UPDATED 6/3/2022
Hawaii Five-O was a popular series that hit television screens in 1968, starring big names like Jack Lord, James MacArthur, Kam Fong, and many more that you will definitely remember. The show centered around the investigations by the elite branch of the Hawaii State Police, led byDetective Captain Steve McGarrett.
The series ran for a total 12 seasons, ending its run in 1980 with reruns of the show continuing today. A reboot of the series was created in 2010 and ran for 10 seasons until 2020. It’s clearly a popular one! Here’s the original cast of Hawaii Five-O. Do you remember these faces?
Jack Lord (Captain Steve McGarrett)
Jack Lord is best known for his role as Detective Captain Steve McGarrett, the tough-as-nails leader of the special state task force. He was a hard-hitting cop who was devoted to his job. Jack Lord really anchored this terrific series. Even if you didn’t watch it, you’ve definitely heard his catchphrase whenever he found his perp: “Book ‘em!” he would say to Danno. And to think Jack was a last minute network substitution, only getting the script days before the pilot shot.
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Jack Lord was born on December 30, 1920 in Brooklyn, New York and began spending summers at sea on cargo ships where he painted and sketched the landscapes he encountered. This sparked a lifelong love affair with painting. His start on TV came in 1952 through guest spots. Then, in ‘55 he got a role in a Gary Cooper-led flick, The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell. In 1957 he starred in Williamsburg: the Story of a Patriot, which has run daily at Colonial Williamsburg ever since, and the following year he once again co-starred with Cooper in the Man of the West, originally supposed to be a John Wayne vessel. But it was 1962 that proved to be a banner year: he played CIA agent Felix Leiter in the first James Bond movie, Dr. No; following which ABC first gave Lord a chance to champion his own TV show, playing the titular lead as Stoney Burke the rodeo master for one 32-episode season.
Ultimately, his career defining role in Hawaii 5-O would be one of his final. Lord actually began to stay out of public eye due to his suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. The last acting credit was in the 1980 TV movie M Station: Hawaii. He died later in 1998, but still has a slew of acting credits behind him such as his first film Project X in 1949, the TV series Gunsmoke in 1957, and the TV series Bonanza in 1960.
Art was Jack’s first love. He once said he began acting to make his name known, so he could sell his art. The plan worked, and by the time Hawaii Five-O ended and the rest of the cast parted ways, Jack was selling his art for thousands of dollars. His work has been displayed in museums around the world, including the Met and The Whitney Museum, both in New York City. Sadly, Jack Lord passed away in 1998 at the age of 77. A bronze bust of the actor was unveiled in a ceremony at the Kahala Mall in 2004. The nonprofit Jack Lord Memorial Fund raised the money for the memorial.
James MacArthur (Danny “Danno” Williams)
James MacArthur is best known for his role as Danny Williams, the younger second-in-command, “booking” the bad guys following McGarrett’s orders. He was a fantastic counterpart to Jack Lord, and unfortunately left the show after season 11, making the final 12th season a little anticlimactic.
As for MacArthur, as a baby he was adopted by playwright Charles MacArthur, who won an Academy Award in 1936 for Best Original Story for The Scoundrel. His mother was none other than famed actress Helen Hayes, nicknamed the “First Lady of American Theatre.”
James began acting at the age of 18 in 1955 in a television play. Then, in 1960, he landed a blockbuster role, playing Fritz Robinson in 1960’s The Swiss Family Robinson, one of the most successful family friendly films of all time. Fans might recall him from the 1963 Henry Fonda-led film Spencer’s Mountain, or as part of the star-studded cast of 1965’s Battle of the Bulge. MacArthur made some fantastic films before heading to Hawaii and the cast of Hawaii Five-O.
He also appeared in many other films and popular TV series throughout the decades, among them Bonanza in 1967, Murder, She Wrote in 1984, and his last acting credit in StormChasers: Revenge of the Twisterin 1998. He went on to other professional ventures, such as partially owning the Senior World Publication, where he would occasionally conduct celebrity interviews. He was also an avid golfer, even winning the 2002 Frank Sinatra Charity Golf Tournament.
He died of natural causes in 2010 at the age of 72. But he will live for as long as people keep saying, Book em Danno… so, forever.
Kam Fong (Chin Ho)
Kam Fong played the role of Chin Ho, a resourceful part of the squad, and certainly brought one of the saddest moments of the entire show when he was killed off in the finale of season 10. Fong was ready to depart the show, but many fans agree they were less ready to see him go.
The name Fong was actually the result of a teacher incorrectly directing him how to write his name, but it stuck and he later took it as his legal one; he was actually born Kam Tong Chun. He was a Honolulu, Hawaii native, which made him perfect for the role in Hawaii Five-O! Following high school, he worked as a boiler-maker in the Pearl Harbor shipyard and was there on December 7, 1941, when the Japanese attack on the naval base shook America into a World War. Terribly, on June 8th, 1944, his first wife and two children were killed when two B-24 Liberators collided in mid-air and the burning wreckage fell onto the homes of his neighborhood. This compelled Fong to join the police force, where he served for 16 years
He only had two handfuls of acting credits throughout the decades, his first a film in 1958 calledGhost of the China Sea. In the meantime, he was a member of theHonolulu Police Department. His final acting credit was actually in the Hawaii Five-O TV movie in 1997 and he later passed away in 2002 from lung cancer. He was 84 and lived quite the remarkable life, as only Chin Ho could.
Herman Wedemeyer (Duke)
Duke was a Hawaii PD officer, later promoted to detective, Lukela entered the show for Seasons 5 through the end, even battling false accusations of police corruption. Wedemeyer was another Hawaiian born actor, and it’s worth noting, a Hawaiian football player, as he was very good at the sport. He played running back for St. Mary’s and was the 4th runner up for the Heisman trophy in 1945. “Squirmin’ Herman” could ball, and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in ’79 as well as the Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame in 1998.
Hawaii Five-O was really his only acting work, besides one episode of Magnum PI. However, he was also involved in politics and was elected to the Honolulu City Council in 1968. He was later elected to the Hawaii House of Representatives, winning re-election in ’72. Sadly, Herman died in 1999 at the age of 72 after suffering a heart attack.
Read onto the NEXT page for more original cast members from Hawaii Five-O…
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FAQs
Who is the cast of the new Hawaii Five O? ›
| Hawaii Five-0 | |
|---|---|
| Starring | Alex O'Loughlin Scott Caan Ian Anthony Dale Meaghan Rath Jorge Garcia Beulah Koale Katrina Law Taylor Wily Dennis Chun Kimee Balmilero Chi McBride |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of episodes | 22 |
| Release | |
Lieutenant Chin Ho Kelly is the third member of Five-0. He was a former Honolulu Police Department police officer who left the force due to false allegations of corruption.
Who were the original Hawaii Five O guys? ›| Hawaii Five-O | |
|---|---|
| Created by | Leonard Freeman |
| Starring | Jack Lord James MacArthur Kam Fong Gilbert Lani Kauhi Al Harrington Herman Wedemeyer William Smith Sharon Farrell Moe Keale Doug Mossman Danny Kamekona |
| Theme music composer | Morton Stevens |
| Opening theme | "Hawaii Five-O Theme" by Morton Stevens |
Meaghan Rath and Beulah Koale joined as new main cast members.
Who plays the new Steve McGarrett? ›Alex O'Loughlin brings Detective Steve McGarrett to life on Hawaii Five-0. He's been featured by Watch! Magazine before, but this time the gorgeous photos are accompanied by little-known facts about the star. For one, he's great at accents.
Does Steve McGarrett have a wife? ›In the early seasons, we knew very little about Steve McGarrett. He was almost too perfect. He was dressed and coiffed to perfection, worked in the big office, and drove the big car. We were told almost nothing of his personal life, except that he had told Rosemary Quong that he'd never been married ("Cocoon," Pilot).
Why did Kono leave? ›Original cast members Kim and Park – who played Chin Ho Kelly and Kono Kalakaua respectively – both left at the end of season 7 after seeking pay equality with their white, male co-stars Alex O'Loughlin and Scott Caan.
Does Kono come back? ›While the showrunners have left the door open for both characters to return, it seems unlikely either Chin or Kono will return as main characters.
Does Kono come back in season 8? ›Season 8 of CBS' Hawaii Five-0 will be without two of its veteran cast members. Daniel Dae Kim, who played Chin Ho Kelly, and Grace Park (Kono Kalakaua) will not be returning for the eighth season. CBS says fans will be updated on their characters in the season premiere on Friday, September 29.
Is Steve McGarrett Wo Fat brother? ›Back in reality, Steve later discovers that he and Wo Fat are brothers or presumably half-brothers given that Wo Fat grew up with Doris McGarrett. Wo Fat after being killed by Steve.
Who died from Hawaii Five-O? ›
Al Harrington, known for his roles in the original 'Hawaii Five-0′ and its reboot, dies at 85.
Who was removed from Hawaii in order for the US to take it? ›An 1875 trade reciprocity treaty further linked the two countries and U.S. sugar plantation owners from the United States came to dominate the economy and politics of the islands. When Queen Liliuokalani moved to establish a stronger monarchy, Americans under the leadership of Samuel Dole deposed her in 1893.
Who plays Bertie New Girl? ›Bertie (Jessica Chaffin) is a bus driver who becomes Winston's girlfriend when she found Winston's cat. Winston likes that she's down-to-earth.
Who plays Brandi New Girl? ›New Girl (TV Series 2011–2018) - Chelsey Crisp as Brandy - IMDb.
Who plays Jacob New Girl? ›Ryan O'Flanagan: Jacob.
How much does Scott Caan make per episode? ›Scott Caan gets almost 500,000 dollars for every episode.
Do Steve and Catherine get back together? ›Despite her actions, he knew that she truly loved McGarrett and he reciprocated the same amount. Fans, surprisingly, received the finale well as they agreed that the two needed to be in each other's lives. The finale ended with McGarrett reaching to hold her hand as she asks him if he's ready.
Does Catherine come back in Hawaii Five-O? ›It's going to be all hands on deck — Catherine Rollins' quite capable ones included — as Hawaii Five-0 enters the new year. TVLine has confirmed that Michelle Borth is set to make her third encore since exiting the CBS series early in Season 6, in what has previously been described as an Expendables-style episode.
Where is the McGarrett house on Oahu? ›McGarrett Residence is a home that belongs to the McGarrett family. It formerly belonged to John McGarrett. After John's murder at the hands of Victor Hesse, John's son, Steve McGarrett inherited the home and has lived in it to this day. The address is 2727 Piikoi Street.
Why did Danny and Gabby break up? ›Danny and Gabby
Gabrielle Asano certainly seemed to be getting serious when he decided to introduce her to his daughter, Grace, in Season 2. The on-again-off-again relationship ended when she accepted a job offer in Denver.
Why does Catherine leave in season 6? ›
Explaining her absence, we learn that she would remain in Afghanistan, devoting her time to search for the son of the man who saved her life. Following on from that, she turned up at such events as Kono and Adam's wedding, and she would then leave McGarrett soon after.
Why did Adam and Kono leave? ›The latter's brother, Michael, kills someone with Kono's gun to frame her. She is cleared from the crime, but Adam has to kill his brother to protect her, leading to Kono going into hiding with Adam. They move from one place to another to evade capture by vengeful yakuza members.
Are Adam and Kono still together? ›Season 9. Adam appears in episode 6 and reveals to Tani that he and Kono broke up, depressing him and drank in order to help cope.
Why did Daniel Dae Kim retire? ›He departed the show in late June 2017 prior to the eighth season due to a salary dispute with CBS. He had been seeking pay equality with co-stars Alex O'Loughlin and Scott Caan, but CBS would not agree to it.
Why did Kono lose her badge? ›She was kicked off HPD
During Season 2, Kono had to deal with an intense investigation by the Department of Internal Affairs after being attached to a bunch of dirty cops. She faced interrogation by her own team members and lost her badge before it was finally revealed that it was all an undercover operation.
Kelly continued to work in the Hawaii-Five O Task Force until he was offered a position in a new Five-O Task Force being established by the San Francisco Police Department. In the Season 8 premiere, it was revealed that he had moved to San Francisco and taken the job.
What happened to the original Kono? ›In 1968, Zulu landed the role of the burly state police detective Kono on Hawaii Five-O. He was fired from the show after four seasons after disagreements with the show's publicist. Supposedly, a racial slur was used and Jack Lord had him fired.
What season do Kono and Chin leave? ›As a result, they both left the CBS procedural at the end of Season 7.
What happened to Officer Kono Kalakaua? ›In the season finale, she was kidnapped by Frank Delano, who forced Chin to choose between saving Kono herself and his wife. After Chin picked his wife, Kono was later thrown overboard and seen struggling to survive but failing due to the fact that she had been bound and gagged.
Are Chin and Kono cousins? ›Daniel Dae Kim was the first person cast. He was followed by Alex O'Loughlin, Grace Park, and then Scott Caan. On this show, Chin (Daniel Dae Kim) and Kono (Grace Park) are first cousins.
What did McGarrett say at the end? ›
It wasn't until McGarrett says, “A hui hou,” which means “until we meet again” that really made his exit feel a little hopeful. Not that the show will come back, but that these friendships that we have grown to love and adore, will continue and endure.
Who kills Wo Fat? ›During the torture, he tells Steve that Doris had adopted him from the streets after her op went bad and his mother was killed. Doris raised him for some time before she was forced by the CIA to abandon him. After a long fight, Steve kills Wo Fat.
Why is Wo Fat face burned? ›As they find the crash site, a wounded Wo Fat shoots at them, only hitting Chin in his vest and shooting out one of Savannah's cameramen's camera before they stumble upon him to show that he has sustained severe burns on one side of his face from the crash and begs McGarrett to kill him, but he doesn't and he arrested ...
Who Jake died? ›Jake McLean had a secret girlfriend when he died in a horror car smash in Turkey, MailOnline can reveal. The Essex businessman was killed instantly when his car plunged down a ravine in a crash that left his on-off lover TOWIE star Yazmin Oukhellou, 28, with serious injuries.
Why is Danny not on Hawaii 5 0 as much? ›Scott Caan requested more time off from Hawaii Five-0
As Screen Rant noted, Danny appeared in five fewer episodes than Steve. But Caan saw less screen time from Hawaii Five-0 because he requested it.
Kono and Adam were attacked in Hangzhou after their whereabouts were taken from Five-0 and turned over to the Yakuza by Esteban Luna. The couple go on the offense, working with Five-0 and joint law enforcement to take out Yakuza members still loyal to Michael.
Did Hawaiians marry their siblings? ›The practice of marriage between siblings in the royal family was considered a way of keeping the bloodlines pure in ancient Hawaii. Nāhiʻenaʻena's own maternal grandparents were half sister and brother.
Did the U.S. apologize for Hawaii? ›1993: President Clinton apologizes for 1893 overthrow of Hawaiian monarchy. President Bill Clinton signs legislation apologizing for the U.S. role in the 1893 overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy.
Is there still Hawaiian royalty? ›The House of Kawānanakoa survives today and is believed to be heirs to the throne by a number of genealogists. Members of the family are sometimes called prince and princess, as a matter of tradition and respect of their status as aliʻi or chiefs of native Hawaiians, being lines of ancient ancestry.
Does Jess have autism? ›First, The Basics. Jess is 34-years-old, autistic, and blind. Her favorite topics of conversation include getting a new dog, her friend Keely, her Aunt Sue, and cousin Donna.
What is Schmidt's full name? ›
Winston Saint-Marie Schmidt, primarily known mononymously as Schmidt, is a main character on FOX comedy New Girl. He is portrayed by Max Greenfield. Schmidt and Cece were married in season 5 and they now have two kids, a daughter named Ruth and a son named Moses.
Who is Sadie New Girl? ›Sadie is a recurring character on New Girl. She is portrayed by June Diane Raphael.
Why did they replace Winston in New Girl? ›The reason behind Wayans' departure from New Girl was the fact that he was also part of the cast of the comedy series Happy Endings at the same time. As he was expecting it to be canceled at the time, Wayans joined the cast of New Girl.
Who plays Skylar New Girl? ›Natalie Rachel Dreyfuss (born February 25, 1987) is an American actress. She played Skyler in "Fancyman (Part 2)" episode of New Girl.
Who plays Melissa New Girl? ›Melissa is the ex-wife of Sadie on the FOX comedy New Girl. She is played by Kay Cannon.
Who is Jess's cousin New Girl? ›Robby McFerrin is a recurring character on FOX comedy New Girl. He is portrayed by Nelson Franklin.
Does Nick end up with Jess? ›Jess and Nick dance around their obvious feelings for far too long, and after Jess left New Girl temporarily in season 5 the two finally reconcile at the very end of season 6. New Girl's final season leaps three years into the future, and Nick marries Jess.
Is Cece older than Schmidt? ›Cece introduces Schmidt to her grandmother (Madhur Jaffrey) in her old people's home. Nick is back with Caroline. He is puzzled when she tells him that she is 33 - three years older than him. She had previously told him that she was the same age as him.
Will there be a 11th season of Hawaii Five O? ›Hawaii Five-0 is ending so there won't be an 11th season.
Are kamekona and flippa related in real life? ›Kamekona's shrimp truck idea was smart and adding the helicopter tours was just another step toward financial dominance. While Kamekona became an important part of the show early on, his cousin Flippa acts as both comic relief and a reminder of Kamekona's love of family.
Who is the girl in the Hawaii Five O intro? ›
Iconic dancer in 'Hawaii Five-0' opening credits remembered for her wit, warmth. KANEOHE, OAHU (HawaiiNewsNow) - From 1968 to 1980, Helen Kuoha-Torco's dancing shook up the original "Hawaii Five-0" in the opening credits.
What season did Kono leave? ›At the end of season seven, Kono Kalakaua left Hawaii for Carson City, Nevada. There she joins a multi-agency task force combating sex trafficking. Not much of her story is shown after that.
Why did Magnum PI get Cancelled? ›The first four seasons of the show aired on CBS, and despite being one of the highest-rated shows in its Friday night time slot, the network canceled the drama in May after negotiations broke down over licensing fees. “Magnum P.I.” is a co-production of CBS Studios and Universal Television.
Is Magnum PI Cancelled? ›Magnum P.I. will fight crime at NBC for 2 more seasons after CBS canceled it. Turns out, the case isn't closed for Team Ohana. NBC has picked up the series for another two seasons after CBS canceled the action drama in May. The 10-episode seasons will air after the show enjoyed a four-season run on its original network ...
Did McGarrett leave show? ›...
Related content:
| type | TV Show |
|---|---|
| rating | |
| network | CBS |
Yes, that's Taylor “Big T” Wily, known on the show as “Kamekona”, who recently started a real-life Shrimp Truck business. How cool is that?! Ah yes, life imitating art at its finest. In real life, Taylor “Big T” Wily is a supah cool braddah, just like how he appears on the show.
Where is Kamekona's shrimp truck in Hawaii? ›Kahanamoku Lagoon is located on the right side of Rainbow Tower. The shrimp truck scenes are filmed near the top sliver of sandy beach just to the left on Rainbow Tower and near to the rock wall that's built into the ocean.
Who married Kono? ›Danny and McGarrett - Hawaii Five-0 Season Finale
On the eve of Kono's wedding to Adam, Five-0 learns that a stolen nuclear bomb is somewhere on the island and about to be detonated.
The original series
The program was shot on location in Honolulu and throughout the island of Oahu–other islands in the state were also used for various scenes. The name of the show is derived from Hawaii being the 50th state of the United States.