Thursday, December 30, 2010

McGarrett 9-0

Had he not taken his last breaths in early 1998, John Joseph Patrick Ryan--considerably better known by his acting moniker, Jack Lord--would have celebrated his 90th birthday today.

He boasted a history of work on Broadway stages, starred in such films as Williamsburg: the Story of a Patriot and in the short-lived western TV series Stoney Burke, was reportedly once considered for the role of Captain James T. Kirk in Star Trek, and had the first opportunity to play American spy Felix Leiter in the James Bond movies. But good Lord, the man is undoubtedly best remembered for starring as bad-ass Detective Steve McGarrett in the original Hawaii Five-O series (1968-1980).

Lord died of congestive heart failure at his Honolulu home on January 21, 1998. His ashes were later scattered in the Pacific Ocean. He left behind an estate worth more than $40 million, which was given to a dozen Hawaiian charities after the death, in October 2005, of his wife, Marie.

READ MORE:Jack Lord: 1920-1998

1 comment:

Barbara said...

I've been wondering what Lord would have thought of the new version of "Hawaii 5-0." It's a different show but I really like it.