Richard Boone Turned Down the Role That Made Jack Lord Famous on ‘Hawaii Five-O’

It is almost impossible to picture the original Hawaii Five-O without Jack Lord as Steve McGarrett. He played the tough head of Hawaii’s fictional police unit for all 12 seasons, from 1968 to 1980. But the role could have gone to another famous TV star.

Richard Boone, best remembered as Paladin on Have Gun – Will Travel, was offered the role of McGarrett before Lord. Boone turned it down, but there’s another interesting part to the story. He had already helped get Hawaii Five-O to film in Hawaii in the first place.