What Ever Happened to the Cast of Hawaii Five-O?

Jack Lord as Detective Steve McGarrett

“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. 

After Five-O ended, 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 with Five-O plates 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 of Hawaii 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.

James MacArthur as Danny “Danno” Williams

James MacArthur starred as Danny “Danno” Williams, McGarrett’s right-hand man.

McArthur left Hawaii Five-O a year before it was canceled. He later guest-starred on television shows such as Time Express, Murder, She Wrote, The Love Boat and Walking Tall. He also appeared in the miniseries Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story and The 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 of Hawaii Five-O.

In the summer of 2010, negotiations were underway for MacArthur to make a cameo appearance in the CBS primetime remake of Hawaii Five-0 at the time of his death. He died of natural causes at 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.

Kam Fong Chun as Detective Chin Ho Kelly

Kam Fong Chun played Detective Chin Ho Kelly in Hawaii Five-O for 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.

After Hawaii Five-O, he starred in Magnum, P.I., Goodbye Paradise, and returned as Det. Chin Ho Kelly in the 1997 film Hawaii 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.

Herman Wedemeyer as Sergeant/Detective “Duke” Lukela

Herman Wedemeyer played Sergeant/Detective “Duke” Lukela on Hawaii Five-O from 1971 to 1980. The multihyphenate joined the TV series after playing professional football and serving as a city council member and state representative. 

After Hawaii Five-O, Wedemeyer had roles in The Hawaiians and Magnum, 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.

Harry Endo as Che Fong

Harry Endo played Che Fong, a forensic scientist on Hawaii Five-O until 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 of Magnum, P.I., and appeared in single episodes of Jake and the Fatman and Murder, 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.  

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Zulu as Kono Kalakaua

Gilbert Francis Lani Damian Kauhi, also known by his stage name Zulu, played Kono Kalakaua in Hawaii 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 in The Brian Keith Show, Code Name: Diamond Head, The Paradise Connection, Charlie’s Angels and Magnum, P.I.

Kauhi died at the age of 66 in 2004 from complications due to diabetes.

Richard Denning as Governor Paul Jameson

Richard Denning played Governor Paul Jameson on Hawaii Five-O.

He had an illustrious career before getting the role, including playing Lucille Ball’s husband on the radio version of I Love Lucy’s forerunner, My Favorite Husband. He also starred alongside Cary Grant in An Affair to Remember. 

Denning was semi-retired and living in Maui before signing on to Hawaii Five-O. After Hawaii Five-0 ended, he starred in one episode of McCloud and the 1980 TV film The 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.

Al Harrington as Ben Kokura

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 leaving Hawaii Five-O, Harrington headlined the Al Harrington Show in 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 the Al Harrington Show ended in 1992, Al moved to Utah and later to Los Angeles, where he enjoyed a successful career, appearing on Scrubs, 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 of Hawaii 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, Harrington died at the age of 85 after suffering a stroke.

Peggy Ryan as Jenny Sherman

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.

After Hawaii 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.