James Garner had a tumultuous life before his rise to stardom as an actor, overcoming numerous obstacles along the way. Tragedy struck at a young age when both of his parents, Weldon Bumgarner and Mildred Scott, died when he was just five years old.
Before becoming a famous actor, James Garner had a turbulent life, but he was able to overcome many challenges along the way. When he was just five years old, his parents Weldon Bumgarner and Mildred Scott both left. They gave birth to him. Jack Garner, an actor, and Charles Bumgarner, a school administrator, were James’ two older brothers. They lived together in a house that had been Weldon’s hardware store and post office, which had no indoor plumbing. When he was an adult, he realized that his mother’s death was probably the result of a botched abortion procedure.
The three boys spent time with various relatives after their mother died until their father married Wilma, their stepmother. Their father changed careers and began working as a carpet layer after a fire that he claimed caused the loss of his business. His drunkenness increased as a result. The Garner brothers couldn’t think of a single good thing to say about their stepmother. In the past, Jack has called her a “[expletive] no-good woman”. According to the allegations, James consistently received the worst treatment. He had to sleep on the cot next to their bathtub, which was always full of wet clothes in high school. His only option was to do this.
James was also responsible for cleaning up and cleaning up the cow poop that accumulated in their yard every day. It didn’t take him long to realize that since he couldn’t rely on anyone else, he had to take care of his financial needs at school. He decided to clean the administration building of the school he attended, so he started waking up at 3:30 in the morning. He then spent the rest of the day with his class and getting along with the other students. However, James’ formal education ended when he was in the ninth grade; as a result, he was never able to finish school. He began his career as a salesman for Curlee Clothes when he was just fourteen years old and went on to work as a driver, secretary, and nanny, among other roles.
His wife reportedly described him as a “complicated man” who grew up with childhood fears of being “abused, lonely and deprived”. His wife never left him and stayed by his side through it all. James had other ladies in his life before he met the lady who became his wife. The woman his father married was named Grace and he fondly referred to her as “Mama Grace”. He adored her and had previously been heard to express that she was the one who reminded him most of his mother. James learned he was out of a job in Texas when he was 18 years old, living off of cookies he stole from restaurant tables. After three days, he called his father and asked him for a simple birthday present: he wanted his father to give him a fifty-dollar loan.
Even if his father said he didn’t have the money, he still wouldn’t give it to his son. His mom, Grace, assured him that he would get the money in the morning when he picked up the phone, and that’s exactly what happened. James was grateful for the $50 in cash because it helped him get back on his feet. He supported her throughout her life out of a sense of lifelong duty. As soon as James began to pursue an acting profession, his relationship with his father improved. In the last years of their lives, James made it a point to spend time with both his father and Grace, and it was during this time that he was able to forgive his father for the things that had happened in the past. Referring to his father’s comments, he said: “He may have had a drinking problem and married the wrong woman, but he wasn’t bad. His father left him in 1996 and his mother, Mama Grace, died in 2002.
His intention to marry was not supported by his family. When James was 28 years old, Lois Clarke was first introduced to him during a rally. He described her as the perfect fusion of Sophia Loren and Audrey Hepburn at that exact moment and said he fell in love “for the first and last time”. “I’ve been obsessed with her since we first spoke. In awe, he said, “I still am. James and Lois initially met when Lois revealed to him that she had a daughter named Kimberly from a previous marriage who had polio. After that, James and Lois continued to talk frequently, sometimes twice a day. After two weeks, they went to the courthouse in Beverly Hills to get married. Their romance was a whirlwind, as James once said, but they managed to pull it off. James didn’t think there would be any problems with his family agreeing to his marriage. On the other hand, they objected, saying that he and Lois had little in common.
The actor did not consider their differences to be problematic. He felt they were a nice counterbalance to each other and saw their strengths while his family saw their flaws. Lois often dreamed of a career in the theater. However, as she got older, she realized that living a glamorous life was not for her. She didn’t like how her husband lived an enlightened existence. It didn’t help that they lived in a house with an iron gate in Brentwood, California, which, despite having some of the most beautiful views, practically cut them off from the rest of the world. She supported James in his endeavors rather than pursue the career of her aspirations. Together, they overcame the hurdles of starting their careers in the industry and eventually became famous because she was his support. They bought their first apartment together, but it was not equipped when they bought it. James completely bought all the equipment and paid for it in cash because he didn’t want to be in debt to anyone.
During this time, The Garners socialized with people who lived in the same building as them, rather than spending much time mingling with other artists. Lois was such a great cook, they would host dinner parties and invite the neighbors over. James has stated that he enjoys getting along with those who knew him before he was popular. He didn’t feel the need to expand his social circle because his current group of friends welcomed him for who he was, not what he did. Lois did most of the cooking, but James was also a skilled cook. He helped Lois with everything she needed in the kitchen when he wasn’t exhausted from studying. James never complained about his job, according to a person close to him. The only thing that bothered him was the fact that his workload prevented him from playing golf. James hasn’t changed his identity in the slightest, even after becoming famous as an actor. He was seen by the public as a commoner rather than a superstar. He adopted what he called a “good neighbor policy” and lived by the Golden Rule.
As a result of his kindness, he accepted the offer to increase his income without hesitation when it came, without seeing that he was being taken advantage of. He was offered a weekly salary of $350 and a two-year contract extension but declined both. The offer was raised to $500 per week, but he still intended to turn it down. Kim, on the other hand, was still recovering from polio while Lois was expecting the couple’s child. So he accepted the deal, not realizing that the $500 payment was actually only $285 and that the remaining $325 was held back as a deposit for future residuals. James was never able to get most of his money back because in the past artists didn’t get any residuals. He continued to work long hours and never let his fame get to him.
Although James was aware that he had worked with several beautiful ladies, he insisted that he would always conduct himself professionally. While he had no ill will towards any of them, he was also careful not to fall in love with any of them. And while he thought highly of his marriage to Lois, it wasn’t without its problems. Over time, his occupation directly contributed to a decline in his mental health, which spread to other areas of his life. James and Lois had been married for twenty years when they decided to divorce. James and Lois were separated for about a year and a half before they decided to settle their issues and get back together. Although it took some time, James and Lois never stopped trying to improve their bond. They accomplished this by talking on the phone daily and scheduling meetings at least three times a week.
James’ life was complicated by many things at the time, not the least of which was the breakup of his marriage. At the same time that he unexpectedly announced that he was quitting TV, he also got into a collision with a driver and was subsequently brutally beaten. Last but not least, he had a number of health problems, the most significant of which were sinus problems, arthritis, and ulcers. James was adamant all along that the reason for their breakup was not the third person, but rather the exhaustion James felt as a result of his job. Lois refers to their reconciliation as a “miracle” in their marriage, as they were able to get back together after a long period of estrangement. In relation to marriage, James famously said: “Marriage is like service in the armed services. You’d be surprised how many individuals join the next service, even though everyone has something unpleasant to say. When it came to issues that were very important to both of them, the duo proved a great commitment to supporting each other. Lois was a fierce fighter throughout their marriage. She would send letters to various places and occasionally, to give the news a little extra oomph, She would mention James by name. Lois was also quite open about James’ work life. She even went so far as to, that she discussed parts of her husband’s appearance that bothered her when she saw him on TV with his makeup artist.
James likes it, although other men would find it disgusting. He has previously praised his wife’s great taste and said she has been a huge help to him in many aspects of his life. It wasn’t until much later in each of their lives that James and Lois’ love for each other was unwavering. They were often seen holding hands and were not afraid to publicly profess their love for each other. On July 19, 2014, James died at his home in Los Angeles of preventable natural causes. When he passed away at the age of 86, Lois and their two children continued to support his legacy. Honorary act for the Garner family Lois’ daughter Gigi confirmed on Twitter that her mother died in 2021, seven years after James died. Their daughter often posted updates about her parents on her social media pages and worshiped them by sharing photos.
In 2019, Gigi decided to honor her father in a special way. On the fifth anniversary of his death, which was also Father’s Day, she paid tribute to him in public and started the James Garner Animal Rescue Fund. According to Gigi, her father always had a special place in his heart for dogs and often took in stray animals. According to her father’s credo, “There wasn’t a dog or a child my dad didn’t want to meet,” and he didn’t. As someone who actively seeks to protect animals, Gigi believed that creating an animal rescue fund in honor of her father would be a beautiful way to celebrate his memory and keep his name alive. Additionally, it allowed Gigi to maintain some kind of relationship with her father.
However, James’ family did not approve of his decision to marry. At the age of twenty-eight, he met Lois Clarke at a gathering and fell in love “for the first time and for the last time”, describing her as the perfect combination of Sophia Loren and Audrey Hepburn. Since their first meeting, Lois revealed that she had a daughter named Kimberly from a previous marriage who suffered from polio. Despite this, James and Lois continued to build a relationship, communicating daily, and married just two weeks after the meeting.
This must have been written by a middle school child.