Remembering the Cast of ‘The Rockford Files’: Who Is Still Alive Today?
The Rockford Files, starring James Garner as private detective Jim Rockford, began its weekly run on NBC over 50 years ago on September 13, 1974, following a pilot that aired that March. The series lasted six seasons, introducing a group of characters whose visits to Jim’s trailer could mean anything from a friendly chat to a very expensive problem.
As we mark the anniversary, here’s a look at what Garner, his co-stars, and several familiar recurring guests did after the show ended, while paying tribute to those we have lost.
James Garner as Jim Rockford
Everett Collection; New Line/Everett Collection
Garner was already a star when he took the role. He became a household name as Bret Maverick on Maverick, which debuted in 1957, and his movie career included The Great Escape, The Americanization of Emily, and Support Your Local Sheriff! His performance on The Rockford Files brought him an Emmy for outstanding lead actor in a drama series in 1977.
The job was physically demanding, and health problems contributed to the original series ending in 1980. Still, he returned for eight Rockford Files television movies between 1994 and 1999. Outside of work, his marriage to Lois Clarke, whom he wed in 1956, lasted nearly 58 years.
His later roles introduced him to younger viewers, too. He earned his only Oscar nomination for Murphy’s Romance, appeared in Space Cowboys and played the older Noah in The Notebook. Television audiences also knew him as the grandfather on 8 Simple Rules.
Garner died on July 19, 2014, at 86 from a heart attack. His daughter, Gigi, later established the James Garner Animal Rescue Fund in his honor. The organization helps rescue groups, shelters, and others care for animals in need.
Noah Beery Jr. as Joseph “Rocky” Rockford
Gene Trindl/TV Guide/Everett Collection; CBS/Everett Collection
Beery brought decades of experience to the part of Jim’s dad. The son of actor Noah Beery and nephew of Wallace Beery, he appeared in films including Only Angels Have Wings and Red River. Television viewers might also remember him as Joey the Clown on Circus Boy, opposite a young Micky Dolenz from the Monkees.
His work as Rocky earned three Emmy nominations. Beery died on November 1, 1994, at 81 from cerebral thrombosis, a blood clot in the brain.
Joe Santos as Dennis Becker
Everett Collection; Jennifer Lourie/FilmMagic/Getty Images
Santos played Dennis Becker, the LAPD detective who helped Jim, often reluctantly. Santos received an Emmy nomination for the role in 1979 and returned for all eight reunion movies. His other television credits included Magnum, P.I. and NYPD Blue. Later, The Sopranos viewers knew him as mobster Angelo Garepe, a change from the police officers he often played. Santos died on March 18, 2016, at 84 from a heart attack.
Stuart Margolin as Evelyn “Angel” Martin
Everett Collection; First Run Features/Everett Collection
Margolin and Garner had worked together on Nichols before The Rockford Files, and they later reunited on Bret Maverick. Margolin also directed television, including episodes of The Rockford Files, Quantum Leap and Northern Exposure.
Angel earned him two supporting-actor Emmys in 1979 and 1980. Margolin died on December 12, 2022, at 82 from complications of pancreatic cancer.
Gretchen Corbett as Beth Davenport
Everett Collection; Allyson Riggs/Hulu/Everett Collection
Corbett played Jim’s lawyer and occasional girlfriend. She appeared on the original series from 1974 to 1978 and returned as Beth in the 1990s television movies. Her other television work includes Cheers, Magnum, P.I., Otherworld, Portlandia and Shrill.
The stage has also remained an important part of her career. She has acted and directed in Portland, Oregon, and worked with the Haven Project, which provided theater opportunities for underserved children. Her daughter, Winslow Corbett, also became an actress. Corbett is now 81.
James Luisi as Lt. Doug Chapman
ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
Luisi played the lieutenant whose patience with Rockford was usually in short supply. Luisi had an unusual career before acting: He played professional basketball for the Baltimore Bullets. He later appeared on Broadway in the original production of Sweet Charity and built a long television résumé. Soap fans may remember him from Santa Barbara and Days of Our Lives. He also returned as Chapman in two of the Rockford television movies. Luisi died of cancer on June 7, 2002, at 73.
Tom Atkins as Lt. Diehl
Michael Courtney/Shudder/Everett Collection
Atkins played another police officer in Jim’s orbit, Lt. Diehl, and later returned for the reunion movies. Away from Rockford Files, he also built a substantial theater career in his native Pittsburgh, including playing Steelers founder Art Rooney in The Chief.
Atkins is now 90. Horror fans have plenty of reasons to recognize him: His films include The Fog, Halloween III: Season of the Witch and Night of the Creeps. He also appeared in Escape from New York and Lethal Weapon.
Tom Selleck as Lance White
Everett Collection
Before he became Thomas Magnum, Selleck played a private investigator who could really get on Jim Rockford’s nerves.
Selleck appeared as White in two episodes, then became a television star himself with Magnum, P.I. His later career included Three Men and a Baby, a recurring role on Friends, the Jesse Stone television movies and a long run as Frank Reagan on Blue Bloods. Selleck is now 81 years old.
Rita Moreno as Rita Kapkovic
Everett Collection
Moreno appeared as Rita Kapkovic, a friend of Jim’s. Her work on The Rockford Files earned her an Emmy in 1978 and another nomination the following year. Later, audiences saw her in the One Day at a Time revival, Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, and 80 for Brady.
Moreno is now 94. She marked that birthday in December 2025 with plans for small celebrations with loved ones, including her daughter, Fernanda Fisher. “I’m very, very fortunate indeed!” she told People.
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