Jim Rockford (television character) Jim Rockford (television character) James Scott Rockford is a fictional character on the television series "The Rockford Files". The character, played by James Garner, is a struggling private investigator operating in the greater Los Angeles area. Rockford is the principal character of the series, and Garner was the only actor to appear in every episode of the series. Unlike many other fictional "private eyes", he is an ex-convict, albeit one who was falsely imprisoned (at San Quentin Prison) and later fully pardoned. One episode tells that because of the carelessness of his parole officer, Rockford had to hire an attorney
The Rockford Files series, the trailer is at Paradise Cove (address 29 Cove Road), adjacent to a pier and a restaurant ("The Sand Castle", now known as the "Paradise Cove Beach Cafe"). In the television movies from 1994–99, Rockford is living in a trailer that has been extensively enlarged and remodeled. In contrast to most television private eyes, Rockford wears low-budget "off the rack" clothing and does his best to avoid fights—although he will engage in fistfights when there's absolutely no other option. He rarely carries his Colt Detective Special revolver, for which he has no permit, preferring to talk his way out