JAMES GARNER

James Garner, who shot to fame in the 1950s as the charming and dry-witted gambler on the hit TV western Maverick and earned 12 Golden Globe nominations, winning three times, died at his home aged 86. The Oklahoma-born Garner, who also starred in the long-running TV series The Rockford Files, amassed more than 80 movie and TV-movie credits during his 50-year career. His Golden Globe wins were for Best Promising Newcomer in 1958, Best Actor in a TV movie for Decoration Day in 1991 and Barbarians at the Gate in 1994. Garner, who lived in Los Angeles, underwent quintuple bypass heart surgery in 1988 and suffered a stroke in 2008. He had been in poor health for some time.