[4] He then moved south to Florida[1] and the Caribbean, where he did a variety of jobs before relocating to California in 1955 and finding work in a furniture and tile factory.

[4] He was then signed to a short-term contract with Warner Bros., resulting in appearances in the 1958 films Darby's Rangers, Violent Road and Onionhead,[3] and in episodes of the television Western series Colt .45, Cheyenne, and Sugarfoot.

[5] Deciding that he needed better acting skills, Garrison returned to New York the same year to study at the Actors Studio.

[2] He supported himself with a series of part-time jobs,[3] including working as a Santa Claus at Gimbels[4] and Macy's department stores.

[6] From October 1963 to December 1964 Garrison was a member of the touring cast of Camelot,[4] playing the role of "Lancelot"[6] in over 300 performances.

[2][6] He also guest starred in television series including Gunsmoke, The Rockford Files, Cheyenne, The Big Valley, Police Woman, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century and Love, American Style.