- - David Boreanaz Called James Garner's Daughter Before Accepting Role on “The Rockford Files ”Reboot

Julia MooreFebruary 13, 2026 at 11:37 PM

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David Boreanaz (left); James Garner and daughter Gigi

Emma McIntyre/Getty; Ralph Dominguez/MediaPunch via Getty

David Boreanaz has been cast in an NBC reboot of The Rockford Files

The reboot will reimagine the original series, which ran from 1974-1980, and starred the late James Garner as the titular private detective

Garner's daughter, Gigi, has revealed that Boreanaz reached out to her before accepting the role

David Boreanaz is not taking his role in the new reboot of The Rockford Files lightly.

On Thursday, Feb. 12, PEOPLE confirmed that Boreanaz will star as private eye James Rockford in an NBC reboot of the classic crime show, a role originated on television by James Garner. Garner led the series from 1974 to 1980 on NBC and later starred in several made-for-TV movies as the titular detective.

Before Boreanaz, 56, accepted the role, though, he made an important call to Garner's daughter, Gigi Garner.

"So, I recently got a call from David Boreanaz. He was kind enough to share that he was offered the series & thinking about it," Gigi, 68, wrote in a post on X, reacting to the news of Boreanaz's casting on Feb. 12.

Gigi said that Boreanaz asked "how I felt about the reboot," and she gave him her full stamp of approval. "If anybody can do it, HE CAN!" She added that she's 100% "on board" and thinks the reboot series is"going to be great!"

Garner, who died in 2014 at 86, shared Gigi and her sister Kimberly with his wife, Lois Clarke.

James Garner on 'The Rockford Files'

NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

The reboot series will be a "contemporary update on the classic series of the same name," per Deadline.

"Newly paroled after doing time for a crime he didn’t commit, James Rockford returns to his life as a private investigator using his charm and wit to solve cases around Los Angeles. It doesn’t take long for his quest for legitimacy to land him squarely in the crosshairs of both local police and organized crime," reads the official synopsis, per the outlet.

The reboot is the first lead role for the Buffy star since the conclusion of SEAL Team in 2024. As Jason Hayes, Boreanaz led the CBS series about an elite group of Navy SEALs for seven seasons, from 2017.

However, he was ready to depart when season 7 came around. “My body just can’t do it anymore!” he told PEOPLE at the time. “I take good care of myself, but it gets to a point where your body’s not moving like it used to."

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David Boreanaz attends the Opening Ceremony during the 63rd Monte-Carlo Television Festival on June 14, 2024

Arnold Jerocki/WireImage

The cast took "no shortcuts" making the series, he said, as they all underwent intense training to shoot highly physical scenes. "I think I’ve had four MRIs in the past four months, for my knees, hips, shoulders. It’s been quite a journey.”

Once, he had to carry a 250-lb. stunt double on his back. “Ten feet in, I hit a rock, and my ankle twists, and I fall flat down. My ankle is ballooning, but I had to keep going," he remembered. "You learn from the SEALs how to push through pain — I’m talking guys who have had their arm blown off and are cracking jokes because that’s how they deal with it. It’s very intense."

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”