For more than 50 years James Garner was one of Hollywood's most likable leading men on the big screen and on TV. The Star of The Rockford Files, The Notebook and Space Cowboys died at his Los Angeles home Saturday night at the age of 86.

The star, best known for the Maverick and The Rockford Files TV series, had suffered what had been described as a minor stoke 4 years ago.

Besides his popular work on the small screen, Garner also appeared in two critically acclaimed movies, 1964's The Americanization of Emily and 1982's Victor/Victoria. He also costarred opposite Doris Day in The Thrill of It All and Move Over, Darling (both 1963), and was in one of the greatest buddy movies of all time, 1963's The Great Escape, with Steve McQueen. Garner was Katey Sagal's father on the ABC sitcom 8 Simple Rules.

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