Al Harrington, who starred as Detective Ben Kokua in 64 episodes of the original ‘Hawaii Five-0’ series, issued this statement today about the death of James MacArthur:

"James MacArthur was a real team player. He wasn’t caught up in his fame. He wanted to make the ‘HI 5-0’ team as good as it could be. He had a great sense of what the ‘Aloha Spirit’ was all about, which a lot of people don’t understand even after being here so many years.

"He had a great sense of humor and always kept things light on the heavy moments of shooting. He would challenge each of us on the team to know our lines. He was the ultimate professional when it came to his craft.

"Reading the message from James MacArthur at the ‘Hawaii Five-0’ premiere in September was one of the greatest moments of my acting career. Looking back now, I realize how very special and how much more meaningful that moment was. Those were his last words to all of us — unbeknowst to us. He thanked Hawaii and the many fans for giving him the best years of his life.

"I love and respected him as a man. He taught me a great deal about the acting profession without making a big thing of it. "I send my condolences and best wishes to his wife, family and loved ones."

———

  At the Sept. 13 Sunset on the Beach premiere of CBS’ new version of the police drama, Harrington read a letter from James MacArthur.