Al Harrington, known for his roles in the original ‘Hawaii Five-0′ and its reboot, dies at 85

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - “Hawaii Five-0” actor Al Harrington has died, his family confirmed Tuesday.

He was 85 years old.

Harrington was raised in Pago Pago, Samoa and moved to Honolulu as a child.

He played football on the state championship team from Punahou School and had an offer from the Baltimore Colts but decided to go on a two-year Mormon mission back to his native Samoa.

Harrington would later return to Punahou as a teacher and coach.

He was not only an entertainer, but became a Waikiki headliner at places like the Polynesian Palace and the Hilton Hawaiian Village. He earned the title “The South Pacific Man.”

Harrington also was a recording artist and in 2018 was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts.

He played Detective Ben Kokua in the original “Hawaii Five-0” series and then had a recurring role in the CBS reboot series.

Harrington’s family said he was hospitalized recently.

This story will be updated.

Copyright 2021 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.