BELOVED ACTOR JAMES GARNER'S DARK CHILDHOOD

James Garner. Credit: Getty Images

The acting legend – who starred in such films as ‘Maverick,’ and ‘The Notebook’ – survived a childhood of abuse and torment at the hands of his stepmother before becoming a Hollywood star.

READ: James Garner dies age 86

In a 1994 profile with The Independent, Garner describer his stepmother, Wilma, as “a nasty bitch”, who would “beat him” and make him wear a dress and answer to the name ‘Louise’ as punishment.

Garner also spoke about a physical fight with Wilma, where he “reckoned that one of them was going to have to kill the other” to survive.

After the altercation, Wilma and Garner’s father, Weldon, split.

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In 1944, at age 16, he joined the United States Merchant Marine, before serving in the 5th Regimental Combat Team in the Korean War.

“When he came back to America, he was in Los Angeles, and he reckoned he might try to be an actor,” the Independent reported.

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Garner went on to star in ‘The Great Escape’, ‘The Americanisation of Emily’, ‘Victor Victoria’ and ‘Murphy’s Romance’, for which he was nominated for the Best Actor Oscar.

The actor also starred as the older Noah in romantic film ‘The Notebook’.

Other Hollywood stars have taken to Twitter to share their love and respect for the actor.