the '50s series, he played leading roles in other successful projects, both on the small and big screens. Some of his most notable credits include TV shows 'The Rockford Files' and '8 Simple Rules', as well as films 'The Great Escape' and 'Murphy's Romance.' The latter earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role in 1985.

Apart from his successful career in the entertainment industry, Garner enlisted in the California Army National Guard and was eventually deployed to Korea during the Korean war. There, he received the American Purple Heart military decoration twice, which is given to those killed or injured while serving their country.

As of his personal life, James Garner was married to Lois Josephine Fleischman from 1956 until the day he died in 2014. The pair tied the knot only 14 days after seeing each other for the first time.

James was a stepfather to Kimberly, Lois' daughter from a previous marriage, who was born seven years before their wedding. In 1958 the Garners welcomed their first child together, daughter Gigi. 

As per IMDb, before Garner started building his acting career, he had multiple different jobs, from modeling men's clothing to pumping gas.

Fun fact about the star: In 2006 a bronze statue of him as "Bret Maverick" was unveiled in Norman, Oklahoma, his hometown.

The actor was good friends with other Hollywood A-listers, including actor and director Clint Eastwood, actress Sally Field and, of course, his 'Rockford Files' co-star Tom Selleck.

James Garner's health got affected during his military career, with him particularly struggling with knee issues. These worsened on the set of 'The Rockford Files' as he often did his own stunts himself, which eventually resulted in him undergoing surgery to replace both knees in 2000.

In 2008, he suffered a stroke and underwent surgery afterwards.

In 2011 James' autobiography 'The Garner Files: A Memoir' was published by Simon & Schuster. The book explores the ups and downs of his acting career, as well as turbulent childhood episodes he suffered at the hands of his stepmother.

Sadly, James Garner died on July 19, 2014, aged 86. Los Angeles police officers found his body at his Brentwood home after getting an emergency call. Local authorities initially told the BBC that the 'Maverick' star had died of natural causes. However, after obtaining his death certificate, TMZ later reported that he died from acute myocardial infarction. The document states that the 'Notebook' actor had been suffering from coronary artery disease and that it was a heart attack what killed him.