10 Things You Didn’t Know About James Garner
He was a great actor and fellow Okie.
In the interests of full disclosure, James Garner was one of my favorite actors. His Jim Rockford character was my favorite TV detective of all time. In addition, Bret Maverick was one of my favorite TV western characters. In addition, he made some pretty good movies.
When you just read about celebrities, you can’t always tell what they were really like. However, Garner comes across as a somewhat down to earth, likeable guy. I’ve read his biography but went in a little further for this piece. Here are some things you might not have known about Jim. (As a fellow Okie, I took the liberty of calling him Jim.)
1: When Jim was born in Norman, OK., he was named James Scott Bumgarner.
Jim changed his name because he wasn’t a bum. Well actually, the movie studio changed his name without permission, but the first sentence still stands.
2: Jim received two Purple Hearts for his service in Korea.
It took him over thirty years to receive his second one. Garner said he got his second one for being shot in the posterior. So, Jim was rewarded for showing courage in the face of the enemy. So to speak.
