In a week that saw ‘An Officer and a Gentleman’ luminary Lisa Blount pass away, it was reported that veteran actor James MacArthur died on Thursday. He was 72.

James MacArthur was born on Dec. 8, 1937 and had memorable stints both on the stage and screen, but the role that got him etched in public memory was as Detective Danny “Danno” Williams. Episodes on “Hawaii Five-0″ almost always ended with what became a cult one liner: “Book ‘em, Danno.” “Hawaii Five-0″ had a formidable staying power from 1968 to 1980. This was a record breaking crime show in TV history that ran on to 278 episodes, shot on the picturesque Hawaiian islands.

The lead character of “Hawaii Five-0″ was played by Jack Lord, who as detective Steve McGarrett asked James MacArthur’s detective Danny to book them. This was also the first national TV series that was based in Hawaii. Jack Lord died in 1998.

James MacArthur and Jack Lord parted ways in the penultimate season of the program, with MacArthur giving up as the sidekick of detective Steve McGarrett.

MacArthur had then told the media that he had got bored out of his skull as the plot became predictable and bland, and offered no challenges to the actor in him.

In 1961 , his performance in “Invitation to a March” won MacArthur the Theatre World Award , earning the accolade for best new actor. His mother Helen Hayes is hailed as the “First Lady of the American Theatre.” Like mother, like son.

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