James Garner changed what a hero could be like

[book_worm]

I secretly always wanted to marry James Garner, and was foiled only by the fact that, as humorist Jean Kerr once wrote of her designs on George S. Kaufman, he was already married and I never met him.

I cannot imagine I was alone in this desire — in her introduction to Garner's 2011 memoir, Julie Andrews revealed a similar devotion and for pretty much the same reasons I had: Garner, who died at home Saturday at age 86, effortlessly combined strength and humility, humor and capability, frankness and empathy to create an ideal Alpha-male, of the sort that hadn't existed before, at least not in drama. He constructed a new kind of hero, one who would much rather be playing cards or going fishing. But all right, if no one else was going to save the girl, or solve the case, or prevent the crime, well, then — here, hold this for a second — he'd do it.

When he brought this persona to life in "Maverick" and then again in "The Rockford Files," he all but rebuilt an archetype. Before Garner, heroes were heroes, which meant, nine times out of 10, they were boring. After Garner, they could be funny, irritating, lazy, fearful and complicated...

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-james-garner-appreciation-20140721-column.html

[FSogol]

1. I like James Garner as much as anyone, but didn't Henry Fonda and Jimmy Stewart play the exact same

roles a generation before?

[dflprincess]

5. To a point

but neither one of them did it with the same twinkle in their eyes or finesse that Garner had. (And he once said he stole a lot of his acting style from Henry Fonda.)

[CreekDog]

2. Great read about what seems like a thoroughly decent guy

I saw him interviewed on Larry King, who asked him about his politics. I think when Larry asked him if he was a Democrat, he said something like, "I'm to the left of the Democrats".

[indepat]

3. We need more with the moxie of the late James Garner who are openly left of the Democrats and

loudly so.

[CreekDog]

6. And yet he supported Democrats vocally and financially

He was as practical as the characters he played.

[freshwest]

4. I grew up around people like him and miss them all. Excellent article, describes him so well. TY.