View source for Jay Garner

{{Cast Data
| image= BR25 - Efram Asimov.png
| character=[[Efram Asimov]] 
| series=
| series 2=
| born_month= 1
| born_day= 17
| born_year= 1929
| death_month= 1
| death_day= 21
| death_year= 2011
| nationality=US
| imdb= 0307717
| sortkey=Garner, Jay
}}

'''Jay Garner''' (born '''James H. Garner Jr'''; January 17, 1929 – January 21, 2011) was an American {{W|actor}}. 

For his career, Garner changed his first name to Jay upon entering [[w:Actors Equity|Actors Equity]] as film star {{W|James Garner}} of ''{{W|Murphy's Romance}}'' and ''{{W|The Rockford Files}}'' had already been in that union. Garner was best known to theatre audiences for his diverse character roles. He created the role of the "side-stepping" Governor of {{W|Texas}} in the musical ''{{W|The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas}}'', originated the role of the priggish anti-homosexual politician Eduord Dindon in ''{{W|La Cage Aux Folles}}'' and had the lead role in ''{{W|Red, Hot and Maddox}}''. He was a long time {{W|Benjamin Franklin}} in the musical hit ''[[w:1776 (musical)|1776]]'', a role he also reprised on tour and in various stock productions. In 1986 he took over the role of Sir John Tremayne from Tony winner {{W|George S. Irving}} in the original Broadway staging of ''{{W|Me and My Girl}}''. His last Broadway performance was Horace Vandergelder in the 1994 revival of ''[[w:Hello, Dolly! (musical)|Hello, Dolly!]]'' starring {{W|Carol Channing}}. Television audiences know him as Admiral [[Efram Asimov]] in the [[Season 2|second season]] of {{BRTV}}.

He died on January 21, 2011 after suffering from a {{W|Heart|heart}} {{W|Respiratory_illness|respiratory illness}}, aged 82.