James Scott Bumgarner
One of 3 children, his mother died when he was 5 years old. Then his dad married an evil stepmother for a few years until she left after a physical incident. He joined the Merchant Marines at 16, which he had to leave due to chronic seasickness. He then moved to Los Angeles where he went to high school. He started modelling, but didn't like it much. Later he joined the National Guard and was awarded the Purple Heart for injuries received during the Korean War. His acting career started in 1956 and continued to his death.
Known professionally as James Garner, he starred in several television series over more than five decades; most notably his roles in Maverick and The Rockford Files. He also starred in more than 50 movies, big screen and made for TV. I retrieved this information from Wikipedia, but there are numerous sources listing information about Mr Garners life. I especially love the love-story photos between him and his wife.