What Ever Happened to the Cast of "Hawaii Five-O?"
Everett Collection With one of the most recognizable theme songs,Hawaii Five-Oswept its way onto screens worldwide and brought Detective Steve McGarrett and his team to life. The series starred Jack Lord and James MacArthur as detectives for a fictional Hawaii state police department. The drama ran from 1968 until 1980, making it the longest-running crime show on American television until it was surpassed byLaw & Orderin 2003. Here's what happened to the original cast ofHawaii Five-Oafter it went off the air. CBS Photo Archive/Getty; Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty "Book 'em, Danno!" the gruff detective Steve McGarrett commanded his sidekick, Danny Williams, at the end of most episodes. Jack Lord took to the screen every episode to play McGarrett, the head of the criminal investigation department in Honolulu. When offered the role in 1968, Lord jumped at the chance. "This show will be it for me. I'll never leave the islands. They'll have to carry me out," Lord told TV Guide in 1971. AfterFive-Oended, Lord remained in Hawaii and kept a low profile. He continued to paint and busied himself with causes like Save the Whales. He was frequently spotted driving his Cadillac withFive-Oplates or walking on the beach sporting his ascot, until his illness kept him inside. Lord suffered from Alzheimer's disease for at least seven years before his death. Some reports suggest he may have had the illness as early as the final season ofHawaii Five-O,which was filmed in early 1979. He died of congestive heart failure at his home in Honolulu in 1998. He was 77. Lord married Marie de Narde, then a clothing designer, in 1952, and they were together until his death. CBS via Getty; Bobby Bank/WireImage James MacArthur starred as Danny "Danno" Williams, McGarrett's right-hand man. McArthur leftHawaii Five-Oa year before it was canceled. He later guest-starred on television shows such asTime Express,Murder, She Wrote,The Love BoatandWalking Tall. He also appeared in the miniseriesAlcatraz: The Whole Shocking StoryandThe Night the Bridge Fell Down. He also appeared at conventions, collectors' shows, and celebrity sporting events. MacArthur, an avid golfer, even won the 2002 Frank Sinatra Celebrity Invitational Golf Tournament. In 1997, MacArthur returned without Lord to reprise his character in the unaired reboot pilot ofHawaii Five-O. In the summer of 2010, negotiations were underway for MacArthur to make a cameo appearance in theCBS primetime remake ofHawaii Five-0at the time of his death. Hedied of natural causesat the age of 72. MacArthur was married to Helen Beth Duntz for over 25 years until his death. He had four children and seven grandchildren. His first marriage was to actress Joyce Bulifant from 1958 to 1967, and his second marriage was to actress Melody Patterson from 1970 to 1975. Both ended in divorce. CBS via Getty Kam Fong Chun played Detective Chin Ho Kelly inHawaii Five-Ofor the first 10 seasons. Chun had been a real-life police officer, working for 16 years with the Honolulu Police Department, before getting into acting. AfterHawaii Five-O,he starred inMagnum, P.I., Goodbye Paradise,and returned as Det. Chin Ho Kelly in the 1997 filmHawaii Five-O,which never aired. The Hawaii native married his first wife, Esther N. Chun, in 1938. However, Esther and their two children, both under 4, were tragically killed in 1944. He then married Gladys Lindo in 1949. Together they had two sons, Dennis and Dickson, and daughters, Brenda and Valerie. Kam died from lung cancer at the age of 84 in 2002. Paramount+ Herman Wedemeyer played Sergeant/Detective "Duke" Lukela onHawaii Five-Ofrom 1971 to 1980. The multihyphenate joined the TV series after playing professional football and serving as a city council member and state representative. AfterHawaii Five-O,Wedemeyer had roles inThe HawaiiansandMagnum, P.I. He died in 1999 at the age of 74. Wedemeyer is survived by his wife Carol, six children, 10 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Paramount+ Harry Endo played Che Fong, a forensic scientist onHawaii Five-Ountil 1977. He had been working for Territorial Savings Bank in Hawaii when he was approached about portraying Fong in the show. After the series ended, he played minor roles, including two episodes ofMagnum, P.I.,and appeared in single episodes ofJake and the FatmanandMurder, She Wrote. Although Endo retired from acting in the late 1980s, he reprised his role as Fong in the 1997 hour-long made-for-television movie. Endo was married to his wife, Myrtle, for more than 60 years, and they had two children. He died of a stroke at age 86 in 2009. Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Paramount+ Gilbert Francis Lani Damian Kauhi, also known by his stage name Zulu, played Kono Kalakaua inHawaii Five-O. He left the show after four seasons due to disagreements with the show's executives. However, he reprised the role of Kono in the 1997 unaired revival pilot. After he left the series, he had minor roles inThe Brian Keith Show,Code Name: Diamond Head,The Paradise Connection,Charlie's AngelsandMagnum, P.I. Kauhi died at the age of 66 in 2004 from complications due to diabetes. Everett Collection Richard Denning played Governor Paul Jameson onHawaii Five-O. He had an illustrious career before getting the role, including playing Lucille Ball's husband on the radio version ofI Love Lucy'sforerunner,My Favorite Husband.He also starred alongside Cary Grant inAn Affair to Remember. Denning was semi-retired and living in Maui before signing on toHawaii Five-O.AfterHawaii Five-0ended, he starred in one episode ofMcCloudand the 1980 TV filmThe Asphalt Cowboy,his final role. In 1942, Denning married horror film queen Evelyn Ankers, who retired from acting in her early 30s. He and Ankers had a daughter, Diana Denning. After Ankers' death from cancer in 1985, he married Patricia Leffingwell. Denning died of a heart attack at the age of 84 in 1998 while visiting relatives in Southern California. Paramount+; Darryl Oumi/Getty Al Harrington debuted his role as Detective Ben Kokua in 1972. Prior to joining the series full-time, he made several cameos as other characters. After leavingHawaii Five-O, Harrington headlined theAl Harrington Showin Waikiki for more than 20 years. Harrington was known as "The South Pacific Man," and his popularity in the '70s and '80s made him a household name. After theAl Harrington Showended in 1992, Al moved to Utah and later to Los Angeles, where he enjoyed a successful career, appearing onScrubs, The Jeffersons,and more. In 2005, Harrington returned to Hawaii, where he was an educator, actor, entertainer and healer. Harrington also had a recurring role as Mamo Kahike in the 2010 reboot ofHawaii Five-0. In 2018, he received the Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts Lifetime Achievement Award. Harrington and his wife, Rosa, were proud parents to sons Alema and Tau, and daughters Summer and Cassi. They also had several grandchildren. In 2021, Harringtondied at the age of 85after suffering a stroke. Paramount+; Derek Storm/FilmMagic Actress and dancer Peggy Ryan played Jenny Sherman, McGarrett's secretary, from 1969 to 1976. Ryan married Jimmy Cross in 1945, and they welcomed a son, James. The couple divorced in 1952. She met dancer Ray McDonald in 1949, and they wed four years later after her split from Cross. They had a child named Kerry and toured together in an act before divorcing in 1957. Ryan married Hawaii columnist Eddie Sherman in 1958, leaving movies behind before coming out of semi-retirement for her role as Sherman. AfterHawaii Five-O,she trained Las Vegas showgirls in tap dancing. Her last public performance was at her 80th birthday party. Ryan continued to teach tap until two days before her death. Ryan died at age 80 in 2004, following multiple strokes. Read the original article onPeople
What Ever Happened to the Cast of "Hawaii Five-O?" Everett Collection With one of the most recognizable theme songs,Hawaii Five-Os...
