`Maverick` actor James Garner dead at 86

USPA News - American film and television actor James Garner, who starred in the classic 1950s western-comedy series "Maverick" and the 1970s detective drama series "The Rockford Files," died Saturday at his home in Southern California, authorities said. He was 86 years old.

Paramedics responded to the actor`s home in Los Angeles at around 8 p.m. local time on Saturday and pronounced him deceased upon arrival. LA County Chief Coroner Craig Harvey said Garner`s death had not yet been reported to his office, but the Los Angeles Police Department said Garner was believed to have died of natural causes. Garner`s health steadily declined after the actor suffered a stroke and underwent surgery in May 2008, which left him in intensive care for two weeks. He was also afflicted by a bad case of pneumonia in 2009 and became confined to a wheelchair. His condition had been described as extremely grave since early 2013, when people close to the actor said the family feared he had only weeks to live. Garner was one of the first American actors to become successful in both television and film. Among his most prominent roles, he starred as Bret Maverick on the 1957-1962 series "Maverick," which follows several well-dressed gamblers who move from town to town in the West to stay out of trouble and make a lot of money. Later, Garner starred as struggling private investigator Jim Rockford on the drama series "The Rockford Files," which aired on NBC from 1974 until 1980. He also portrayed Murphy Jones on the 1985 romantic comedy film "Murphy`s Romance," for which he received an Oscar nomination. More recently, Garner starred as Duke on the 2004 romantic drama film "The Notebook."