During his appearance at the Gaithersburg Antiques and Collectibles Extravaganza in Gaithersburg, Maryland, James MacArthur graciously spent a couple of hours in this site’s chatroom with some of his fans. What follows is a transcript of that evening’s chat session:

Jim: Hello! It’s so nice to see you all here! Where is everyone from?
Emily: Florida.
Daisy: Ireland.
Carol: New York.
Mandy: Greenville, South Carolina.
Katie: Georgia.
Terri: Sacramento, California.
Deana: Rhode Island.
Teresa: Australia.
Annette: 100 miles south of Chicago.
Barbara: Massachusetts.
Betty: New Jersey.
Jim: Wow! I’m so glad we’re all here together. I can’t believe there are so many people here ... and from so many places, too!
Terri: From all over the world.
Jim: Daisy, I was just in Ireland last summer.
Daisy: Geez, I don’t remember having a summer last year. It never stopped raining.
Jim: Not where I was, Daisy ... it doesn’t rain in pubs <g>.
Jim: So, let’s start the questioning. Let’s have Emily’s question ...
Emily: What is your next project?
Jim: My next project ... is understanding Einstein’s therapy. Betty, you’re next in line. What is your question?
Betty: Nothing much ... other than thanks for the autograph a couple of weekends ago when you were in East Rutherford.
Jim: Betty, it was very nice meeting you and I look forward to seeing you again.
Jim: Oh, I’d like you all to say hello to Phil, who is my oldest and dearest friend, and also my ‘bag man’ this weekend.
<general greetings from the room’s participants>
Jim: Daisy, Phil would like me to tell you that his great-grandfather was from County Cork <that was in the 15th century, in case you’re wondering>
Daisy: Ah. A little before my time then ...
Terri: My first question is: In developing the character Dan Williams, did you have prior training in weapons and such or did a technical assistant help you?
Jim: Terri, I was, from an early age, versed in firearms and the proper use of such, so going on Hawaii Five-O was not a big departure for me.
Terri: Did that include the fight scenes?
Jim: Well, the fight scenes were never very hard for me as I have always been handy athletically.
Dotty: How hard was it to work with Jack Lord? I understand he was hard to work with at times because of his tendency to a be a perfectionist.
Jim: Actually, Jack was not hard to work with at all because he was very well prepared at all times and so was I. Therefore, if there was any problem, it wasn’t between us; it was between Jack and the people who didn’t know their lines.
Carol: When you were in Third Man on the Mountain, I read that you went mountain climbing while you weren’t filming. Didn’t the powers that be have a fit over this? I can’t imagine that they’d let you do that without a fight.
Jim: Carol, you’re quite right <g>. And I climbed The Matterhorn on my day off, unbeknownst to the Disney people! They were thrilled and horrified at the same time <g>. But, in any case, I did it!
Daisy: That’s quite a climb.
Jim: Actually, climbing The Matterhorn was easier than the work we were doing on the glaciers near the crevasses. That was *really* dangerous. In fact, a body washed out of the mountain that had been lost in the 1920s. It had taken 40 years to get through the ice and came down the stream, through town. The townspeople were able to identify the body because they knew everyone who had been lost while climbing, and the body was so perfectly preserved, it was easily identified. They were finally able to give him a proper resting place.
Carla: How much of James MacArthur is in the character of Danny Williams?
Jim: When you’re cast for a role like that on a television series, they don’t cast you to ‘act’ as much as they cast you to ‘be.’ So, there was quite a bit of me in Dan Williams.
Terri: So, your feelings on things in the show is similar to what you think?
Jim: Not necessarily, Terri. I am, after all, an actor and, like a lawyer, I can take both sides of any argument, or any character quirk that is thrown at me. You can justify most anything in terms of what a character will do because human behavior is extremely erratic and amusing and fascinating, which makes drama interesting.
Bill: Do you like professional basketball? If you do, what is your favorite team?
Jim: I love pro basketball, but I’m not a terribly partisan fan. I guess, living in Hawaii for so many years with no team made me just a general basketball fan. I do think the Lakers will go all the way again this year, though.
Terri: Do you think you will be making any appearances in the Sacramento area any time soon?
Jim: As I have only been to Sacramento once in my life, I doubt I will be back soon ... unless elected Governor of California <g>!
Terri: I’d vote for you!
Jim: Okay, that’s one. Only 32,999,999 to go <g>.
Teresa: I’d vote for you, and I’m not even American!
Terri: I’d even volunteer my time to work on your campaign!
Jim: Atta girl, Terri! If elected, all streets will thereafter run downhill!
Annette: Do you ever hear from Al Eben?
Jim: Annette, I wish I would hear from Al, but I don’t know where he is or what he’s doing. He’s a wonderful guy and great to work with.
Helene: Have you ever been to Montreal?
Jim: No, Helene, I have never been to Montreal, and as someone who has travelled the world and lived all over the place, it is shocking that I have not been there and I have been meaning to go there for the last few years.
Barbara: What is your favorite Hawaii Five-O episode?
Jim: I thought Three Dead Cows at Makapuu was one of the best episodes of the entire series. It wasn’t necessarily the best show for me, but it was the best for the series. For me, for my character, I would say Pig in a Blanket was my favorite.
Terri: Do you ever watch yourself on television?
Jim: Oh, yes. It’s very depressing <g>. Except for the wonderful Cowboy montage Debi put together, it was so nice I felt like singing, but don’t worry, I will not destroy my life by trying that!
Betty: I’ve heard actors don’t like to watch themselves.
Jim: Betty, that’s apocryphal.
Teresa: Ahem. Jim, I have both your records!
Mandy: You also sang in Hang ‘Em High.
Jim: Yes, Mandy, and all those guys were happy to be hanged after listening to me!
Mandy: That’s cute. Well, that movie led to your being on Hawaii Five-O.
Jim: Yes, Mandy, you’re quite right.
Kathy: When you look back at your work on Hawaii Five-O, are you pleased with your association with it for all those years?
Jim: I had the most marvelous time doing Hawaii Five-O, and as I look back on it, I am still thrilled with the experience. I am also awed and gratified by the devotion the show still garners from its fans. Thank you all!
Katie: I read in a recent interview that you have five grandchildren. If it’s not too personal, what is your favorite grandchild story.
Jim: I am so enamored with all my grandchildren that I don’t really have a single story. I am, like you, just in awe of these beautiful little creatures.
Katie: My husband wants to know if you have an interest in the new Five-O movie and if you might be in it?
Jim: I talked last week with Rose Freeman, Leonard’s widow, and she told me that the movie is still being negotiated and she hopes it will be successfully concluded, but as to my being involved, she had no idea and nor do I.
Teresa: Jim, you have a huge body of work. What, out of all of that, was the most satisfying thing for you and why?
Jim: On reflection <a good title for a book, BTW>, I think that suddenly turning around and realizing that 40-50 years have gone by while you have pursued something you love with success is the most satisfying thing of all.
Teresa: Nicely put! Oh, and when are you coming back to Australia?
Jim: My son Charlie is madly in love with a lovely lady from Sydney, whom I hope he will marry, and if that happens, I hope the wedding is in Sydney, and you will be invited!
Teresa: Careful! I just might take you up on that <g>!
Jim: I hope you do, Teresa.
Teresa: I will! Well, I hate to leave early, but it’s Sunday noon here in Australia and I must go. Thank you for coming tonight, Jim.
Jim: Warmest aloha, Teresa. I’m glad you were here tonight. I enjoyed talking with you. Thank you, thank you.
Mandy: For the Fantasy Island episode where you played a mild-mannered man who wanted to be a martial-arts expert, how much martial-arts training did you actually undergo in preparation for the role?
Jim: None whatsoever, Mandy. I know nothing of the martial arts except for what Chuck Norris, a friend of mine, told me. However, in the Fantasy Island episode, all the martial arts moves were performed by a stuntman.
Mandy: I thought that might have been the case, but I still enjoyed the episode. I bet it was still pretty scary facing Master Quong.
Jim: Ah, Mandy, Master Quong was no problem with a good script behind me <g>.
Deana: Have you ever read any of the Five-O fanfiction stories, Jim?
Jim: Unfortunately, Deana, I have never had the opportunity to read any fanfiction whatsoever. As you know, I’m quite busy and just don’t spend that much time on the internet. Perhaps someday when I *really* retire, I’ll find the time.
Deana: Oh, true <g>. My mom wants to know what your favorite food is.
Jim: I love to cook. So, my favorite food is good food, and I am also what could be called a two-legged garbage can. I like *everything*!
Deana: I’ve heard that. What is one of your favorite dishes?
Jim: Oh, a Caesar’s Salad ... made the classic way, of course.
Daisy: Why did you quit Five-O before the series ended?
Jim: As I said in my last visit to chat here, Daisy, I left out of boredom, really. After Lenny Freeman died, the show began to stagnate. They told and retold the same stories. They didn’t keep it as ‘cutting edge’ as it had been when Lenny was alive.
Daisy: What do you think would have happened if Mr. Freeman had not died when he did?
Jim: He would have adapted it to the changing times in that the show was started during the Viet Nam war, when everything in the country was upside down, and he wanted Hawaii Five-O to represent only two ‘colors’: black and white/good and evil. As we changed into the 1970s after the war, and we had newer and different issues, which would have had an effect on the type of criminals that would have been operating in Hawaii, and the Five-O unit would have had to adjust to defeat the new types of criminal behavior.
Terri: I do have one favor to ask of you, Jim: May we have your email address so we might contact you that way? Please, please, please <g>.
Betty: Or let us know how to contact you more directly <g>.
Jim: Terri and Betty, I would prefer to have any and all emails or other communications directed to me through this site. I promise to answer them all!
Jim: Thank you all once again for coming tonight. I have really enjoyed meeting and talking with all of you and, once again, thank you so very much for all your devotion to both the show and to me. I am truly honored! Goodnight!