Why Filming ‘Rockford Files’ Was a Painful Experience for James Garner

NBC’s detective drama The Rockford Files may have been a painful experience for late actor James Garner, despite its popularity. The 1970s series saw Garner portray Los Angeles private investigator Jim Rockford. Due to the nature of the series, a lot of stunts were involved, and many of them were performed by Garner himself. Showbiz Cheatsheet pointed out that the actor did all of his own stunts on The Rockford Files that included fist fights, chases, and other “difficult and potentially dangerous stunts.

Because of all the stunts, Garner was often in pain, mostly with his back and knees. Wide Open Country reported that his doctors even told him to rest after doing so many stunts since it was taking a physical toll on him. It was actually partially the reason why the series ended. After the Maverick star decided to not continue with the show because of the pain he was in, NBC decided to axe the series altogether. 

It would be hard to continue the series without its main lead, even if they replaced him. The episodes were reportedly expensive to produce as well, not to mention that the lineup of notable guest stars also made the series expensive. While Garner is not the only actor to do his own stunts, it is impressive to know that he did all of his own stunts for the show’s entire six-season run. It’s hard to tell whether he would have continued the series if not for his doctors. Though it’s likely there would have been a point where it would be too painful to continue. His doctors just kickstarted it.

Amo Mama also reported that James Garner admitted at one point that he would had to have a knee operation during every hiatus and for five consecutive years. He did return as Jim Rockford for a set of TV movies on CBS after a settlement between Universal Studios and Garner’s Cherokee Productions. He likely didn’t spend too much time on his own stunts, but at that time, he had rested up for over 10 years. Garner clearly missed being on the series, or he wanted to give Jim Rockford and fans proper closure. Either way, the series was part of him for a long time, and it wasn’t always in a good way.

James Garner passed away in 2014 after a heart attack. It was one of the many health issues that he’s had over the years, and not just because of his career. It’s unknown if Garner’s back and knees were still hurting years after The Rockford Files. Since he did return in 1994, it seems that it got better after leaving the series. Doing your own stunts can definitely take a toll, so props to him and his doctors for finally knowing his limits and when to step away. All six seasons of The Rockford Files are streaming free with Amazon Freevee. Fans will be able to see the Emmy-winning series and all of Garner’s intense stunts whenever they want.