Oscar nominee James Garner, best known for his roles in "Maverick", "Rockford Files" and "Murphy's Romance", died in his home at Brentwood, Los Angeles on Saturday. He was said to have died of natural causes. He was 86.

Garner previously suffered a minor stroke in May 2008.

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For more than 50 years, Garner graced both television sets and the big screen with his charming good looks and compelling versatility across almost all genres.

In 1957, he made his mark in the Western comedy series "Maverick", where he played a wisecracking, shrewd con-artist who always found a way of escaping the law. His whimsical character provided a refreshing break from all the hardcore, traditional Western characters of the time. "Maverick" was revived as a movie in 1994, with Mel Gibson as the title role. Garner played Gibson's father.

Garner's film after the "Maverick" tv series catapulted him to movie stardom. The 1961 movie was "The Children's Hour", where he starred opposite Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine.

His older works include "The Great Escape" in 1963, "The Americanization of Emily" in 1964, and "Victor/Victoria" in 1982.

The Oklahoma-native continued to remain active in the entertainment industry well into his 70s. Some of his projects in the early 2000s include "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood" where he played Sandra Bullock's father and, "The Notebook" where he took on the role of Ryan Gosling's older counterpart.

In 2005, Garner received the Screen Actors Guild's Lifetime Achievement Award. Upon accepting the award, he commented, "I'm not at all sure how I got here."

Garner released a memoir in 2011 where he revealed personal details such as he once did cocaine with John Belushi and he thought his friend Steve McQueen was an insecure poseur.

He is survived by his wife of almost 60 years, TV actress Lois Clarke, and their daughter, Greta.

TagsJames Garner, Maverick, Screen Actor's Guild, Lifetime Achievement Award, Oscar nominee, The Rockford Files, Murphy's Romance, Mel Gibson, Audrey Hepburn, Shirley Maclaine, Steve McQueen, John Belushi, Ryan Gosling, Sandra Bullock, The Notebook, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, The Children's Hour, The Americanization of Emily, Victor/Victoria, The Great Escape, Lois Clarke