James garner children

1. Biography of James Garner
2. Troubled Childhood
3. Early Acting Career
4. Personal Life

Biography of James Garner

James Garner, born James Scott Bumgarner, was an American film actor. He first appeared on screen in the 1956 films "The Girl He Left Behind" and "Toward the Unknown". Garner was born in Norman, Oklahoma, the youngest of three children, to Mildred (née Meek) and Weldon Warren Bumgarner, a carpet layer. When Garner was 13, his mother passed away. After her death, the children were sent to live with relatives, but in 1934, Weldon remarried and Garner returned to the family.

Troubled Childhood

Garner deeply disliked his stepmother, Wilma, for her abusive treatment of his brothers and himself. He was the youngest and suffered the most. When he turned 14, Garner had endured enough from his "cruel stepmother". After another altercation, she left their family for good. Garner's brother, Jack, described Wilma as a "monstrous person". Garner revealed that one of Wilma's punishments was making him wear a dress in public. He eventually fought back, knocking her down and strangling her to protect himself from potential harm. This incident was the last straw, and Wilma and Weldon's marriage ended.

Early Acting Career

Garner made his screen debut in the 1956 films "The Girl He Left Behind" and "Toward the Unknown". One of his most notable roles was as Maverick in the 1957 film of the same name. In 1981, Garner reprised this role in the comedy television series "Bret Maverick". However, unexpectedly, NBC canceled the show after only one season, despite its high ratings. Many critics noted that most of the scripts for the early episodes did not meet expectations, but Garner's portrayal of the 53-year-old Bret Maverick did not go unnoticed. Most critics spoke positively about this role.

Personal Life

In 1956, Garner married Lois Clarke, just 14 days after they met on August 17. He once said, "We spent every one of the 14 evenings of our courtship having dinner. I just went crazy over her. I spent so much money during our honeymoon that we nearly went broke." According to Garner, "marriage is like the army; everyone complains about it, but when you look at the list of people voluntarily signing up, you are just amazed!" Garner had two daughters in his family: Kimberly (from his first marriage to Clarke), whom he adopted when she was 9 years old, and Greta "Gigi" Garner.