For 259 episodes, fans of Hawaii Five-O got to witness James MacArthur as Danny "Danno" Williams. It was an acting opportunity that made MacArthur wealthy; he invested a great deal of his earnings in Hawaiian real estate. "Book 'em, Danno" became a popular line from the series. Everything seemed great, and the actor was getting the recognition he deserved. However, in 1979, MacArthur left the series.
Why? There were a lot of different rumors floating around in the media that many thought was "the truth" about why he left. One rumor claimed MacArthur left because Jack Lord wouldn't let him have a dressing room. Another claimed that the actor departed because he felt like the show was becoming boring and predictable.
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Regardless of why he left Hawaii Five-O, MacArthur used his newfound success to snag various roles. He made appearances on television shows like Time Express, Murder, She Wrote, The Love Boat (multiple episodes), Fantasy Island, Walking Tall, and many more.
Years later, in 1997, MacArthur appeared as Governor Danny Williams in an unsold Hawaii Five-O TV pilot. He would go on to appear in various productions and projects until 2008.
If you were a fan of MacArthur before Hawaii Five-O, you know that he wasn't a "nobody." Before the massive success, he could be seen on popular shows like Bonanza, Wagon Train, in various Disney productions, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Gunsmoke, Combat!, and more. The actor was the son of celebrated actress Helen Hayes, whose career spanned over eight decades.
