While Steve McGarrett and Danny Williams seemed to be attached at the hip, actors Jack Lord and James MacArthur did not seem to share the same closeness that their characters enjoyed.

For years, Lord and James starred in the popular crime series, Hawaii Five-O. The two spent eleven seasons solving crimes and busting criminals before MacArthur departed the series in 1975. Immediately after MacArthur left the series, he took a break from acting and visited South America.

According to co-star Jack Lord, MacArthur’s actions were mainly rooted in fear, as there were rumors that the series would be cancelled before it had an opportunity to shoot its twelfth season.

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“I think that he [MacArthur] thought we would be cancelled,” said Lord during an interview with the Kalamazoo Gazette. “He announced to the Inquirer Magazine that he was leaving the show.”

Lord seemed to be burned by the loss of a co-star. “It was a terrible way to end an 11-year relationship,” said the actor, “but then Jimmy had been traveling in South America and had no way of knowing what was happening. He announced that he wanted out, wanted to try his wings in other areas. Through our show, he’s become a millionaire, and I thought he’d do better by us.”

Ultimately, MacArthur’s premonition would not come to fruition, as Hawaii Five-O enjoyed one final season before finally ending in 1980. “Last year, we even did a couple of comedies, and they worked out well,” said Lord, who remained on the series for its entire run. “You don’t have to feel too sorry for the networks. They’re getting between $75,000 to $150,000 a commercial minute, and there are six commercial minutes in every hour-long show.”