Though Steven McGarrett was plenty brave going head-to-head against Hawaii’s most nefarious villains, actor Jack Lord was plenty brave on his own. In 1979, Lord was courageous enough to ask the question, “Is there life after Hawaii Five-O?”

By 1979, Lord had starred on the popular police series for over ten years, and he had seemed to reach his limit.

“This is my last year,” Lord said during an interview with the Mason Valley News. “Absolutely. I haven’t said it before. This is the final year.”

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Lord held no ill will toward the series. He simply felt it was time for him to move on as a performer.

“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with staying with one show for 12 years, but the challenge has left,” said the actor. “I’ve proven what I’ve set out to prove.”

The future was full of possibilities, and Lord was optimistic. “What am I going to do?” the actor asked. “Oh God, there’s millions of things to do. There’s movies, there’s movies of the week, there’s the long form in television. They’re doing astronomical things.”

Moreover, Lord was excited to begin his acting career anew and show audiences a new side of himself.

“I’m interested in any good parts,” said the actor. “I’m a versatile actor. Everybody says that I won’t be able to escape McGarrett, but I’ve done about 10 westerns before I did McGarrett. And once I was McGarrett, they didn’t think of me as the heavies I played in Westerns.”